Teaching Excellence Awards
The Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee and the Center for Teaching and Learning invite nominations to recognize outstanding educators in the University. All UNM instructors, students, and staff are encouraged to nominate lecturers, instructors, and professors for special award recognition. We encourage nominations from departments in all UNM colleges and branches.
We encourage nominees and applicants from all colleges, branches, and departments. We offer guidance for teaching philosophies, observation, and support letters. We will be making available an online resource for helping applicants and their supporters develop stronger applications. You can also set up a consultation with the Teaching Support at CTL program (teachingsupportctl@unm.edu) to receive feedback and guidance on your materials. Information on this resource will be available for applicants soon.
Awards and Eligibility
Every year the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee and the Center for Teaching and Learning invite nominations to recognize outstanding educators in the University. All UNM instructors, students, and staff are encouraged to nominate lecturers, instructors and professors for special award recognition.
Presidential Teaching Fellow
All tenured faculty are eligible. The Presidential Teaching Fellowship promotes excellence in teaching by establishing a core group of faculty who are given the highest recognition for their effective teaching. Additionally, Fellows carry a special responsibility for ensuring teaching excellence by sharing their expertise with the university community. One Fellow is selected each year and serves an active term of two years. Fellows retain their title while employed at UNM. During the two years of their fellowship, recipients receive a $1000 increase to their base salary, paid by the Provost’s office. Additionally, recipients are provided with $3000 from CTL to support their fellowship projects. The Teaching Support program processes this payment via non-standard payment form or JV transfer to recipient index – the distribution is decided upon by the Director of the Teaching Support program and the recipient’s agreement of what they will do as a Presidential Teaching Fellow. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni.
To be eligible for the Presidential award you must meet the following criteria:
1. I am a tenured faculty member at The University of New Mexico
2. I have not previously received the Presidential Teaching Fellow award
Outstanding Teacher of the Year
All tenured faculty, clinician educators, and professors of practice are eligible. The Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and rewards teaching excellence and fosters a campus climate that supports teaching improvement and accomplishment. Multiple recipients may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1250 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by the Teaching Support program.
To be eligible for the Outstanding Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:
- I am a tenured faculty member, a clinician educator, or professor of practice at The University of New Mexico.
- I have not previously received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award.
New Teacher of the Year
All pre-tenure, tenure-track assistant professors are eligible. The New Teacher of the Year Award recognizes tenure-track educators who are recent additions to the UNM faculty and have not yet achieved tenure. Multiple recipients may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1250.00 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by the Teaching Support program.
To be eligible for the New Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:
- I am a tenure-track, untenured assistant professor at The University of New Mexico.
- I have not previously received the New Teacher of the Year award or the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award.
Online Teacher of the Year
All lecturers, clinician educators, adjunct faculty on a current contract, and tenure-track and tenured faculty who have already taught at least one fully online course are eligible. This award acknowledges excellence in the challenging teaching and learning arena of online education. One recipient may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, alumni, or the nominee. $1250.00 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by the Teaching Support program.
To be eligible for the Online Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:
- I am one of the following at The University of New Mexico: lecturer, clinician educator, adjunct faculty on a current contract, or tenure-track or tenured faculty.
- I have taught at least one fully online course at The University of New Mexico. Fully online courses do not include web-enhanced, face-to-face, or hybrid courses.
- I have not previously won an Online Teacher of the Year award.
Lecturer and Affiliated Faculty of the Year
Eligible faculty include any lecturer who has taught a minimum of two semesters at UNM, or any affiliated faculty (instructor, part-time temporary faculty, visiting professor, adjunct faculty) who has taught a minimum of one full class at UNM. This award recognizes the contributions of UNM’s teaching mission by non-tenure track faculty. Nominations may be made by colleagues, students or alumni. Faculty may also nominate themselves. Two monetary awards of $1250.00 each will be paid to the recipients of the Lecturer and Affiliated Faculty of the Year Award by non-standard payment form processed by the Teaching Support program. Every effort will be made to give one award to a Lecturer and one award to an Affiliated Faculty.
To be eligible for the Lecturer and Affiliate Faculty award you must meet the following criteria
- I am a faculty member (not including clinician educator or professor of practice) in a non-tenure eligible lecturer position at The University of New Mexico.
- I have taught at least two full semesters at UNM if a Lecturer, and one full class if an Affiliated Faculty.
- I have not previously received the Lecturer and Affiliated Faculty Award.
Branch Campus Tenure Track Teacher of the Year
This a new award for which the Teaching Enhancement Committee seeks permanent funding. All tenured or tenure-track educators who teach at a branch campus (Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos, or Valencia) are eligible. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1250.00 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by the Teaching Support program. To be eligible for the Branch Campus Outstanding Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:
To be eligible for the Branch Campus Tenure Track Lecturer of the Year award you must meet the following criteria:
- I am a tenured or tenure-track professor at one of UNM’s branch campuses.
- I have not previously received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award.
Susan Deese-Roberts Outstanding Teaching Assistant
This award recognizes and rewards teaching achievements of graduate students. Multiple recipients may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations are to be made by department chairs on the basis of one nomination for every ten departmental teaching assistants. Please suggest names of deserving teaching assistants to their department chairperson. $1000.00 award to be paid by scholarship processed by the Teaching Support program.
To be eligible for the Teaching Assistant award you must meet the following criteria:
- I am a graduate student and currently enrolled at The University of New Mexico.
- I have not previously received the Susan Deese-Roberts Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
