Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research

Quick Jump:
I. Overview
II. Calendar
III. Eligibility
IV. Evaluation Criteria
V. Nominations
VI. Selection
VII. Submission
VIII. Other Awards
IX. Attachments

Overview

This award is designed to foster and to reward excellence in involving and guiding undergraduate students in scholarly research. The award consists of $2,000 in cash for the personal use of the faculty member. Each winner will also receive a personalized commemorative plaque.

Calendar

January 30, 2009: Nominations are due by 5pm.
March 13, 2009: Results are expected to be announced.
April 29, 2009: Celebration for Teaching Excellence, 7pm, Alice Campbell Alumni Center.

Eligibility

Tenured.
Taught on the Urbana-Champaign campus for at least 5 years.
Has not won this award in the previous 10 years.

Evaluation Criteria

Sustained activity in involving and guiding undergraduate students in research projects.
Positive impact on student scholarship or intellectual development.
Other contributions to guiding undergraduate research. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: Developing courses and curricula; leading workshops on mentoring; advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning; or making other multidimensional contributions beyond the classroom, laboratory, or studio.

Nominations

Nominations may be submitted by students, faculty members, administrators, or alumni to a departmental committee, which should include at least one undergraduate student member.
Faculty members or professional academic advisors who have been nominated during a particular year should not serve on the committee during that same year.

For ease of writing the nomination and committee evaluation, please follow this outline when submitting your nomination

The standard cover page (Attachment A) needs to be completed, including the appropriate signatures. (Not to exceed 1 page.)
A statement of evidence to support each of the criteria itemized in the “Evaluation Criteria” section above. (Not to exceed 3 pages.)
A philosophy statement provided by the nominee. This statement should include a discussion of the challenges, methods, and goals of guiding undergraduate research. (Not to exceed 2 pages.)

Selection

Each departmental committee to which nominations are made will select its final candidates to forward to the college. (The college may establish a limit to the number of candidates that is forwarded by each departmental committee.)
A college committee, which should include at least one undergraduate student member, then will select from among the final candidates which nominations to forward to the campus selection committee.

Submission

Selected nominations from each college committee should be forwarded electronically to the Office of the Provost, tab-awards@uiuc.edu. The campus selection process is overseen by the Teaching Advancement Board, and is advisory to the Provost.