Nominations Sought for Teaching Awards

Posted on Aug. 2, 2020

Each year, UNC celebrates the central role of teaching and mentoring by recognizing faculty, staff and students. The University Committee on Teaching Awards offers a number of awards based on nominations by members of the University community.

Alumni, students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to submit nominations for several campuswide awards that will honor professors and graduate teaching assistants in a variety of categories.

The committee, co-chaired by Teaching Associate Professor Marc Cohen ’11 (PhD) in English and comparative literature and Associate Professor Spencer Ryan Barnes at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, will accept nominations through Sept. 16. Cohen’s teaching awards at UNC include the Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2018, and Barnes’ teaching awards at UNC include the Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2019 and the Student Undergraduate Teaching Award in April.

The committee will review the nominees and make recommendations to the chancellor. This year, the committee will recommend recipients for six types of awards:

• The Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching is given by the UNC System Board of Governors to a tenured faculty member on each UNC System campus, recognizing exceptional teaching at the undergraduate level over a sustained period.
• Three to four Chapman Family Teaching Awards will be given to full-time faculty members for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
• Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction will go to four faculty members for exceptional teaching of graduate students.
• Ten awards will recognize full-time faculty members for excellence in undergraduate teaching: five Tanner Awards, one Friday Award, two Sitterson Awards and two Johnston Awards.
• Five Tanner Awards will recognize graduate teaching assistants for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
• A Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement acknowledges lifetime contributions to teaching, learning and mentoring beyond the classroom. Faculty, staff, coaches and leaders of student groups and centers are eligible. Nominations for this award should focus on the candidate’s long-term impact on students.

Details about the awards and nominating forms are available at provost.unc.edu/university-teaching-awards. Questions can be directed to Debbie Deese in the provost’s office (debbie_deese@unc.edu).

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