The Trent Durham Decanal Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes the use or development of meaningful and/or innovative methods of curriculum design, course instruction, learning materials and technologies, and/or assessment. This award honours teaching within a particular course or a teaching project completed within the given academic year that promotes student engagement with ideas, concepts, and practices that that extend beyond the classroom and encourage deep learning and/or the innovative application of ideas.
Eligibility
Eligible nominees include all full-time and part-time faculty who have taught at least one half-credit Trent Durham-homed course during the academic year in which they are nominated. For the current year and the purposes of this award, the academic year is considered to begin in May 2024 and end in April 2025.
How to Nominate:
Nominations will be accepted for a two-week window at the conclusion of each academic term:
Nomination Window 1: August 6-20, 2024
Nomination Window 2: December 5-17, 2024
Nomination Window 3: April 7- 22, 2025
To nominate an instructor, complete the online form below (online form will be live from 12AM on the first day of each nomination window to 4:00PM on the final day):
» Online Nomination Form for the Trent Durham Decanal Award for Teaching
What should your nomination include?
Complete the "Nominator Information" and the "Candidate Information" sections on the Nomination Form.
In the section on “Candidate Qualifications,” explain what the instructor did to create a successful course. Present specific details about your experience with the candidate, providing clear examples that illustrate the ways in which they used or developed meaningful and/or innovative methods of curriculum design, course instruction, learning materials and technologies, and/or assessment. How did the instructor specifically promote student engagement, critical inquiry, deep learning, and/or the innovative application of ideas within or beyond the classroom?
How is the award determined?
Nominations are gathered over the course of the academic year during three nomination windows (August, December, and April). All nominations are considered by a Decanal Teaching Award Committee, which determines the award’s recipient in May or June of each year. Recipients receive $500 and a framed certificate of achievement.
Previous Recipients
2023-2024 Dr. Madison Moore (Child and Youth Studies)
2022-2023 Dr. Brenda Smith-Chant (Psychology)
2021-2022 Dr. Amy Spendik (Policing and Community Well-Being)