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Five U-M faculty members who develop the most original approaches to teaching will win a Teaching Innovation Prize of $5,000 each this year in a new program to honor and encourage creativity in the classroom.
“Examples of innovative teaching approaches may include new uses of instructional technology, new ways to engage students in the learning process, new approaches to student collaborations or new methods for replicating the advantages of a small course in a large lecture,” says Provost Teresa Sullivan.
Ann Arbor faculty who are tenured, tenure-track, clinical instructional or lecturers who have continuing appointments are eligible for the award.
Students, faculty, department chairs, directors, deans and staff members are invited to submit nominations for the prize though faculty also are encouraged to make self-nominations. Nominations will be due by 4 p.m. Feb. 2.
“The Teaching Innovation Prize is designed to offer faculty tips on the best new approaches to teaching,” says John King, vice provost for academic information.
Criteria include originality, demonstrating significant impact on teaching effectiveness, student learning and/or retention, potential for widespread use within or across disciplines and the potential for scalability.
The winners will be selected by a panel that includes Thurnau professors and staff members from the Office of the Provost, the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) and the University Library. Thurnau professors are those honored for having a demonstrable impact on the intellectual development and lives of their students.
“Thurnau professorships honor U-M faculty who have been great teachers while this new award is focused on specific pedagogical practices,” says Associate Vice Provost Constance Cook, executive director of CRLT.
The winners will be recognized at the 12th annual Enriching Scholarship event in May.
“Innovation in teaching is every bit as important as it is in research, and has always been widely prevalent at U-M,” says University Librarian Paul Courant, a Thurnau Professor of Economics and Harold T. Shapiro Collegiate Professor in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. “By recognizing and rewarding specific innovations we will be able to improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching across the University, while at the same time giving some of our most creative faculty their due.
