All-University Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education
Faculty who receive the All-University Graduate-Professional Award become members of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. The title "Distinguished University Teaching Professor" is conferred upon all recipients. Each winner also receives a $3,000 continuous augmentation to their annual salary throughout their career at the University of Minnesota. In addition, each recipient's department is given $1,500 annually for each of five years to be used by the recipient for professional development or research.
You can view a listing of all Medical School award recipients (pdf) here.
Generic nomination timeline for the Medical School:
September
The Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Provost announces to University schools and colleges the opportunity for them to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching by nominating faculty as potential candidates for that year’s awards. The specific criteria and all-university deadlines are spelled out. In the past, the Medical School has been allowed to send forward up to five nominations for consideration by the all-university selection committee.
October
The Dean of the Medical School sends out a call for call for nominations (pdf) to faculty and students with specifics about eligibility criteria, how to submit nominations, information about the designated Medical School contacts, and that year’s deadlines for submission.
If you are considering nominating an outstanding teacher, you may wish to view the offical All-University 2008-09 award guidelines (pdf) here. Special care should be taken to ensure the potential nominee meets all eligibility criteria.
ELIGIBILITY/CRITERIA:
The following criteria, listed slightly differently than on the official All-University Teaching Award site, represent the nuance that there has to be a faculty appointment and there has to be a paid appointment. This allows those who hold a paid physician appointment with a non-paid faculty appointment to be nominated.
To be eligible for this award, the nominee must meet all of the following three criteria:
- be regular faculty (tenure-track and tenured) or term faculty (non-regular, salaried or non-salaried through the University), AND
- hold a 66 2/3% time or greater paid appointment (does not necessarily have to be a faculty appointment. Example: Physician), AND,
- have been at the University of Minnesota for at least five years, including the current year.
For questions about the above eligibility criteria, feel free to contact Patti Mulcahy, Associate Dean for Academic Administration, Medical School Dean's Office, at 612-626-3216.
Previous nominees who did not receive the award may be renominated; previous winners will be ineligible. Self-nomination is not allowed.
November
Nominations are due to the Medical School Nominations Committee the week before Thanksgiving. The nomination letter and/or the accompanying curriculum vitae must provide specific evidence of outstanding performance in one or more —not necessarily all—of the following categories (renumbered in the order that the All-University Selection Committee appears to deem most important):
1. Excellence in instruction
1.a. In the Medical School, we recommend that faculty, especially those who teach in the clinic, pay special attention to how their (informal) teaching can be quantified.
2. Development of postbaccalaureate, graduate, and/or professional instructional programs
2.a. In the Medical School, we recommend that faculty pay special attention to the specific ways in which they have contributed to program development.
3. Involvement of students in research, scholarship, and professional development
4. Advising and mentoring of students
Remember, all nominees for this distinguished teaching award are the best of the best. What is it that says "Select Me!"? What is it that truly makes THIS candiate stand out above the rest?
Questions? Please contact Eva Ushio.
December
The Medical School Nominations Committee reviews the nominations and selects the ones (up to five) that best represent the Medical School. All nominators/nominees are notified the first or second week in December. Nominees to be sent forward to the All-University Review Committee are then asked to prepare their official dossiers*. Details for assembling and submitting these dossiers will be given to each nominee/nominator at that time. Broadly, the dossiers will include: A) a nomination form and a nomination release form; B) a statement presenting the full case for the nomination; C) a personal statement by the candidate; D) the candidate's curriculum vitae; E) a list of graduate/professional courses taught at the University of Minnesota over the previous five years of active teaching; and F) up to ten supporting letters, five of which must be from individual graduate/professional students, past or present. Nomination materials, including specially formatted templates which must be used, can be downloaded from the All-University Award site.
January
Completed dossiers* are due in Eva Ushio's office a week before the end of January each year (the deadline date varies slightly depending on the All-University deadline).
February
The All-University Selection Committee reviews nominations.
March
Nominees and nominators are notified early to mid-March. Names of recipients are announced.
April
The All-University Teaching Award ceremony and reception to honor the recipients is held at the end of April.
The above information was written for the University of Minnesota Medical School. Complete All-univerity information and access to materials for this award, can be found at the official All-University site for the Graduate-Professional Award site.
* Dossiers from the 2006-2007 award recipients may be reviewed at the following libraries:
- Twin Cities: Walter Library, Circulation/Reserve Desk (Perry Dean)
- UMD: UMD Library, Reserve Desk (Bill Sozansky)
- UMC: UMC Library (Owen Williams)
- UMM: Rodney Briggs Library, Reserve Section (LeAnn Dean)
*Medical School dossiers may also be viewed in Eva Ushio’s office.
