About the University Teaching Awards
The University Teaching Awards were first conferred in 1992 with the creation of the Charles Deering McCormick University Professorship of Teaching Excellence. They were then expanded in 1994 to include the Charles Deering McCormick University Distinguished Lectureship and Clinical Professorship, and then again in 2000 to include The Alumnae of Northwestern Teaching Professorship.
The Three Awards
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
- An annual award celebrating tenured faculty.
Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Lecturer / Clinical Professor / Professor of Instruction
- An annual award celebrating NTE teaching-line faculty.
Alumnae of Northwestern Teaching Professor
- An award celebrating tenured faculty, conferred every three years.
All award recipients become Distinguished Fellows of the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching. Learn more about Distinguished Fellows.
Award Amounts
Each award provides $33,000 total support, distributed as:
- $7,000 to recipient (awarded annually as a salary supplement at the beginning of each year of the award term)
- $3,000 for professional development (awarded annually at the beginning of each year of the award term to support the hiring of assistants, research expenses, attendance at professional meetings and related activities)
- $3,000 to the recipient's home department (a one-time award to support departmental activities that enhance undergraduate education, broadly construed)
The initial funds connected with the awards will be transferred in September 2026 by central administration. The faculty member’s base salary will continue to be paid by the school from appropriated funds or other established sources.
Eligibility
Recipients of the University Teaching Awards come from across all six Evanston undergraduate schools and NU-Qatar. To be eligible, a faculty member must:
- Hold a full-time appointment with their principal appointment in the nominating school or college
- Have at least five years of teaching at Northwestern, including the current academic year
- Teach undergraduates; graduate-level teaching is not considered
- Anticipate employment at Northwestern for the full award term
Please note that award funding is no longer deferred during a period of leave. Re-nominations of exceptional faculty will be considered.
Selection Process
Nominations are reviewed by the University Teaching Awards Selection Committee, which is chaired by the Provost and includes senior faculty members selected in consultation with the Faculty Senate, University administrators, and a student representative. The selection committee submits its recommendations to the President.
Timeline
- CTEC Data Request Deadline: Friday, February 13, 2026
- Nomination Deadline: Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted to ensure fairness and allow adequate time for the review process.
- Selection Committee Review: Spring 2026
- Awards Announced: Late Spring 2026
- Award Term: Three years (commences at the start of the next academic year)