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University Teaching Awards Nomination Process

Deans who would like to nominate an eligible faculty member for a University Teaching Award should submit the following materials in two PDF files to teachingawards@northwestern.edu. All materials must be submitted by Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. 

File 1: Nomination Packet

The first PDF file should contain the items listed below in the following order:

  1. Cover Page. Include the nominee’s name, position, department, school, and contents of the packet. Please indicate if this is a repeat nomination.  
  2. Nomination Letter from the Dean or Department Chair (max 3 pages). The broad categories below allow nominators to honor the distinctive contributions of nominees while providing the flexibility to define and illustrate what outstanding teaching looks like across disciplines. Describe what is notable about the nominee’s teaching, including: 
    • Teaching activities
    • Impact on student learning
    • Influence beyond the classroom
  3. Nominee’s Statement (max 3 pages). Respond to the following guiding questions: 
    • How has your philosophy evolved, and how have your pedagogical strategies become more effective over time? 
    • What do you expect students to learn, and what evidence demonstrates that students are achieving those outcomes? 
    • What intentional efforts do you make to create a supportive and welcoming learning environment that encourages all students to engage and thrive? (see Northwestern Principles of Inclusive Teaching) 
  4. Nominee’s Reflection on Student Feedback (max 1 page) and Summary of CTEC Information 
    • Reflection: Student feedback is one part of a holistic approach to evaluating and improving teaching effectiveness; please spotlight how you have used CTEC data and comments to enhance learning in your courses.  
    • Submit a Summary of CTEC Information (sample table available here) for all courses taught Winter 2023–Fall 2025. To obtain the data, email ctec@northwestern.edu by Friday, February 13, 2026, and include the faculty member’s NetID or Employer ID.   
  5. Student Letters. Students’ letters should describe specific ways the nominee’s teaching inspired their learning. Since the awards focus on undergraduate teaching, letters from graduate students should not be included. All current and former students are required to provide their email address. This enables each student to receive both a thank you note and an invitation to the ceremony. 
    • Up to 4 letters from currently enrolled undergraduate students
    • Up to 2 letters from former undergraduate students who studied under the nominee prior to graduation  

File 2

Supporting Materials. The second PDF file should contain the items listed below:

  1. Abbreviated CV (max 6 pages) 
  2. Syllabi for all courses taught Winter 2023 through Fall 2025 (for courses with multiple sections, submit one syllabus per course) 
  3. Optional: Qualitative CTEC data from select courses 
  4. Optional: Artifacts of outstanding teaching  

Contact

The University Teaching Awards are administered by the Office of the Provost. For questions, please contact teachingawards@northwestern.edu.