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UB Award for Teaching Innovation Guidelines

Various UB teaching awards, as well as the SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Teaching, recognize overall superior teaching. No current UB award specifically recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching innovation (although this may be one of the attributes of superior teaching recognized in the Chancellor's Awards).

Educational pedagogy, including innovations in teaching methods and student learning outcomes, is a focus of significant inquiry and concern within the academy. Recognizing that UB faculty are currently engaged in innovative teaching in their classrooms, it therefore seems appropriate for UB to give special recognition for significant contributions in teaching innovation.

This award should also serve to reinforce to the larger constituencies UB serves (students, their families, and the citizenry of New York State and beyond) that UB—as a major research university—genuinely values innovative approaches to teaching.

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UB Award for Teaching Innovation Guidelines PDF
  • The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding achievement in teaching innovation. Such innovations may include, but are not restricted to, innovative uses of educational technology. Innovations must have a demonstrable effect on enhancing student-learning outcomes.
  • All full-time UB faculty are eligible for this award.
  • Nominations should consist of a detailed letter of recommendation from the Dean indicating: what the teaching innovation is, how it has benefited students or other faculty, and how the impact of the innovation has been assessed. A copy of the candidate’s current CV should accompany the nomination letter. Outside letters are appropriate, but not mandatory, as part of the documentation process.
  • Dean’s offices should submit each nomination as a single PDF to the facultyaffairs@buffalo.edu and mail/deliver one hard copy to the Office of Faculty Affairs.
  • The sensitivities inherent in these programs and the nature of the supporting documentation make it imperative that all deliberations, communications, and actions of the campus committee remain strictly confidential. Ideally, this should extend to the identity of those selected by the department and/or decanal committee as the campus’ nominees for these honors.
  • In making your nominations, please consider the need for disciplinary diversity and balance, as well as gender and racial diversity so that the composition of our honorees reflects the full range of faculty perspectives across the university.
  • Nominations will be reviewed by the UB Internal Awards Committee who will make their recommendations to the Provost and President.
  • Following the President’s selection of recipients, the Office of Faculty Affairs will forward to you printed certificates signed by both the President and the Provost, accompanied by a personal letter of congratulations from the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs to be distributed as appropriate to your unit's own recognition practices.