Proposals sought for Teaching Leadership Award

The Purdue Teaching Academy, along with the Center for Instructional Excellence, is accepting proposals through March 31 for the Teaching Leadership Award.

The Teaching Leadership Award supports the pursuit of excellence in teaching and the development of teaching leaders. The award, recognizing those who foster excellence and growth in teaching, will honor Purdue West Lafayette instructors and their departments.

The Teaching Leadership Award will give instructors an opportunity to engage in the discussion and development of teaching at the departmental level. The intended outcomes of this award are to: 

• Foster a culture of teaching excellence in academic departments.
• Develop teaching leaders within all levels of Purdue instructors.
• Introduce instructor members to teaching resources at the CIE.

The Teaching Leadership Award aims to foster a culture of teaching excellence and leadership by supporting instructors in designing and implementing developmental activities within the instructor’s own department. Examples of such activities include brown-bag lunch seminars, workshops, panel discussions and guest speakers.

Instructors will receive an award of $1,000 in discretionary funds, which can be used toward their research or teaching, and the instructor’s department will receive $500 in departmental discretionary funds. Projects can be implemented in fall 2023 or spring 2024. A total of up to 16 awards will be granted across campus.

Successful applicants will make a commitment to meet with a consultant from the Center for Instructional Excellence before implementing their proposal. The purpose of meeting is to help review the project and work on the logistics, project scope, etc., to help bring the proposal to fruition. Successful applicants will be required to file a report at the end of project listing the activities that took place.

Any instructor (e.g., lecturer, assistant, associate, full or clinical professor) may submit an application for the Teaching Leadership Award.

The application will consist of a 500-word maximum description of a one- or two-semester plan to be implemented in their department along with a list of possible events and activities. Care should be given to explain how the efforts aligns with the Framework for Teaching Excellence and will benefit the whole department, including graduate student teaching assistants. A separate short (150-word maximum) budget justification should be included. Applicants should share the proposal with their department heads and will need a cover letter of endorsement from their head (here).

A maximum of one application per department is allowed. Additional information and instructions on how to apply can be found here.  Applications and departmental support letters can be sent, along with any questions, to teachingacademy@purdue.edu.