Distinguished Teaching Award

The Distinguished Teaching Award has been presented since 1952, with only one award given annually through 1981.

Beginning in 1982, two awards were given in each of two faculty categories. Over that time, faculty titles and category definitions have shifted.

The initial two categories, used from 1982 to 2022 were:

• Associate Professor/Professor
• Lecturer/Professor of Practice/Assistant Professor

Faculty titles for the Instructional Track faculty were modified in 2022, and the two award categories were updated to reflect the new titles:

• Associate Professor/Professor
• Assistant Teaching Professor/Associate Teaching Professor/Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice/Assistant Professor.

 In 2025, the categories were realigned to create the currently utilized categories.

 

The Michigan Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence was established in 1998. Starting in 1999, five finalists were selected for each of the two categories of the Distinguished Teaching Award and all finalists were inducted into the Academy.

The award nomination and review processes have always been student-driven. An explicit student nomination process was utilized up until 1999, when it was determined that too few students were participating to identify the best candidates. Since then selection has been based on student ratings of instruction.

The selection committee was originally identified by a donor who funded the very first teaching award at Michigan Tech. Committee members are now selected from key offices and groups as described below.

• The award is open to all full-time (permanent, non-temporary) faculty in the listed ranks.
• Those who hold restricted appointments (e.g., Adjunct, Visiting, temporary or part-time faculty) are not eligible.
• Faculty who hold positions with a significant administrative component (e.g., deans, associate deans, department chairs) are not eligible for the award.

Each year, one finalist from each category is selected to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award. The selection process for this award will proceed as follows:

• Collection of Feedback: After the finalists are announced, the CFE will begin soliciting online feedback about their teaching from the campus community.
• Student Survey:  Each finalist is asked whether current classes can be surveyed for additional input. If finalists are not  teaching or prefer not to conduct an additional survey, the selection committee will move forward with the information already available.
• Committee Review: At the end of the semester, the selection committee will review all gathered information, including feedback from colleagues, alumni, and any new survey data, alongside teaching evaluation summaries used to select the finalists.

The committee includes representation from the CFE, the University Senate (President or designee), the V.P of Student Affairs (or designee), Alumni Relations, Advancement, University Marketing and Communications, Blue Key, USG, and GSG.

Committee members individually review all collected comments received regarding the finalists, along with the qualifying numerical student evaluations. Each committee member ranks the finalists, and then the group shares/discusses the rankings and selects a recipient in each category.