MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award

The Midwestern Association of Graduate School annually solicits for the Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of graduate students who exemplify excellence in the teaching/learning mission of the member universities. Michigan Tech may nominate two students; one each at the master's and doctoral level.

The details below are for the 2024 competition.  Details are subject to change for future competitions.

View Past Recipients

Eligibility

Eligible students

  • will have been enrolled at Michigan Tech during the 2023 calendar year and have a teaching appointment
  • will have earned the Michigan Tech Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award
  • will have an excellent teaching portfolio and student evaluations

Nomination

Each department (or college) may nominate one MS and one PhD student by submitting:

  1. A letter of support from the department head (please note any departmental honors awarded to this student for excellence in teaching)
  2. A current curriculum vitae for the nominee
  3. The nominee's Teaching Portfolio.  Please use the following Headings and limit to six double spaced pages (total) using 12 point font and one-inch margins. The point values indicate the weighting placed on each item by the MAGS review panel.
    1. Statement of Teaching Philosophy (15 points)
      • Please convey your core ideas about being an effective teacher. Share your values and beliefs related to teaching and learning. Discuss your goals and the methods or strategies you use to achieve those goals.
    2. Evidence of Instructional Design for Improved Student Learning (30 points)
      • In your experience as an instructor, explain how you have used instructional design to develop learning materials, experiences, and environments that promote better student learning. This could include content production, learning activities, student-instructor interaction, peer-to-peer interaction, and effective assessments, among other things.
    3. Video clip of “Teaching in Action” (10 minute maximum; 25 points)
      • YouTube video with embedded link. See instructions from MAGS.
      • Use a video clip for a collegiate level course or above to demonstrate how you have implemented key elements of your teaching philosophy and instructional design. A variety of teaching settings may be used for the video including but not limited to lecture, facilitated discussion, lab, etc. as appropriate to the course. The focus should be on activities that demonstrate exceptional or innovative instruction or student learning, such as student engagement, personalized learning, project-based learning, etc. For asynchronous online courses, a video presentation by the instructor of key engaged learning activities, or learning environments, would be an example of good evidence.

      • Please note that instructors need to adhere to all campus FERPA policies, including those for sharing class lectures. If your campus does not have a policy in place, instructors should pass around a sheet where all present students give their permission, via signature, for the specific video(s) to be shared.

    4. Evidence of Effective Student/Colleague Mentoring (10 points)
      • Describe your experience with mentoring students outside of the classroom, whether that be related to the courses you teach or in other settings. Additionally, discuss any experience you have with mentoring your peers or colleagues in the context of teaching.
    5. Evidence of Professional Development (15 points)
      • Explain how you have used professional development opportunities to improve your teaching skills. If appropriate, how have you aligned professional development in the feedback you have received on your teaching?

Nomination packets are due 4pm, December 13, 2023 to the Graduate School via e-mail. Please submit as a single PDF file. Eligible students with a complete nomination packet will be evaluated by a panel of faculty from the University.

Award

Recipients of the MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award will receive:

  • A $750 honorarium.
  • A citation given at the Annual Meeting.
  • Travel expenses to the Annual Meeting.

 Past Recipients and News