GSG Outstanding Instructor Award

Description

This $500 monetary award recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated excellence as an instructor and shown strong pedagogical potential. Graduate instructors who have the opportunity to teach before completing their Ph.D. make valuable contributions to student learning, and this award seeks to acknowledge their impact.

Additionally, one honorable mention may be awarded at the discretion of the judging committee. The committee will consist of graduate student peers representing all colleges within the graduate school.

Applications will be accepted from March 13 to April 5, 2026, for courses taught in 2025. Postdoctoral fellows may apply for teaching positions they held as graduate students.

Application Requirements

Submission Process

● Items I to III should be typed directly into the Google Form in the "Submissions" section below.

● Item IV should be forwarded to the students as indicated.

I. Applicant’s Statement (500 words max)

Begin your statement with your teaching philosophy, outlining the principles that guide your instructional approach. Then, provide detailed examples demonstrating how you meet the criteria listed in the rubric for this award. You may consider addressing the following questions:

● How do you prepare for your courses?

● Which evidence-based teaching strategies do you use, and how do they enhance student learning?

● How do you communicate with students and provide individualized support?

● How do you challenge students to become independent learners?

● How do you create an engaging classroom environment?

● What steps have you taken for self-reflection and continuous improvement as an instructor?

II. Course Syllabus

Submit a course syllabus, preferably of your design, with 2–5 annotations highlighting key aspects and explaining how they contribute to student learning.

III. Student Feedback Questionnaire

A questionnaire must be completed by two students from your class. This is mandatory whether you are self-nominating or have been nominated by a student.

Application Form: https://forms.gle/eyf24rYHjBVHdrYa6

Student Form: https://forms.gle/mAhArauJh7QLNFoe9

How long should my supporting statement be?

There is a word limit of 500 words in the form, which is roughly equivalent to 1.5 pages single-spaced. You need not utilize the word count completely.

How should I annotate my course syllabus?

You may make notes in a Word document on your syllabus, as long as you highlight them for the committee to find easily. You should then turn the Word document into a pdf to upload it (File -> Save As -> PDF). You may also annotate the syllabus by hand, scan it, and then upload it as a PDF.

Questions?

Lakshimi Swaminathan
(lswamina@nd.edu)