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Nomination deadline: March 31

Nomination Process 

Click here for a list of awarded Teaching Professors of Distinction!

The honorific title Teaching Professor of Distinction is reserved for Teaching Professors/Principal Instructors of national and international distinction who are also recognized by their college peers as teachers and colleagues of exceptional talent.

Appointments to this honorary title shall be made from those holding the rank of Teaching Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. While there is no limit upon the number of Teaching Professors of Distinction in the College at any one time, the expected level of accomplishment will likely limit the number of honorees to approximately 10% of the eligible Teaching Professors.

Since this title is an honor, there is no expectation that the granting of this title will occur at a particular point in the individual’s career, nor is there an expectation that each Teaching Professor/Principal Instructor should seek this title. If someone is nominated for the title of “Teaching Professor of Distinction” and then is not awarded the title, that decision has no implications for the individual’s status as a Teaching Professor/Principal Instructor; that individual could be nominated for the honorary title of Teaching Professor of Distinction again in subsequent years, following the guidelines in the nomination process. 

Criteria

A candidate for designation as Teaching Professor of Distinction shall be judged by the following criteria:

1. The candidate must be recognized nationally or internationally as a distinguished educator of exceptional quality. This shall be evidenced by national/international recognition of their pedagogical contributions in their discipline beyond individual testimonials. Examples include evidence of their role in national or international discussions related to their focus on teaching or related to curriculum and/or pedagogy, such as by prestigious lectureships, elected positions, awards, and/or honors.
2. The candidate should exhibit evidence of superior accomplishment as a teacher and mentor to undergraduate students, and should exhibit enthusiasm for teaching through their activities as a teacher.
3. The candidate should exhibit a record of superior service to their discipline, their department, their college, and the university.
4. The candidate should exhibit a strong record in each domain, but a record that overall can be judged to be exceptional.

As a rule of thumb, a successful nominee is one who can be argued is in the top 10% of the eligible professors in the college when all four criteria are considered. The chair may wish to have a confidential discussion with a dean before proceeding if there is any question as to the appropriateness of the nomination. 

Expectations for the Honorary Title of Teaching Professor of Distinction

• To determine whether an individual should be named Teaching Professor of Distinction, faculty committees will examine the nominee’s teaching record, together with their service and leadership (including outreach and engagement) with the expectation that the individual has made a major impact on the disciplinary unit and its students (e.g. on pedagogy and curriculum) that extends to considerable impact on the field and a role in national/international discussions related to their focus on teaching or related to curriculum and/or pedagogy.
• Multiple measures of exemplary performance constituting a record of distinction should be used. Examples of multiple measures may include, but are not limited to:
  • A record of exemplary classroom teaching, including the following:
    • FCQ Instructor Summary
    • FCQ Summary for each course taught
    • Peer reviews of teaching
    • Letters from randomly solicited students
  • Course syllabi and exams
  • Contributions to course and curriculum development
  • Contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning, including the following:
    • Contributions to local or national workshops on teaching
    • Relevant publications such as textbooks, lab manuals, articles on pedagogy, etc.
    • Work that improves teaching across multiple units
    • Papers, posters, or presentations on pedagogical topics delivered at conferences
  • Evidence of student engagement, as evidenced, for example, through mentoring of students or service on honors thesis committees.
  • Leadership and service that have an impact on the unit, school/college, campus and/or national communities.
  • Outreach to communities and partners beyond the university, including non-profits, disadvantaged groups, that draws upon the instructor’s expertise.
  • Practitioner experience that supplements a teaching career. 

Conditions and Honors

1. Selected candidates shall be authorized to use the honorific title “Teaching Professor of Distinction” during the remainder of their career in the college.
2. A monetary award of $12,000 will be provided for each selected candidate and transferred to a department established account for use by the recipient within five years of the transfer of funds, in support of their research or teaching program in accordance with university policy and procedures.
3. The college will honor and feature its new Teaching Professors of Distinction at the annual A&S Faculty Recognition event, held in the spring. 

Reviewed 15 January 2026