The Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee shall conduct the selection process judge potential candidates for the Distinguished Teaching Award in accordance with the special rules and procedures developed by the Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee and approved by the Executive Committee. Final recommendations regarding the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients will be submitted to the President through the Academic Senate Chair.

• Approval of process and procedures
• Review Academic Senate Constitution and Bylaws, online description of committees and membership, and any other relevant material on Academic Senate web site; report any changes or recommendations for changes in Fall 2008.

General Faculty representatives should be former recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award. If no prior Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from a particular college are available and willing to serve, the Executive Committee in consultation with the Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee chair may appoint a faculty member from each college who has a clear and compelling record of sustained, outstanding instructional performance. Ex officio members shall be two ASI representatives. These will have at least a junior standing and will have completed at least three consecutive quarters and 36 quarter units at Cal Poly with at least a 3.0 grade point average.

Type of Committee : Academic Senate Standing Committee

Membership : The Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) Committee will be composed of five General Faculty members from different colleges, when possible, and two students. The faculty members will be appointed by the Chair of the Academic Senate with the approval of the Executive Committee. These faculty members will be prior award recipients and will serve two-year staggered terms. Colleges that are not represented during a term of membership will be rotated onto the committee when a member needs to be replaced.

ASI Requirements : Two student representatives with at least junior standing, who are carrying at least seven quarter units, have completed at least three consecutive quarters and thirty-six quarter units at Cal Poly, and have a Cal Poly grade point average of at least 3.0.

Responsibilities : The DTA Committee will conduct the selection process and determine the policies and procedures to be used for judging potential candidates for the award. Nominations will be received during the fall quarter, and final selection will be made no later than the sixth week of spring quarter.

DTA Nomination and Award Criteria:

Students or alumni may submit one or more nominations, which include the professor's name, department, and a supporting statement containing evidence of merit based upon the following criteria:

• Techniques that show excellence in teaching.
• Innovative instructional approaches.
• A high degree of interaction with students.
• High personal and professional standards.
• Well-organized activities, lectures, or labs.
• Teaching procedures that stimulate thinking and that contribute to student interest, enthusiasm, and achievement.
• A concern for students as individuals.
• Fair, rigorous methods for evaluating students' progress.
• Evidence of significant professional development as it relates to teaching excellence

Please note : only full-time tenured faculty members who are teaching during the current academic year and who have not previously received the award are eligible for nomination.

DTA Timeline and Process:

There is a six-week nomination period, from the end of October to the beginning of December. All nominations are electronic. All nominations are considered if the faculty member is eligible, even if some of the information is lacking. Promotion of the nomination process is done through the Cal Poly home page, computer lab notices, My Cal Poly, Mustang Daily ads, solicited Mustang Daily articles, e-mail to students, alumni, and award recipients, announcements sent to department offices and student clubs, a posting in the UU, a listing on the ASI electronic bulletin board, and a mass e-mail reminder to students in December.

All nominations are screened by the Academic Senate Office to ensure eligibility. Eligible nominations are made available to DTA Committee members during finals week of fall quarter. Committee members review all nomination materials, and then the committee meets on Friday afternoon of the first week of winter quarter to select finalists and alternates. Letters (electronic and hard copy) are sent to finalists immediately after the meeting. Receipt by the Academic Senate Office of schedules and other requested winter quarter materials from finalists is expected by the end of January, and these materials are repacked for committee members within a week. Another collection of spring quarter materials is completed by the beginning of April and repacked for committee members within two days.

Visitation of finalists' classes commences at the beginning of the fifth week of winter quarter, and visitations continue through the end of the fifth week of spring quarter. It is recommended that each DTA Committee member visit each nominee at least once per quarter per course preparation, for at least one hour per visit.

The DTA Committee meets at the end of the fifth week of spring quarter to discuss results of the visitation process and to select proposed award winners (usually three). The names of recommended award winners are forwarded to President Baker no later than the sixth week of spring quarter. After approval by the President, letters are sent to winners and to other finalists.

Revised 11/07/2006

2008 Spring Quarter Report

2008 Winter Quarter Report

2007 Fall Quarter Report

AS-456-96-EC Resolution on the Reorganization of Academic Senate Committees - approved by President

AS-36-78/DTA Distinguished Teaching Award Committee Resoltuion - approved by President