The Rising Star Award recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies teaching excellence at OHIO. Rising Stars engage in scholarly teaching and make visible a true commitment to the academic success of learners in their classrooms and in their disciplines. 2023-24 is the first year for the Rising Star Award to be given.
Nominations
All Ohio University faculty, alumni, and students may make nominations.
Nominated faculty must be tenure-track but non-tenured assistant or associate professors from one of Ohio University's campuses.
Those making nominations who are unsure about whether or not the teacher they wish to nominate is eligible should check the prospective nominee’s regional campus, department, or school website.
Announcements inviting nominations will be sent out campus-wide during fall semester of each year. While multiple nominations for the same person are gladly accepted, they do not increase that person's chances of being selected for the Rising Star Award.
Deadline for teaching award nominations is Oct. 15.
Application and Selection
Nominated faculty who meet the eligibility requirements stated in the endowment (tenure-track but not tenured, full-time members of the faculty from any of Ohio University's campuses) will receive an email notifying them of their nomination and inviting them to apply.
Nominees who wish to be considered should review OHIO’s conceptualization of teaching excellence and must submit a teaching portfolio that includes the following:
Required Materials:
- Cover Page
- Table of Contents
- Teaching Philosophy (1-2 pages)
- List of courses taught and numbers of students enrolled for the last two years
- List of numerical averages from student evaluations for the last two years, with department averages if available
- Sample/representative comments from student evaluations for the last two years
- Teaching schedule for both fall and spring semesters
Suggested Materials:
- A narrative describing, and evidence supporting, how the applicant’s teaching reflects the conceptualization of excellence.
- A description of other contributions to teaching and learning at OHIO, including but not limited to:
- Support for curricular efforts or design of curriculum.
- Workshops and presentations facilitated
- Teaching and learning scholarly projects
- Teaching and learning publications
- Teaching-related grants
- A statement of how the applicant would like to see their teaching evolve over the next three to five years.
The complete portfolio must be no more than 12 typed pages using 1.5 line spacing, a 12-point font, one-inch margins, and headers with the applicant’s name and page numbers. Appendices will not be accepted.
The portfolio should be submitted electronically, in either Microsoft Word or PDF format, to the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at ctla@ohio.edu by the end of the day on Nov. 13.
Selection Committee
The Rising Star Award Selection Committee (which also selects the recipient of the Provost Award for Excellence in Teaching) evaluates applicants.
The committee, selected by the Vice Provost for Faculty Development, is composed of four instructional, non-tenure track faculty, one undergraduate student, and one graduate student. Faculty members on the committee serve three-year rotating terms. Students serve one-year terms.
The committee selects up to four finalists based on the merit of their portfolios.
Once selected, the committee interviews and observes each finalist in the classroom. The committee then makes a determination as to which, if any, will receive the award.
The committee generally gives one award each year but may elect to not give an award if no applicants meet award standards.
Rising Star Teacher Award Past Winners
- 2024: Kevin Cordi, Teacher Education, Patton College of Education.