The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness

GMCTE Youtube Channel GMCTE Bookmarks on Diigo The Gwenna Moss Center on Twitter 

Sylvia Wallace Sessional Lecturer Award

Deadline

Submission Deadline:

  • February 15 (submit to the GMCTE)

Nominations

  • Nominators: students, peers, department heads, or deans may nominate candidates. Individuals may also nominate themselves.
  • Nominees and nominators may find it useful to use the teaching portfolio as a model. For further information about teaching portfolios, visit the Portfolios page.
  • Nomination packages: no longer than 50 pages, single-sided.
    • Please submit an electronic (PDF) copy of all nomination materials.
  • Candidates for the award will demonstrate:
    • effectiveness in undergraduate lectures / discussions / studios laboratories
    • a command of their subject area
    • skills in organizing and developing class material
    • capacity to motivate and inspire students.

About the Award

Teaching by Sessional Lecturers is of major importance in fulfilling the University’s commitment to giving all students first-rate instruction. The Sylvia Wallace Sessional Lecturer Award sponsored by The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectveness annually recognizes the important and essential contribution of sessional lecturers to the University of Saskatchewan's teaching community.

The winner of the award receives $1,000 from The GMCTE and travelling costs to the next STLHE conference.

The award was established in 2001 to honour the memory of Dr. Sylvia Wallace, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. Dr. Wallace was Associate Vice-President (Academic) at the University of Saskatchewan and a recipient of the University's Master Teacher Award. It recognizes exceptional competence in teaching - including superior command of the subject area, skills at organizing and developing class materials, and the capacity to motivate and inspire students.

Eligibility and Selection

  • While there is no rigid criterion for length and breadth of service at the university, a teaching record extending over several years and including the teaching of more than one course will tend to increase a nominee's chance of being selected for the award.
  • Nominees must be teaching at least one course at the University of Saskatchewan in the term of nomination.
  • Sessional lecturers teach in many different contexts: in large classes, small classes, and through individualized instruction; at the main campus or at off-campus sites; face-to-face and by various modes of distance delivery; and in all disciplines. Anyone demonstrating exceptional competence in one or more contexts is eligible.

Selection Committee

  • The selection committee is comprised of past recipients of the Sylvia Wallace Award, the Academic Lead of The GMCTE, and others selected from the GMCTE Advisory Committee.
  • Additional information can be obtained from the GMCTE.

Supporting Materials (click to expand)

A. Curriculum Vitae
  • an abridged version of a current C.V. that emphasizes the nature and amount of the nominee's teaching experience, and attendance or presentations at workshops or conferences on teaching methods
B. Statement of Teaching Responsibilities
  • candidates should submit a statement describing their teaching roles and duties in each course, including the courses they teach, brief descriptions of the course content, number of students in the class, type of course (lecture, lab, practicum, etc.), and course syllabi
C. Reflective Statement of Teaching Philosophy
This section should be supported by the evidence provided in the rest of the dossier. The following questions are meant to guide candidates:
  • What excites you about your discipline?
  • How do you motivate students?
  • Has your approach to teaching been guided by a role model?
  • What kinds of activities take place in your classroom or lab?
  • Why have you chosen these activities?
  • What role(s) do students play in your class - audience, group members, peer teachers, co-discoverers?
  • Do you encourage students to talk to you during/outside class? How?
  • How do you give students feedback on their work?
  • What have you learned from teaching?

D. Course Materials

  • the candidate should submit a set of sample course materials that might include handouts, lecture-aids, problem sets, etc.
  • a description of how the materials were used, and the sources for the materials should be included (e.g., indicating which materials were self-made and which came from other sources. Please supply the URL(s) or other information for on-line materials

E. Letter of Nomination

  • the nomination letter summarizes how the candidate's teaching performance fulfills the selection criteria

F. Letters of Endorsement

  • from students, peers, and faculty, to a maximum of four statements. These statements should offer persuasive evidence of the candidate's excellence as a teacher. Statements from faculty who have directly observed the candidate's teaching are most desirable.

G. Evidence of Effectiveness

  • the nominator and/or department head should collect evidence regarding the nominee's teaching. This should include student evaluations, and may also include peer evaluations (after observation of the nominee's teaching), as well as other evidence.
Past Sylvia Wallace Recipients

Bridges Newsletter

The GMCTE at The University of Saskatchewan publishes the Bridges newsletter of ideas on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) to promote the improvement of teaching and learning at universities.

Teaching and Learning Stories

We also feature stories on our website about innovative teaching at the U of S.

Educatus - GMCTE Blog

GMCTE Tags

More
The Gwenna Moss Centre
for Teaching Effectiveness

Room 50 Murray Building
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A4
Tel: (306) 966-2231
Fax: (306) 966-2242
Email: gmcte@usask.ca