2016 Teaching, Learning, and Communication Section: Graduate Student Teaching Award

The TLC is an active group of AAEA members interested in the theory, scholarship and practice of learning, teaching, and communication. Given that a large majority of AAEA members have responsibilities in these three areas, the TLC’s activities are developed to enhance members’ skills in the on-campus classroom, off-campus workshop, and in a presentation to a community group.

As graduate students are our teachers of tomorrow, the TLC has chosen to sponsor this award to recognize and encourage graduate students who excel in teaching agricultural or applied economics courses.
 
Any member of the AAEA may submit nominations and selection is made based on nominating materials. Re-nominations are encouraged, providing materials are updated and resubmitted. The Graduate Student Teaching Award is a criterion-based award and is reviewed by a committee of TLC members.

The successful nominee will be required to attend the 2016 AAEA Annual Meetings in Boston. In addition, the winner of the award will participate as a presenter (10-15 minute presentation) in the TLC’s track session on teaching tips. This session offers the opportunity for Teaching Award recipients to share teaching tips and have a dialogue with AAEA members. The goal of the session is to share ideas on what successful teachers are doing in and out of the classroom to facilitate learning.

Eligibility

The nominee must have been involved in course instruction (including one or more of laboratory, discussion sections, help section, and online courses) for a minimum of one year (2 semesters or 3 quarters or the equivalent). Nominee must have been a graduate student in good standing within the year before the nomination, i.e. cannot have graduated prior to August 2015.

Applicants must hold a current Graduate Student Membership in AAEA.

Selection Criteria

The following three major areas are considered in evaluating nominations:

1. Quality of teaching;
2. Personal commitment to teaching and self-development as a teacher; and
3. Involvement in undergraduate extracurricular activities.
   

Nomination Packet

Nominating materials should demonstrate that the nominee has outstanding ability and performance as a teacher of agricultural or applied economics as defined by the AAEA Vision Statement. The nomination packet shall include the following:

1. Award cover page, including membership status to address eligibility. The cover page should include the following information;
1. Name, title, professional address, telephone number, e-mail address of the nominator;
2. Name, title, professional address, telephone number, e-mail address of the nominee;  and
3. "TLC Graduate Student Teaching Award Nomination" should be included on the cover page.
2.  An essay by the nominee on his/her teaching philosophy, not to exceed five typewritten (double-spaced) pages;
3.  A complete description of nominee's specific teaching involvement;
4.  A self-evaluation of nominee's teaching activities;
5.  A summary of student evaluations of teaching, and no more than two letters of support from current or former students;
6. Two letters of support from faculty, administrators, or others directly involved in the nominee's teaching activities;
7. A statement about nominee's involvement in activities related to teaching (clubs, review sessions, committees, etc.);
8. The nominee's resume/vita; and
9. Supporting materials may be submitted but are limited to three additional pages.

 *All materials are to be submitted as a single electronic PDF file to the Teaching, Learning, and Communication Chair. 

Please submit a complete electronic application packet by March 1, 2016 to: Sierra.howry@uwrf.edu, TLC Chair, 2015-16, (715) 425-4275.