Adjunct Faculty Teaching Excellence Award

Eligibility Criteria:

The Adjunct Faculty Teaching Excellence Award is intended to recognize sustained excellence in teaching psychology by individuals who are adjunct faculty at academic institutions. Thus, eligible applicants, who are currently teaching, must be categorized by all institutions at which they teach as a part-time instructor/adjunct instructor who is paid on a per-course or percentage basis, regardless of teaching load (from http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/about/mission/glossary.htm). Applicants must be members of STP and may joint STP at any time.

Award Criteria:

The award is based on the following four criteria: (1) effective teaching; (2) stimulation of student interest/advancement in psychology; (3) demonstrated commitment to student learning and intellectual growth; and (4) advancement of one’s professional identity as a teacher of psychology. Each criterion is accompanied by suggestions for supporting evidence. Applicants must submit supporting materials for each category but will not be expected to have achieved recognition in all criteria.

a)    Examples/descriptions of implementation of innovative teaching methods, engaging or exceptionally effective syllabi, student assignments and/or evaluation methods
b)    Evidence of outstanding student evaluations (submit summaries of no more than the last 5 years; please do not include raw teaching evaluation information; please type up any handwritten comments)
c)    Evaluations of teaching by supervisors and colleagues
d)    Evidence of prior teaching awards or other forms of recognition

a)    Stimulates student participation in discipline-related activities outside the classroom (e.g., provide service-learning opportunities, sponsoring or advising a student or community organization, mentor students in research)
b)    Supports student interest in studying psychology at the next level of education (e.g., provide pre-graduate school advising, encouraging students to major in psychology, write letters of recommendation for graduate school)
c)    Fosters student interest in pursuing psychology as a career (e.g., help students network with community organizations/professionals, provide career advising, and facilitate job search activities)
d)    Participates in community outreach projects or civic activities that heighten community awareness of the discipline of psychology and/or apply psychological principles to problem resolution
e)    Supports students who have received academic scholarships, honors, and grants for activities the adjunct instructor mentored

a)    Is accessible to students (e.g., maintains office hours, returns student emails/phone calls promptly)
b)    Maintains high standards for student performance (e.g., include assignments that incorporate application, evaluation, and synthesis)
c)    Models intellectual curiosity and passion for learning (e.g., integrate state-of-the-art research findings into the course, apply psychological/scientific information to help students understand current events, share with students what instructor learned at informal and formal continuing education experiences attended)

a)    Professional activity on or away from campus
b)    Publications or presentations on the teaching of psychology at local, regional, or national conferences
c)    Attendance at professional meetings relevant to the teaching of psychology
d)    Memberships and/or involvement in organizations related to teaching 

Submission Information