Morton A. Bender Teaching Awards
Call for Nominations
The Office for Faculty Affairs will begin accepting nominations on Monday, October 21st, 2024 for the 2025 Faculty Honors Ceremony. Individuals nominating a faculty member for this award should submit the nomination form using InfoReady.
- Nomination form due: Friday, December 6th, 2024
- Department endorsement of nominees due: Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
- Nomination package due: Friday, January 17th, 2025
The Bender Teaching Awards recognize excellent teaching of undergraduate, graduate and professional courses at GW by faculty members with at least two consecutive years of teaching at GW. Endowed by Morton Bender and the George Washington University, each award provides a $1,000 prize to be used by the recipient for professional development.
Faculty may be nominated by a department chair, colleague, student, or they can self-nominate. The recipients will be honored at the Faculty Honors Ceremony.
Award Criteria
Any full-time or part-time faculty member of the George Washington University may be nominated by a department chair, colleague, or student; faculty members can also nominate themselves. The nominee must have taught at GW for at least two academic years. Recognition for teaching will be based upon
demonstrated excellence in at least three of the following criteria:
- Application of appropriate pedagogical principles and effective teaching practices in higher education and/or the specific discipline or area being taught.
- Commitment to student learning and adaptation of instructional methods to differing students’ strengths, needs, and differences.
- Use of student assignments that reflect high academic standards and expectations for high achievement.
- Fostering a high level of student involvement and intellectual excitement.
- Availability to students outside of regularly scheduled class times.
- Participation in the peer review of teaching.
Bender Awards are divided into the following categories:
- One of the awards is specifically designated to recognize teaching by a non-tenured, full-time faculty member.
- One of the awards is specifically designated to recognize teaching by a part-time faculty member.
- Two of the awards are designated as general teaching recognition awards and are open to any full-time or part-time, tenured or non-tenured, GW faculty member.
Please read the Teaching Award Rating Criteria and Possible Indicators for more information:
Criteria and Possible Indicators
Selection Process
The Bender Award winners are nominated by a department chair, faculty or students, endorsed by the department, and then voted upon by committee.
The process:
- Nominators must complete the nomination form.
- To endorse the nomination, the department will be asked to submit the following supporting materials electronically via InfoReady.
- Morton A. Bender Teaching Award - Cover Sheet
- One letter (1–2 pages) stating the department’s support of the nominee and addressing all of the criteria. This letter should be from the department chair or other departmental colleague with the chair's co-signature. If the nominee is the chair the letter should be from the Dean’s office.
- Summary of teaching experience and approach (1 page).
- Two years of teaching evaluations with comments (2–4 pages).
- Any other supporting materials the nominee wishes to include (CV, student statements, etc).
The submission package should be a maximum of 15 pages, not including the required cover sheet; materials beyond the 15-page limit will not be considered.
More information on how to submit via InfoReady will be sent after the call for nominations has closed.
Deadlines
- Nominations Due: 12/6/2024
- Department Endorsement of Nominee Due: 12/22/2024
- Submission Package Due: 1/17/2025
Please contact Faculty Affairs (202-994-6783; [email protected]) with any questions.
2024 Morton A. Bender Teaching Awards Winners
2023 Bender Teaching Awards Winners Video
2020-2022 Bender Teaching Awards Winners Video
2019 Bender Teaching Awards Winners Video
All previous Bender Teaching Awards winners