University of Virginia Teaching Resource Center

Department/School Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards

Each Departmental or School GTA award consists of a certificate honoring the winner and $250. Which departments and schools may bestow awards—and how many—depends upon the number of significantly-employed GTAs within the unit. The availability of Departmental Awards is recalibrated every three years (see 3-Year Award Schedule). The qualifications described below for the All-University award serve as reliable guidelines for the committees which choose each unit’s winner.

All-University Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards

Qualifications
Teaching excellence in undergraduate instruction by a graduate teaching assistant (GTA).

Within some broad guidelines, each department or school establishes its own specific criteria for the award. Suggested characteristics include:

overall effectiveness as an instructor in lectures, discussions, studios or laboratories
command of the subject area
skills in organizing and developing class material
capacity to motivate and inspire students
contribution to the course

Eligibility
Nominees should have taught undergraduates for at least two semesters in a full or half-time GTA appointment. Nominees may be involved in the teaching of independent lecture courses, in leading discussion sections, in studio or laboratory teaching, and/or in leading problem-solving sessions and grading. Nominees may receive the award only once during their graduate academic careers. Awards may be made to GTAs not currently teaching if they are enrolled at the time of nomination.

Please inform the Teaching Resource Center (trc-uva@virginia.edu) if your department will not select a winner or will not put your departmental winner forward for nomination for the All-University Award.

Award information
$1,000 award for each All-University Graduate Teaching Assistant Award recipient.

The All-University GTA Award winners are chosen from among the Department/School GTA Award recipients. One All-University GTA Award is given in each of the following areas: (1) Arts and Humanities; (2) Social Sciences; (3) Sciences, Nursing and Engineering; and (4) Medicine.

Currently, one departmental award will be given in:
Art Biology Environmental Sciences French History	Mathematics Music Nursing Physics Politics	Religious Studies Sociology Spanish, Italian & Portuguese Statistics
Two departmental awards will be given in:
Chemistry Economics Education Psychology
Three departmental awards will be given in:
Engineering English

Nomination Process
Please follow the format requirements found on this link:
View Dossier Requirements and Format
View Strategies for Nominating a GTA

View Award Winners