Outstanding First-Year Seminar Instructor Award

About the Award

The Office of Student Success and Belonging is sponsoring two awards each year to honor UIC first-year seminar instructors who have demonstrated exemplary instruction and curriculum development in first-year seminars and have made a positive impact on students, inspiring and scaffolding student learning, development, and success.

Submission Deadline: April 1, 2024

2024 Guidelines for the UIC Outstanding First-Year Seminar Instructor Award Heading link

Applicants must have taught a first-year seminar at UIC at least three semesters in the past five years in order to be eligible for the award. Members of the selection committee are not eligible to receive the award. Up to two awards will be offered each year. The selection committee (comprised of a minimum of five UIC faculty or staff) will review applications and identify the award recipients.

Previous winners may be nominated for subsequent Outstanding First-Year Seminar Instructor Award, provided that a minimum of five years has elapsed between the last award and the next nomination.

The following materials should be submitted as a single PDF file (combined) by the nominator, through this webform, by the April 1, 2024 deadline:

  1. A letter of nomination by a supervisor, colleague, or past student *
  2. The nominee’s narrative statement (maximum of 3 pages) addressing the following, with specific examples and evidence that demonstrate success in each area:
    • Teaching practices;
    • Curricular innovations;
    • Student learning.
    • Please also articulate how attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion is manifested in nominee’s classes.
  3. Two letters of support addressing the nominee’s practice and success as an instructor of first-year seminars*
  4. The nominee’s resume/CV
  5. The nominee’s first-year seminar course syllabi

*Nominators and writers of letters of support have the option to rank the candidates if they are nominating or endorsing more than one candidate

A maximum of two “Outstanding First-Year Seminar Instructor” awards per academic year consisting of:

  1. A one-time monetary award of $1,500
  2. Complimentary registration up to $500 to the Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience or another conference that focuses on undergraduate student success
  3. Recognition at the Spring First-Year Seminar Summit at UIC, including the presentation of a plaque during the Summit

Questions related to the Outstanding First-Year Seminar Instructor Award may be emailed to fys-awards@uic.edu.

Winners