This application is currently closed. Please check back in Fall 2025 for the next online application.

Mission

The Teaching Academy is an organization comprised of faculty who are dedicated to teaching excellence. The organization meets twice a year and is led by the Executive Council. The Teaching Academy facilitates several awards, hosts annual events, and provides members with the oppotunity to support peers and serve the university.

Membership Criteria

Members must have a full-time appointment (tenured or tenure-track, professor of practice, or lecturer) and have been at Texas Tech for a minimum of three years (completed six long semesters). Applicants must be nominated by a current Teaching Academy member and recommended by a second Teaching Academy member.

Application

The Teaching Academy application is a separate and independent process from applications for other purposes (e.g., teaching awards). Carefully review this guide to be sure your application specifically addresses the criteria and conforms to format/page limit requirements. The Selection Committee will not consider applications that do not conform to requirements. The recommendation and nomination letters and all sections in the supporting documents are weighted in the selection process. Applications will only be accepted online through Info Ready.

The Teaching Academy application aligns with the newly adopted Texas Tech definition of teaching excellence. Note that the pillars of teaching excellence identified in this definition often complement each other and areas of overlap do exist. The following guide offers suggestions to help applicants organize their applications and demonstrate their commitment to teaching. To view the definition in its entirety, please visit the Teaching Evaluation Initiative website:

Defining Teaching Excellence at Texas Tech

Materials

Nomination/Recommendation Letters (10%) 

Applicants must have a letter of nomination and a letter of recommendation from current members of the Teaching Academy. Those serving on the new member selection committee may not write a letter during their term. Your nominator and recommender can submit their letters through Info Ready after you have completed the application. Nomination and recommendation letters should not exceed 2 pages. (Note: Teaching Academy members may support only one candidate per year). 
 
Nominators and recommenders are encouraged to refer to Texas Tech definition of teaching excellence in their letters by referring to the relevant pillars of excellence (student-centered, intentional, evidence-based, and engaging) with examples as appropriate.  

Supporting Document (90%) 

Each section of the supporting document has specific page limits and the whole document must be limited to a total of 20 pages. Each section in the supporting document is equally weighted (15%). Please make sure your document contains the items below with clearly labeled sections in the specified order: 

A. Teaching Philosophy Statement (15%)  
(Not to exceed 2 pages)
Refer to the Texas Tech definition of excellence in teaching and the relevant pillars (student-centered, intentional, evidence-based, and engaging) of excellence for your teaching with specific, current classroom examples. 

B. Evidence Supporting Student-Centered Teaching (15%)  
(Not to exceed 4 pages) 
Definition of Student-Centered Teaching:  
Excellent teachers tailor learning to be collaborative (when appropriate) and fair, ensuring every student is empowered to take an active role in their own learning. They strive to create learning environments that support student success and wellness and anticipate a variety of life experiences, learning histories, identities, and perspectives. These teachers have high expectations for students and provide opportunities for them to convey their learning. 
 
Possible materials that could be submitted to demonstrate student-centered teaching include:  

• Creative assignments 
• Sample syllabus, excerpt from a sample syllabus, comparisons of syllabi over time to show change 
• Descriptions of innovative techniques 
• Course/curriculum development 
• Experiential learning (Service Learning) 
• Recognition received for teaching excellence/awards received 
• Others 

C. Evidence Supporting the Characteristics of an Intentional Teacher (15%)  
(Not to exceed 4 pages)  
Definition of Intentional Teaching:  
Excellent teachers are intentional in how they design and foster the learning experience to achieve specific goals and outcomes. Over their careers, they use a variety of instructional techniques, remain receptive to improving and innovating their teaching methods, and understand that excellent teaching is reflective and evolving. 
 
Possible materials that could be submitted to demonstrate intentional teaching include:  

• Participation in university teaching projects (Open Teaching Concept) 
• Participation in multi-institutional teaching projects (Transparency Project) 
• Attending TLPDC presentations or other teaching-related professional development 
• Attending conferences related to teaching (Burns Conference, Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference, disciplinary-specific teaching conferences or tracks, etc.) 
•  Membership in teacher-focused organization 
• Participation in teaching related forums (on and off campus) 
• Others 

D. Evidence Supporting Evidence-Based Teaching (15%)  
(Not to exceed 4 pages)  
Definition of Evidence-Based Teaching: 
Excellent teachers are purposeful in using best teaching practices grounded in a solid understanding of pedagogy drawn from research, experience, and professional dialogue. They seek evidence to establish and track the effectiveness of teaching methods to ensure students reach learning outcomes. 
 
Possible materials that could be submitted to demonstrate evidence-based teaching: 

• Presented a workshop about teaching 
• Published an article about teaching 
• Written an opinion article about teaching 
• Mentored a novice faculty in teaching 
• TLPDC program participant (TeMPO, STEP, ETL, IFE) 
• Presented a TLPDC workshop 
• Led graduate student development presentations 
• Mentored other faculty peers or graduate student instructors 
• Service as a reviewer for teaching-related conferences or journals 
• Service to teaching related organizations 
• Others 

E. Evidence Supporting the Characteristics of Engaged Teaching (15%)  
(Not to exceed 4 pages)  
Definition of Engaged Teaching: 
Excellent teachers help learners develop as independent, creative, and critical thinkers by actively engaging students in the learning process. These teachers develop and share their genuine interest in the topic and demonstrate the applicability of content to academic and professional pursuits. 

Possible materials that could be submitted to demonstrate engaged teaching: 

• Letters from past students 
• Comments from student evaluations that demonstrate engaged teaching 
• Letters from teaching observations or peer review feedback 
• Examples of teaching strategies that focus on content application 
• Others  

F. Evidence of Teaching Excellence from Students (15%) 
(Not to exceed 2 pages): 

Create a one-page summary of student evaluations from the past three years for each course taught that includes the following information (no raw data, please): 

• Course/section number and name 
• Designation as undergraduate or graduate level enrollment 
• Selected responses from student evaluations for each course/section 
• Evaluation response rate (including the number of students responding, total number of students in the class, and response percentage) 
• Departmental and college comparisons 

Information Session

The process of applying for membership into the Teaching Academy can be a bit overwhelming. The Teaching Academy will host an informational session to answer questions and offer guidance to enhance your chances for membership.

Registration

2024-2025 Committee Members
Joel Velasco (Chair)
Stephanie Lockwood
Gary Fleischman
Jon McNaughtan
Sarai Brinker
Julie Chang
Robert Peaslee
BIll Gelber
Lisa Garner Santa
Annie Chalex-Boyle

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the committee chair, Joel Velasco. For questions about Info Ready, please contact Molly Jacobs.