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Academy of Teachers

Mission:

The Academy of Teachers is committed to promoting the shared value and culture of teaching excellence and student achievement at Wayne State University. We strive to engage faculty, students, and staff in conversations about learning, and to move from conversations to concrete actions that improve the educational experience for all students.  We also work to encourage policies at the university, local, state, and national levels that support teachers and promote and reward effective teaching.

Charge:

  • Support the professional development of faculty and instructors, and the recognition and reward of excellence in teaching and learning at WSU.
  • Provide an effective means for sharing information, ideas, and proven strategies to promote excellence in teaching and learning.
  • Serve as an advisory group to the Provost on matters related to teaching and learning and policies that affect recognition and reward.
  • Assess and promote institutional-, college-, and department-level structures that honor and reward excellence in teaching and learning.
  • Provide a conduit for institutional change to support teaching excellence.

Membership:

  • Members receive a one-time honorarium upon induction. 
  • Members retain the recognition of Member, WSU Academy of Teachers for life.
  • Members will collaborate with the Office for Teaching and Learning to present/co-present at least 2 workshops on teaching and learning-related topics of their choice during the course of the first 3 years of membership in the WSU Academy of Teachers. This may, for example, be participation in an annual WSU Teaching Summit.

Call for Applications/Nominations

Applications are due by close of business on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023.

Membership Qualifications and Academy Composition

Institutional Qualifications

The Academy is open to all WSU tenure system and full-time, long-term instructors with a minimum of 5 years of employment at WSU.

Professional Qualifications:

  1. Evidence of instructional excellence, which may also include documented efforts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, innovation, and taking risks to promote instructional excellence.
  2. Evidence of leadership in promoting excellence in teaching and learning at the department, school/college, and/or institutional level (e.g., college or institution-level awards for teaching such as the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, leading concentrations of study, developing curriculum, engaging in interdisciplinary work, and service-learning).
  3. Evidence of significant impact on the WSU undergraduate learning experience beyond one's individual courses (i.e., able to demonstrate impact on the department, school/college, and/or university levels) or within local and regional contexts.

Overall Academy Composition

It is expected that Academy members will be representative of the rich array of teaching and learning environments at WSU (e.g., traditional, hybrid, and online classrooms; studios; labs; and clinical settings).

To nominate someone:

Nominations are welcome but not required. Nominators must contact the nominee with sufficient time in advance of the application deadline because the nominee must apply on their own behalf. If the nominee agrees to apply, the nominator will provide a letter of support, and the candidate will submit a completed application. Nominating letters of support will be accepted from individual students, student groups, faculty or staff members. 

To apply:

Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. All applicants should submit a completed application; a complete packet will include:

  1. A two-page letter of interest and qualifications
  2. One recommendation letter from someone knowledgeable about your qualifications
  3. Current WSU Professional Record

Submit the completed materials by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023.

Successful Applications in the Past Included Portions of the following:

  • SET scores as evidence of excellence in teaching
  • Courses taught and evidence of professional qualifications listed in the call for nominations
  • Advising and mentoring roles
  • Teaching and learning in diverse environments (e.g., traditional, hybrid, and online classrooms; studios; labs; and clinical settings).
  • Teaching philosophy that demonstrates evidence of instructional excellence, leadership, and significant impact of undergraduate learning and experience
  • Examples and description of teaching methods that implement instructional excellence, leadership, and significant impact on undergraduate learning

Sample Accepted Application letters

  1. Sample One
  2. Sample Two

Members:

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018 (Inaugural class)