University Teaching Award

Regulation of Outstanding University Teaching Award

The Senate of the University of Western Macedonia, with its decision, numbered 182/29-03-2023, unanimously decides to approve the regulation of Outstanding University Teaching Award as follows:

1. Introduction

Following the vision of its strategic planning, the University of Western Macedonia (UoWM) has established an Award for Outstanding University Teaching. It is an institution which highlights the Foundation’s emphasis on excellence and academic thoroughness produced in this scientific knowledge. The purpose of the award is to highlight UoWM’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence in the teaching process and activities related to it, emphasizing teaching that is student-centered, research-informed, inclusive, interdisciplinary, and encouraging lifelong learning. In addition, the award is intended to honor the faculty members of the Foundation who, through their dedication and scientific offer to students, have contributed to the quality upgrade of UoWM.

2. Participation stipulations -Evaluation criteria

The award is given annually and concerns one (1) faculty member for each School of the Institution. Candidates’ participation stipulations in the awarding process are as follows:

• Candidates must be faculty members and must have completed at least three (3) consecutive years of teaching experience at UoWM, before submitting their nomination for the award.
• Candidates must have completed all their obligations in the QAU information system (e.g. action plan).
• Candidates must be active teachers of the Foundation.
• Candidates’ teaching work must be among the first two positions of the official evaluation carried out by the students of the Department during two of the three previous academic years.

3. Considered Evaluation Criteria

In addition, the following evaluation criteria are taken into account:

Widely recognized teaching work, as documented – in order of importance –of the following:

1. The development of innovative teaching and assessment methods, innovative courses in the Department or innovative cross-departmental courses.
2. The active participation of the proposed person with lectures in institutions, in higher educational institutions and to the wider public, with the aim of promoting the University of Western Macedonia in subjects mainly Academic, Social, Cultural and Environmental.

It is pointed out that a self-evident condition of the concept of a university teacher is academic ethics.

4. Constitution of the Outstanding University Teaching Award Committee

For the evaluation of the candidatures, the Outstanding University Teaching Award Committee is constituted by the UoWM Senate. It consists of the Vice Rector who is responsible for the Academic Affairs of the UoWM (as Chair) and of members of the Senate, one from each School. The committee evaluates the nominations and submits a reasoned statement selection practice.

5. Limitations of the Outstanding University Teaching Award Committee

1. The members participating in the Outstanding University Teaching Award Committee cannot submit nomination proposals of other colleagues or be candidates for receiving the Outstanding University Teaching Award.
2. The same person cannot be awarded a second time without passing at least four years.

6. Nomination Submission Process

The following steps are followed:

1. Issuance of an open call for expression of interest by the Teaching Center and Learning until the end of June.
2. Submission of reasoned proposals by the Assemblies of the Departments of the UoWM for one candidate from each Department to the Dean’s Office.

The Departments take into consideration:

• The conditions for participation, the evaluation criteria, in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 hereof recommendations from the Study Committee or another body of the Department, referred to official evaluations of the teaching work of the teachers carried out by the Department or other objective elements.
• Opinions of colleagues of the proposed faculty member, who are able to invoke personal opinion or objective evidence is invoked for the candidate’s didactic or writing work.

No nominations will be accepted after the submission deadline.

3. The Dean’s Office forwards the Departments’ decisions and proposes its own proposal to the Teaching and Learning Center at ctl@uowm.gr until the end of September.

The Dean’s Office sends to the following address (ctl@uowm.gr):

• Τhe decisions of the Assemblies of the Departments with the nomination proposal for the Award for Outstanding University Teaching, accompanied by evidence where required.
• Τhe recommendation of the Dean’s Office for each Department.
• Form 1 completed (in pdf format) for each Department.

4. Acceptance of proposals by proposed faculty members. The candidates who have been proposed for the Outstanding University Teaching Award by the Assemblies of their Departments, and if they accept their participation in the evaluation process, they must send to the e-mail address ctl@uowm.gr, within the deadline specified in the invitation, the following:
5. CV
6. Consent Form (according to form 2)
7. Sending of proposals. The Teaching and Learning Center sends the proposals which have been accepted by the participants in the Evaluation Committee.
8. Validity check of submitted proposals by the Evaluation Committee. At this stage, those proposals that do not meet the eligibility criteria and/or are not accompanied by the necessary documents are excluded.
9. Meeting of the Evaluation Committee to evaluate the valid proposals until the end of November. The Committee draws up a record of the evaluation and, based on overall score, recommends the awarding of the Awards to the Teaching and Learning Center.
10. The Teaching and Learning Center informs the Senate about the Awards, and the Rector bestows the Outstanding University Teaching Awards to the awardees.
11. Awarding at a special ceremony.

Award

Honorees receive an award certificate, which is presented at a special ceremony. The responsibility for the organization of the awards ceremony is assumed by the Public and International Relations Office of the Foundation.