Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award (Calls open for 2024 Nominations)

Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award (Calls open for 2024 Nominations)

In recognition of the valuable role that Teaching Assistants play in our programs, UBC annually awards nineteen Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards. Each Killam GTA Award includes a Certificate and $1,000.00. These awards seek to recognize teaching excellence within our institution and to underscore the importance and value that UBC places on teaching and learning.

Eligibility:

The award is open to all UBC Graduate Teaching Assistant at UBC Vancouver who has been acting in the position during the current academic year (2023-24) and/or the preceding academic year (2022-23).

Criteria:

Please see campus wide criteria below. At LFS, we are using a standard support letter form to help address all these criteria.

Nomination Package:

Nominee should follow the instructions below to prepare a nomination package, maximum 4 pages in PDF.

Process:

For TAs Self-Nominating Themselves: 

  1. Submit a self-nomination, with a ~150-words rationale, using the Submission Button below
  1. Create your nomination package as a 4-page document that includes:
    • Your philosophy statement
    • Your teaching responsibilities
  1. Submit your nomination package using the Submission Button below
    • Rename your package as [Package_TALastname_TAFirstname_YYYYMMDD.pdf]
  1. Request support letters from students and instructors
    • Download and fill out a standard support letter form
    • Rename it to [SupportLetter_TALastnameTAFirstname_YourInitials_YYYYMMDD.pdf] and submit it via the Submission Button below

For Students, Instructors and Graduate Students/TAs nominating another TA: 

  1. Submit a nomination, with a ~150-words rationale, using the Submission Button below
    • The nominee will be notified and reminded to prepare a nomination package
  1. Download and fill out a standard support letter form  
  1. Rename it to [SupportLetter_TALastnameTAFirstname_YourInitials_YYYYMMDD.pdf] and submit it via the Submission Button below

Calls for Nominations are now open for 2024.
• Nominations will be accepted till February 9, 2024.
• All support letters and nomination packages must be submitted by March 1, 2024.

Submission Button
for
nomination
support letter
or, nomination package

Effective Teaching Criteria

Killam-GTA-Awards-CriteriaDownload

UBC Wide Criteria:

Successful candidates will have demonstrated skills, abilities and contributions that result in a high level of respect from students and academic or course supervisors, in several of the following areas. The successful candidate:

  1. demonstrates a broad knowledge of the field and the ability to help students actively learn new knowledge, skills and perspectives, evidenced by student/supervisor feedback and relevant grades:
    • explains information clearly and logically;
    • organizes effective presentations, fieldwork or discussion groups that maximize student learning;
    • constructively evaluates student presentations;
    • actively helps students to learn transferable skills such as oral and verbal communication, problem solving, critical thinking, numeracy, teamwork, leadership.
  2. shows evidence of working in a collegial manner with students, faculty supervisors and Graduate Teaching Assistant colleagues:
    • works with other graduate students or faculty to improve the learning environment for students;
    • demonstrates rapport with and support of students through active listening strategies and actions;
    • encourages student collaboration through group projects and presentations.
  3. shows evidence of incorporating new teaching skills learned through workshops, seminars and/or self-directed learning.
  4. shows evidence of reflection and action on personal and professional development needs within the scope of the Teaching Assistant position.
  5. acts as a role model, demonstrating high standards, good listening skills and ethics:
    • demonstrates reliability and availability within the scope of the TA job description;
    • encourages and supports diversity and equity within and beyond the classroom;
    • returns assignments quickly, with useful constructive feedback (oral and/or written);
    • is involved in community service as part of the position (for example, involvement in science fairs, open houses, undergraduate/graduate events).

LFS Guidelines for Nomination Package:

The person nominating the GTA, or the self-nominee, must compile a dossier of information about the nominee’s work as a TA, comprising the items listed below, addressing criteria above. These materials are collected from the nominee or other sources as appropriate. The call for nomination will be closed by Friday, February 9, 2024, to give the nominees sufficient time to prepare the nomination package. The package must be submitted in PDF format (maximum 4 pages) by 3 pm on Friday, March 1, 2024.

At LFS, there are two components in the nomination package.  

  1. Teaching Philosophy statement: A statement of the candidate’s values and assumptions about teaching and learning in higher education and of their experiences with putting these values and ideas into practice (maximum 2 pages)
    As part of the above statement, the candidate might consider including some of the following:
    • a description of a recent instructional opportunity or problem faced by the Teaching Assistant, outlining steps taken toward resolution of the issue.  
    • an example of written or oral feedback given by the Teaching Assistant to students in a laboratory, tutorial, fieldwork or clinical situation, or course. This could take the form of comments on lab reports or tutorial assignments, essays, or other submissions which the Teaching Assistant has directly overseen.
    • further relevant examples of interest and involvement in teaching and student learning; for example, participation in teaching enhancement seminars and workshops, independent reading in the field of teaching in higher education, or involvement on Departmental or other University committees which examine teaching and learning issues.  
  2. A summary of your teaching responsibilities: a summary of recent teaching responsibilities as well as contributions to teaching in the past: include number of students, type of teaching undertaken, hours per week in the classroom, and average time spent constructively in consultation with students and supervisors in carrying out Teaching Assistantship duties. (maximum 2 pages)  

Support Letters:

Nominees may collect formal feedback from former students (not current students), colleagues and/or supervisors which addresses the stated criteria for this award in the form of a support letter. To streamline the adjudication process, we encourage everyone to use a standardize support letter form below.

We understand that nominees may wish to seek support from their current students. To avoid potential conflict of interest, identity of current students of nominees will only be made available to the adjudication committee, and not share with the nominees.

All submissions must be made before 3 pm on Friday, March 1, 2024.

SupportLetter_TALastnameTAFirstname_YourInitials_YYYYMMDDDownload