University Distinguished Teaching Award

The University Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes excellence in teaching performance at the undergraduate level and is intended to encourage continued achievement in instructional effectiveness.

Each recipient receives a one-time award of a $3,000 and a framed certificate.

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Full-time regular and non-regular faculty members of the University of Oklahoma from an academic program with an undergraduate component 
• Must have been employed by the University during the period for which the contributions were made 
• Prior accomplishments at other institutions may be considered as evidence of sustained excellence.

The following are not eligible:

• Faculty holding distinguished professorships 
• Recipients of the Regents' Awards in the previous year
• Previous recipients of this award within the past three years 

Nominations are evaluated based on demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching.

Materials should provide clear evidence of:

• Teaching effectiveness at the undergraduate level
• Sustained contributions to instructional quality
• Impact on student learning and engagement

Nominators are expected to present evidence that directly aligns with teaching performance and outcomes.

A complete nomination packet must include the following materials in the sequence listed. Begin page numbering with the letter of nomination. 

NOTE: The letter of nomination, biography, and CV must not exceed 25 pages. Incomplete or noncompliant submissions may not be reviewed.

1. Faculty Awards and Honors Cover Page (pdf)
   
   
2. One-page table of contents that identifies with page numbers the following materials:
   
   
3. Letter of nomination (maximum three pages)
   
   
4. A short biography (maximum 125 words)
   
   
5. Curriculum vitae (customized) 
   
   
6. Up to five letters of support (not including the Dean's letter)
   
   
7. Dean's letter (optional)

• Up to five letters may be included. Additional letters will be removed.
• Letters may come from:
  • Students (current or former) 
  • Faculty colleagues
  • Alumni
  • Department chairs and/or members of Committee A
• Letters of support do not count toward the 25-page limit. 

• Nomination deadline: November 2
• Only submissions made by the dean's office will be accepted.
• Check with your dean’s office for college-specific deadlines.

• Nominations may be submitted by academic units or approved nominating groups
• Only one nomination per academic unit or group is permitted.
• The nominating person or group is responsible for assembling the complete nomination packet.
• The nomination packet must be submitted as a single combined PDF from the appropriate Dean's Office to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost via the Faculty Awards and Honors Packets Dropbox.

Detailed procedural guidance is available on the How to Nominate page.

• The Senior Vice President and Provost issues the call for nominations annually in September.
• Nominations are reviewed through established university processes.
  • The University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors reviews nominations and forwards their recommendation(s) to the Senior Vice President and Provost, who makes the final selection.
• Recipients are announced at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors luncheon. 

Each award winner will receive:

• A one-time monetary award of $3,000
• A framed certificate
• Recognition at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors luncheon

This award is hosted by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. For questions about this award, please contact the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost.

The University Distinguished Teaching Award was first part of the Good Teaching Awards Program that was introduced by the Standard Oil (Indiana) Foundation in 1966. The purpose of the program was to recognize excellence in teaching performance at the undergraduate level and to provide an incentive to achieve that goal. The University of Oklahoma began participating in the program in 1968. In 1973, the name of the foundation was changed to the AMOCO Foundation, Inc. and then changed to BP Amoco in the late 1990's. In 2003 the sponsor name was removed and the award became known at the University as the Good Teaching Award. In 2019, the award was renamed to the University Distinguished Teaching Award.