At its annual Faculty Awards Dinner, the college recognizes faculty excellence in teaching by presenting the James R. and Nell W. Cunningham Outstanding Teaching Award, which is given to a tenured faculty member who demonstrates outstanding classroom teaching.
Each department and school may nominate one full-time tenured faculty member for this award. Individuals who have received this award within the last five years may not be renominated for the award. Departments and schools are encouraged to involve faculty members and students, as appropriate, in the nomination process.
A nomination consists of:
- A completed nomination form.
- A nomination letter from the department head or school director, no longer than three pages, that gives specific examples of the nominee’s excellence in classroom teaching. This letter may include a summary of SAIS scores, student comments or testimonials, excerpts from peer evaluations of teaching, and similar quality indicators.
- A statement describing how faculty and students were involved in the nomination process.
- A statement of the nominee’s teaching philosophy, no longer than three pages.
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Nominations should be sent by e-mail to Brendan McConville and must be received by December 12 at 5:00 p.m.
Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Department |
| 2021-2022 | Marie Jameson Tore Olsson |
Mathematics History |
| 2020-2021 | Maria Stehle Gregory Stuart |
MFLL Psychology |
| 2019-2020 | Edward E. Schilling Urmila Seshagiri |
EEB English |
| 2018-2019 | Beth Schussler | EEB |
| 2017-2018 | Erin E. Hardin | Psychology |
| 2016-2017 | Millie Gimmel Michael Olson |
Modern Foreign Languages & Literatures Psychology |
| 2015-2016 | Marianne Breinig | Physics and Astronomy |
| 2014–2015 | Mary McAlpin | Modern Foreign Languages & Literatures |
| 2012–2013 | Mary Papke Randall Small |
English Ecology & Evolutionary Biology |
| 2011–2012 | John Nolt | Philolospy |
| 2010–2011 | Marilyn Kallet | English |
| 2008–2009 | Michael L. Keene Carl G. Wagner |
English Mathematics |
| 2007–2008 | John Koontz | Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology |
| 2006–2007 | Marianne Custer Cathy Leach |
Theatre Music |
| 2005–2006 | Lorri Glover | History |
| 2004–2005 | Jon Levin | Physics & Astronomy |
| 2003–2004 | Michael Logan | Anthropology |
| 2002–2003 | Allen Carroll | English |
| 2001–2002 | Allen Dunn | English |
| 2000–2001 | Palmira Brummett | History |
| 1999–2000 | Salvatore Di Maria | Modern Foreign Languages & Literatures |
| 1998–1999 | Chris Craig | Classics |