ATE Awards

The University Wine Teaching Award Committee selects three winners from up to eight nominees whose names are forwarded by the college-level Wine selection committees. Each Wine Award winner receives a cash award of $3,000 and induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. The University Committee will meet in February. At the selection meeting, the chair of each College Wine Teaching Award Committee will summarize the dossier of the nominee from that College.

Each College Wine Teaching Award Committee establishes its own procedures for selecting a nominee from candidates within the College. Dossier submissions to college committees are due the second Friday in January.

Note that because the William E. Wine Award recognizes "a history of university teaching excellence," the most competitive dossiers demonstrate continuity of excellence over a significant period of time (i.e., at least fourteen years served at Virginia Tech). Also, the dossiers of award winners are those that prove most compelling to representatives from other colleges. Finally, the best evidence of strong teaching is a demonstration of student learning. The most competitive dossiers thoroughly describe what the nominees do and how they do it, as well as how students benefit from the experience. Be sure to follow the Dossier Guidelines closely.

Those who have won a William E. Wine Award in the past or an Academy of Teaching Excellence University-level teaching award in the past seven years are not eligible.

Dossiers of each college's nominee must be received electronically, in PDF format by 5:00 p.m. the fourth Friday in January at elaustin@vt.edu.

Please see the Wine Call for Nominations in order to see the various College Wine nomination deadlines, which are prior to the University Wine nomination deadline.

Elisabeth Austin
Chair, 2024-25 University Wine Award Committee
Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures

Awardees of the College-level Certificates of Teaching Excellence are eligible to be considered for the University-level University Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching. Each CTE awardee has a total of three consecutive years of eligibility; they may be nominated the academic year they first receive the CTE award and the subsequent two years. Alternatively, CTE awardees may elect to defer their first year of consideration until the academic year following receipt of the CTE award and the subsequent two consecutive years; this is recommended if they need to substantially revise their college CTE material to meet ATE dossier guideline requirements. To be considered for the University Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching, CTE awardees must submit a teaching dossier to the University Teaching Award Selection Committee each year of their eligibility. Dossiers from previous years will not be automatically resubmitted.

Two awards are given each year, with recipients receiving a cash award of $2,000 and induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence.

Each college establishes its own procedures for selecting CTE awardees. Dossier submissions to college CTE committees are due the second Friday in January.

For the University Teaching Award, college CTE awardees must submit dossiers that follow the Dossier Guidelines established by the Academy of Teaching Excellence in Fall 2006. The University Teaching Award Rubric depicts an example of the activities, materials, and evidence that will be discussed by the committee in the selection process. Generally, teaching impacts must include activities beyond the individual’s home unit(s), reaching both across and beyond the VT campus. Awardees often have made contributions not just at the university, but at the state, regional, national and/or international level. Efforts should be sustained over multiple years.

Those who have won the University Teaching Award in the past or an Academy of Teaching Excellence University-level teaching award in the past seven years are not eligible.

Dossiers of each college's nominee must be received electronically, in PDF format by the second Friday in February at dschmale@vt.edu.

TBD, David Schmale
Contact as of August, 2024
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

The University Sporn Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Subjects is selected by a committee comprised of student representatives. The committee selects one winner annually from nominations made by the students. The Sporn Award winner receives a cash award of $2,000 and automatic induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Nominations from students are accepted until the first Friday in February. Access the nomination form. Finalists must follow Dossier Guidelines of the Academy. Dossiers from finalists are due to the Chair of the selection committee in February and the student selection committee will meet during late February to select a winner.

This award is for teaching excellence in introductory subjects is made in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Philip J. Sporn. Dr. Sporn was president and chief executive officer of the American Electric Power Company. Nominations are received from students only. Eligible candidates for the Sporn Award are Virginia Tech faculty members who: are full-time employees; hold the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor; and teach introductory courses at the 1000/2000 level.

Those who have won a University Sporn Award in the past or an Academy of Teaching Excellence University-level teaching award in the past seven years are not eligible.

Finalists selected from student nominations will be notified by the chair of the selection committee. Dossiers of the finalists must be received electronically, in PDF format by the fourth Friday in February at bergm@vt.edu.

Michael Berg
Chair, 2024-25 University Sporn Award Selection Committee
Department of Chemistry
540-231-2006
bergm@vt.edu