Learning & Teaching

Teaching Excellence Awards 2025-2026

Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA) recognise and celebrate members of academic staff whose teaching and contribution to learning is of a particularly high standard. As such, they are an indicator of esteem based on peer recognition of excellence in relation to teaching, and the nomination process helps to encourage a culture of collegiality. There are two levels of award: College/Service Awards, from which up to two nominees per College may be considered for a University level award. College/Service awards include a non- pay award of £1,000 to be spent on teaching-related and professional development activities. The University level award is in the form of a £2,000 honorarium. Up to 5 University awards will be made in any one year. Winners of the University awards will be invited to have their award presented to them at Graduation. 

Eligibility

All members of staff employed by the University to teach and/or support learning are eligible for the awards although staff are limited to one College/Service and possible corresponding University level award during any four-year period, whether individually or as part of a Team award nomination.

 

Categories of Award

Awards can be made in the following categories: 

• Individual Excellence – for staff who have demonstrated excellent teaching practice in their work. 

• Early Career – for staff and teaching assistants within the first five years of their career in teaching. 

• Career Excellence – for staff who have demonstrated an exceptionally high level of commitment to teaching and/or support for learning throughout their career. 

• Team – for a team that demonstrates an outstanding contribution to enhancing teaching and student learning. The distinctive contribution of collective activity is essential in this category of award. Applications must evidence how members have worked effectively together. 

 

 

Award Criteria

There are 7 criteria against which applications can be considered. The criteria apply differentially to the categories of award as shown in the table below. The table should be used for guidance purposes only as it is recognised that individual applications in any one category can be quite different and achievement in one area may compensate for limited or no achievement in another. 

1. Effective ongoing contribution to enhancing the student learning experience and to partnership working with students 
2. Draws on cutting edge L&T practice in HE 
3. Positive impact on learning and teaching practices at UoG and elsewhere 
4. Active engagement with scholarship of teaching and learning and its dissemination 
5. Income generation relating to the development or evaluation of learning and teaching 
6. Demonstrable impact of exceptional leadership in learning and teaching 
7. Contribution to extending the global reach of the University 

Award Criteria	Category of Award
	Individual Excellence	Early Career (within first 5 years of career)	Career Excellence	Team Award
1. Effective enhancement of student learning/ partnership working with students	Essential and to a high level	Essential – commensurate with career stage of  nominee	Essential, high quality and sustained over time	Essential for this category of award and needs to be outstanding
2. Cutting edge practices	Desirable	Desirable	Essential and sustained over time	Desirable and, where case is made on this criterion, should exceed that expected of any individual applicant
3. Positive impact of learning and teaching practices on others at UofG or elsewhere	Essential	Essential	Essential and sustained over time	Essential
4. Active engagement with SoTL and its dissemination [2]	Desirable	Desirable	Desirable	Desirable
5. Income generation relating to the development of learning and teaching	Desirable	Not expected but may be considered if relevant	Desirable	Desirable
6. Demonstrable impact of exceptional leadership	Desirable	Not expected but may be considered if relevant	Essential	Not applicable given there are multiple nominees
7. Contribution to extending the global reach of the University	Desirable	Not expected but may be considered if relevant	Desirable	Desirable

The distinction between College/Service and University level awards is as follows: 

• College/Service awards must address the essential criteria for the category of award, and should be considered exemplary within the context of the College/Service (and as judged against applications from within the College/Service). 

• University awards must have impact beyond the College (though it is recognised that this may be limited in the Early Career category), and should be considered exemplary within the context of the University as a whole (and as judged against applications from across the Colleges/Services). Successful nominees should demonstrate achievement that goes beyond the essential criteria for the category of award. 

Information on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and the range of activities that fall under SoTL, can be found here: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/add/ and https://uofgsotl.blog/ 

Nomination and Evaluation Process

Nominations will be considered by a Panel including representatives from each College/Service. The Panel will consider each nomination for the relevant College/Service level award. The Panel will then review all nominations for a University level award, and may make up to 2 awards from each College/Service. 

Each nomination should be made by a member of staff, and seconded by a colleague. Applicants may also self-nominate; in this case, applications should be seconded by TWO colleagues. Please note that anyone nominated as part of the submission (e.g. for a Team award) cannot also be a seconder or supporter of the nomination. Nominators/seconders must be in a position to attest to the achievements set out in the nomination. They should submit: 

1. Nomination form (Appendix 2 in PDF) which serves as a cover sheet for the application. 
2. Nomination statement which is no more than 3* sides of A4, comprising: 

• A short introduction stating the nominee’s approach to teaching and/or support for learning, and the qualities that the nominee brings to the role. 

• A critical assessment of the work for which the nominee is being presented against the relevant Teaching Excellence Award criteria incorporating relevant evidence (see Appendix in PDF). 

Nominations for the Team Award can submit a further page of A4. This additional allowance is in order to capture the individual and collective contributions of team members. 

Nominations should be sent by email, by Friday 24 April 2026, to Mrs Janet Fleming, Academic Policy & Governance (janet.fleming@glasgow.ac.uk). Please confirm when submitting the nomination that you have done so with the knowledge of the nominee/team.