AEJMC Award for Excellence in Teaching
Nominations are due by November 1, 2026.
This new award, sponsored by the AEJMC Standing Committee on Teaching, recognizes excellence in teaching in mass communication, journalism, communication, and related fields among current AEJMC members. The award honors a commitment to teaching that has been transformative and impactful for students, programs, and/or institutions. A cash award of $1,000 and a plaque are included.
The committee seeks nominations for individuals who have excelled in teaching as demonstrated through the criteria below:
- A minimum of ten years of full-time experience teaching at the college or university level
- Innovative instructional approaches
- A strong track record of engagement and student outcomes
- Advancement of teaching and pedagogical leadership in the field
- Teaching approaches and best practices shared with colleagues and/or professionals
- Service to teaching at the program, institutional, and/or national level
Nomination packets must include the following items:
- Nomination letter from a dean, vice president/provost, or unit/department head familiar with the nominee’s teaching that describes how the nominee’s teaching and/or pedagogical contributions have shaped the field of journalism and communication, focusing on how the nominee has impacted the specific area of their teaching.
- Abbreviated C.V. focused specifically on teaching (maximum five pages)
- Statement of nominee’s teaching mission/philosophy and achievements (maximum three pages)
- Two support letters from current and/or former students
- One support letter from a colleague who can attest to the nominee’s qualifications for the award
- Two syllabi examples, including the corresponding reading list and class schedule
- One assignment guideline from each syllabus submitted
- Quantitative and/or qualitative evidence of teaching effectiveness that addresses award criteria, including but not limited to peer teaching reviews, student feedback in open-ended remarks and/or emails, and student course evaluations (maximum five pages)
Submission instructions:
Submit the following files through the submission link located at the end of this call. You need to use your AEJMC Community username and password to access this packet upload portal.
- Nomination Letter
- CV
- Teaching Philosophy and Achievements
- Student Support Letters
- Colleague Support Letter
- Syllabi
- Assignments
- Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness (combined into a single .pdf document)
Nomination packets must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST, November 1, 2026.
Questions?
Should you have any questions about this competition and the submission process, please contact the competition co-chairs Masudul Biswas (mkbiswas@ncat.edu) and Laura Smith ( lks6242@psu.edu).
- YOU MUST BE AN AEJMC MEMBER TO APPLY TO THIS AWARD -
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