Call for Nominations: Arqus Teaching Excellence Award

The Arqus Alliance is thrilled to announce the launch of the third Arqus Teaching Excellence Award, a testament to our commitment to celebrating and promoting outstanding achievements in university teaching. This prestigious award seeks to recognize educators who exemplify innovation and excellence in their pedagogical practices, fostering a culture of learning that transcends disciplinary boundaries and empowers students from diverse backgrounds to thrive in inclusive, community based and dynamic learning environments.

In line with our mission to promote collaborative and inclusive education, the Arqus Teaching Excellence Award will honor teaching initiatives and projects that are based on research-informed teaching and learning approaches and prioritize the integral development and empowerment of students. Teaching initiatives and projects implemented from the start of the academic year 2022-2023 will be considered for this award. As we embark on this journey to celebrate teaching excellence, we invite nominations that embody the following core criteria:

1. Student-Centered Teaching:

Consistent use of student-centered approaches that cater to the diverse needs of learners, fostering inclusive education practices.

2. Assessment that drives students’ learning:

Consistent use of assessment strategies and feedback methods that supports learning and development, encouraging meta-reflection on and facilitating dialogue about learning processes.

3. Research-informed teaching and learning approaches:

Use of research-informed didactical approaches to enhance learning outcomes.

4. Integration of the international perspective:

Incorporation of an international perspective to enrich the learning experience and foster cross-cultural understanding. This may include, but is not limited to, integrating international case studies, collaborating with international partners or experts, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges or discussions, incorporating global issues and perspectives into the curriculum or other activities that prepare future graduates to thrive in a globalized world.

5. Transferability and adaptability:

Development of teaching initiatives that are transferable and adaptable to further educational contexts, promoting scalability and sustainability of the initiative.

6. Relevance and impact:

Reflection by the teacher on the relevance and impact of the project on students‘ learning, demonstrating its significance in enhancing teaching and learning practices.

Nomination Process:

Interested individuals or teams of teachers are encouraged to submit nominations for the Arqus Teaching Excellence Award by 1^st of April.

Nominations should include a comprehensive description of the teaching initiative, highlighting its alignment with the criteria outlined above. Please note that not all criteria need to be met to apply or win; initiatives demonstrating exceptional achievement in limited number of areas may still be eligible for recognition. Supporting materials such as course syllabi, student feedback, and evidence of impact are highly valued.

In the initial step of the selection process, each partner university will internally select the three best applications. These applications will then be forwarded to the Arqus Jury, consisting of experts in teaching and learning from all partner universities, as well as three students, who will carefully evaluate them and by the 1^st of June select two winners from among the finalists.

The Award will be presented during the Arqus Annual Conference that will take place at the University of Minho in Braga from 4^th to 6^th July 2024. The award winners will be invited to participate in the conference to give a guest lecture or workshop for teachers of the Arqus Alliance.

As a token of appreciation for their dedication and innovation, winners of the Arqus Teaching Excellence Award will receive a prize of 5,000 EUR to further advance their teaching initiatives and promote excellence in higher education.

Please note that the number of winners and the prize amount may be subject to change based on the number of exceptional applications received.

Let us come together to honor and celebrate the remarkable efforts of educators within the Arqus Alliance who are shaping the future of university teaching. Together, we can inspire excellence and innovation in higher education.

Please submit the full application by using the application form until 1^st April 2024, via mail to: teaching-award@arqus-alliance.eu.

For inquiries regarding Arqus Teaching Excellence Award please contact your local Arqus coordinator.

Call published on 05 Mar 2024