Faculty Recognition

The Distinguished Teacher Award is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive at Dunwoody. It reflects not only individual achievement but also a deep commitment to student success and the future of technical education. Nominations for this award are submitted by academic deans and directors in the form of a written statement to the Dean’s Council. Letters should highlight the nominee’s teaching career and alignment with the award criteria. Recipients are selected by the Deans Council. The award is given to one or more faculty members who have committed a significant portion of their career to the practice of teaching, and who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to education and lifelong learning. Specifically, the criteria include:

• Demonstrates sustained excellence in teaching across multiple years and courses
• Fosters critical and creative thinking through innovative instructional strategies
• Mentors new faculty and contributes to a culture of pedagogical growth
• Dedication to building effective relationships with both secondary education and industry

Nominations for this award are submitted by academic deans and directors in the form of a written statement to the Deans Council. Letters should highlight the nominee’s commitment to implementing innovative instructional strategies in the classroom; their pursuit of outstanding academic research, publication, or presentation; or their work in building and sustaining industry collaboration to inform their curriculum. Specifically, the criteria include:

• Successfully experiments with innovative instructional strategies, including but not limited to the implementation of technology in the classroom
• Outstanding academic innovation or achievement such as research, publication, presentation
• Industry collaboration that enhances the instructor’s competence in subject matter and overall instructional ability

Nominations for this award come from students. Recipients are selected by the Deans Council. Faculty who have taught at Dunwoody for a minimum of 3 years are eligible to be nominated for the Instructor of the Year Award and faculty who have taught at Dunwoody for less than 3 years are eligible to be nominated for the Emerging Instructor of the Year Award. Faculty who received the award in the past three years are also ineligible. The nomination process and criteria are the same for both awards. The criteria include:

• Supports student success: Helps students reach their academic goals and succeed in class.
• Leads by example: Acts professionally and respectfully—someone others look up to.
• Creates strong course materials: Designs lessons and assignments that are clear, helpful, and well-organized.
• Teaches in a way that works: Explains things clearly and makes learning interesting and effective.