Award for Excellence in Education for Diversity

Award Description

One award will be presented annually. This award will be presented to an individual or team that has enhanced the Dalhousie teaching and learning environment through excellence in education for diversity. The award may be withheld if there is no suitable candidate.

Criteria

Both nominators and evaluators should consider the following list of criteria. Nominees should provide evidence of excellence in diversity education, which can include but is not limited to:

• Developing innovative curricula to support diversity, developing cross-cultural competencies, and enhancing the understanding of groups who have experienced historic and ongoing disadvantage and harm
• Fostering safer spaces by implementing innovative and culturally responsive pedagogies that specifically support and enhance diverse student populations’ educational experiences
• Creating and implementing innovative pedagogical approaches that specifically support and enhance diverse student populations’ educational experiences, including but not limited to international students, Aboriginal students, African Nova Scotian students, and students from other groups who have experienced historic disadvantages (including, but not limited to, LGTBQ+ students and students with disabilities)
• Developing programs or courses that provide experiences with diversity through courses taught abroad or in diverse communities within Canada
• Developing exchange and study-abroad programs that provide authentic and meaningful international and/or cross-cultural learning experiences (including research or workplace experiences)
• Developing innovative cross-cultural experiences for students in the classroom

This award shall normally be awarded once to any single initiative, but may be awarded more than once to a specific individual or team over the course of their career at Dalhousie.

Value of Award

$1000 for the professional development of the recipient(s).

To be eligible, the award package must be complete and, at a minimum, meet the criteria for the award.

• Letter of nomination
• The nominee's/nominees’ abbreviated CV of each nominee (max. eight pages per individual)
• Description of the innovative approaches, contributions, and accomplishments in education for diversity (max. 10 pages)
• Two letters of support from current and/or former students
• Two letters of support from colleagues
• Additional supporting materials (e.g., course descriptions, descriptions of course innovations, publications or presentations on the innovation, written comments from Student Learning Experience Questionnaire, additional letters of support, etc.) (max. 10 pages)
• 150-word biography of nominee (to be used for communication purposes should the nominee be selected to receive the award)

Nominators should inform nominees of their nomination, providing nominees with enough time to write and compile the sections of the award file that must be written by the nominee. Nominators should collect and collate all required materials including those written by the nominee and the letters of supports to ensure confidentiality. The nominator is responsible for submitting the award nomination package on or before the deadline. In the case of self-nominations, the self-nominator should seek a colleague to request, collect and submit letters of support on their behalf to ensure confidentiality. This colleague shall submit the letters as a separate electronic file to the Centre for Learning and Teaching.

Submission of Nomination

Full nomination packages must be submitted as one PDF.  Nominations may be submitted one of two ways:

1. Upload the nomination online 
2. Email the nomination to clt@dal.ca

Nominations close each year on January 31.

Selection Committee

• Faculty Senator (elected by SLTC) – who shall chair the committee
• Executive Director, CLT (or designate)
• Dalhousie’s Advisor for Human Rights and Equity
• (1) Dean or Associate Dean Academic – appointed annually
• (2) Faculty Representatives – appointed annually (from the pool of previous winners, where possible)
• (1) Student Representative – appointed annually in consultation with the DSU