FCAT Excellence Awards

The Faculty of Communication, Art, and Technology (FCAT) contains an amazing set of faculty, staff, and alumni. The FCAT Excellence Awards were created to honour the hard work, dedication, and excellence that occurs across FCAT and beyond. The FCAT Research Excellence Awards were created in 2018 and FCAT Teaching, Staff, and Alumni awards followed in 2021 to further recognize the exemplary work done by current FCAT members and alumni.

Nomination process

1. Complete the nomination signature sheet. This form must be signed by at least one nominator in addition to the nominee. This serves as recognition that nominee agrees to be nominated for the award.
2. Prepare your supporting documentation (see criteria for each award category).
3. Complete the online nomination survey and upload your signature sheet and supporting documentation by October 15^th. 

Normally all awards are given out annually and ties may be considered. Award recipients will be notified two weeks prior to a Faculty-wide reception in early December.

The goal of the FCAT Teaching Awards is to recognize excellence in teaching within the faculty.  Nominees should be those who excel at creating and utilizing innovative pedagogical models of teaching, presenting complex information and topics clearly, stimulating students to think creatively and critically, and exemplifying collegiality, professionalism and interdisciplinary respect.   

• Early Career Teaching Award – this award recognizes a continuing or term faculty member who has excelled in teaching and has been at SFU for less than six years.
• Distinguished Teaching Award – this award recognizes a continuing faculty member who has excelled in teaching and has been at SFU for six or more years while teaching a diversity of courses with a sustained record of excellent teaching and educational leadership.
• Teaching Assistant or Tutor Marker Teaching Award – this award recognizes a teaching assistant or tutor marker who has excelled in their role during at least two terms throughout the past year.
  
• Sessional Instructor Award - this award recognizes a sessional instructor who has excelled in their role during at least two terms throughout the past year.
• Graduate Student Mentorship Award – this award recognizes a continuing faculty member who has excelled in mentorship and supervision of one or more graduate students over the past year or more.

Nominations can be made by one or more faculty members or students from any school or program within FCAT.

Nominations must include:

• a summary letter that illustrates why the candidate is deserving of the award (maximum two pages)
  
• any other sources of evidence that the nominee chooses to put forward (e.g., teaching dossier, student evaluations of teaching, documentation of classroom observations)

Prizes: Award recipients who are faculty members will receive $1500 in funding to support professional development. Award recipients who are graduate students or post-doctoral fellows will receive a stipend of $1500.

Adjudication committee: a committee will be chaired by the FCAT Associate Dean, Academic, and include UCC Chairs (or their designates) from each of FCAT’s schools and programs. 

Disclaimer: Teaching awards represent a contribution to teaching or mentorship by an FCAT member and are not considered a formal evaluation of teaching performance or effectiveness.