Awards & Recognition

Acknowledging outstanding teaching & staff service
The Faculty of Arts invites applications for seven teaching awards and two service recognition awards, to be presented annually at the end-of-year celebration. Each award includes a certificate and a $500 honourarium.
1. The Slobodan Drakulic Cross-Disciplinary Teaching Award
Named in honour of the late Dr. Slobodan Drakulic (a faculty member in the Sociology Department), this award recognizes faculty and/or contract lecturers who have demonstrated continuing excellence in teaching students from a wide range of disciplines. Faculty and contract lecturers beyond their third year at Ryerson who teach classes that typically include students from a variety of programs, and who have developed innovative and effective approaches to engaging a diverse range of students, are eligible. This award is open to RFA faculty members and CUPE1 contract lecturers. One award will be given out annually.
2. The New Faculty Teaching Award
This award is open to pre-tenure faculty in their first three years at Ryerson who have consistently demonstrated excellence in, and commitment to teaching. Outstanding teaching may be measured by: the enhancement of student engagement, curriculum (re)development, innovation in the classroom, new experiential educational opportunities, interdisciplinary teaching, in addition to a commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression and/or decolonization in education. This award is open to pre-tenure RFA faculty members. Up to two awards will be given out annually.
3. Faculty of Arts Award in Teaching Innovation and Inclusion
This Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of teaching and learning in the Faculty of Arts, with a focus on innovation, inclusivity and experiential education. The recipient(s) must have demonstrated excellence in a variety of ways, including but not limited to student engagement and mentoring, curriculum and (re)development, career-integrated learning, global education, interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression and/or decolonization. This award is open to RFA faculty members who have minimum three years teaching experience in the Faculty of Arts. Up to two awards will be given out annually.
4. Faculty of Arts Contract Lecturer Teaching Award
This award recognizes demonstrated teaching excellence among CUPE 1 Contract Lecturers in any department in the Faculty of Arts. Excellence may be measured in a number of ways, including enhancement of student engagement, creativity and innovation in teaching, experiential learning, fostering of equity and inclusion in the classroom. This award is open to CUPE1 contract lecturers who have taught in the Faculty of Arts during the Fall and Winter semesters in the current academic year. Up to two awards will be given out annually.
- A contract lecturer or faculty member may be nominated for no more than one Faculty of Arts teaching award per academic year.
- A contract lecturer or faculty member may not win more than one award in the same category during a 3-year period.
- Awards will be adjudicated by the Faculty of Arts Teaching and Learning Committee, which consists of one appointed member from each department in the Faculty, in addition to the Associate-Dean, Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Committee members cannot vote on applications from their own department.
- The committee reserves the right not to grant an award in a given year, if none of the nominees meet the awards criteria.
Any member of the Faculty of Arts community (faculty, student or staff) may nominate an instructor for these awards. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Nominators must:
- secure the nominee’s written permission.
- Assemble the nomination package as described below.
- Submit the nomination package using google formthe form, external link below no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 6, 2022.
A Nomination package must include:
- The nominee’s permission for the nomination (via an attached email).
- A brief nomination statement (maximum 300 words) that clearly addresses the nominee’s achievements according to the relevant awards category.
- Endorsements from faculty members and students provide specific examples of why the nominee should be considered for the award (maximum 2 pages in total).
- Maximum 1-page of statement of teaching philosophy and an abbreviated C.V. (maximum 4 pages) focusing on the nominee’s teaching, educational leadership, achievements and other contributions to teaching and learning, as distinct from a standard C.V. pertaining to the nominee’s field of expertise.
If you have any questions, please contact: Associate Dean (Innovation in Teaching and Learning), Dr. Amy Peng at apeng@torontomu.ca.
The Faculty of Arts Staff Service Recognition Award is open to MAC and OPSEU full-time and term staff staff who have excelled in their employment role, driving significant operational change and having a positive impact on their department.
The award will be granted to up to two staff members in Arts who demonstrate outstanding performance and impact. Each award includes a $500 honorarium. In addition to an honorarium, award recipients will receive a commemorative plaque, profile on the Faculty of Arts website (if they wish) and a letter of commendation from the Dean. This letter will be placed in the recipient’s employee file.
If you have any questions, please contact: Manager, Departmental Administration, Manuela Lefranc at lefrancm@torontomu.ca or ext. 553431.
The award is open to MAC and OPSEU full-time and term staff who have been employed by Ryerson for a minimum of 12 months and support the Faculty of Arts. Award nominees must not have been recipients of the award during the preceding four years. Selection committee members are not eligible to receive the award.
The Staff Service Recognition Award recognizes extraordinary contributions that help to improve and enhance their departments and the Faculty. These may include demonstrating commitment to:
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Has demonstrated commitment to advancing the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion through their work and within their Department. Supports or contributes to anti-racism, anti-oppression and/or decolonization initiatives.
- Collaboration and Collegiality: Exhibits strong collaboration skills with all related stakeholders including peers, faculty, and students, and both within and across departments. Operates cooperatively and with a partnership mindset that supports long-term relationship building. Demonstrates good listening and communication skills.
- Problem Solving: Is an innovative and creative thinker; continually navigating through the current state of processes to find better and more efficient outcomes. Strives for quality and best practice, working to resolve issues as they arise.
- Leadership: Mentors and helps peers and others, including new individuals who join the Faculty of Arts and department/program teams. Promotes a sense of inclusion, community and team by valuing and recognizing the input of others. Fosters and supports a productive and positive work environment.
- Nominations must be submitted using the google formofficial Google form, external link no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 6, 2022.
- Nominations may be submitted by faculty members, staff, chairs, supervisors, or students and must be approved by the nominee. Self-nominations are not accepted.
- The nominator must include a description of how the nominee is outstanding in three of the four criteria areas. Two pages of testimonials from colleagues and students are welcome. Detailed guidelines are included in the nomination form.
- Multiple nominations for the same candidate are not permitted for a single competition. If multiple nominators wish to submit a package for a single candidate, they may submit jointly. Unsuccessful candidates may be nominated again in subsequent competitions with an updated nomination package.
Tammy Fuoco, Research Accounts Support Officer
Avala Moore, Student Liaison Administrator
Staff Recognition Award winners
Lisa Benadiba, Department of English & Department of Geography & Environmental Studies
Alvin Ying, Office of the Dean of Arts
The Faculty of Arts Teaching Awards winners
The Slobodan Drakulic Cross-Disciplinary Teaching Award
Paula Schwebel, Department of Philosophy
Dana Osborne, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures
The New Faculty Teaching Award
Lauren Kirshner, Department of English
The Excellence in Teaching First-Year Classes Award
Patrice Dutil, Department of Politics & Public Administration
The Experiential Teaching Award
Kym MacLaren, Department of Philosophy
Faculty of Arts Contract Lecturer Teaching Award
Angélique Bernabé, Department of Economics
TEACHING AND SRC EXCELLENCE AWARD - Andrew Millward, department of Geography and Environmental Studies
NEW FACULTY AWARD - Katherine Zubovich, department of History
THE SLOBODAN DRAKULIC CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TEACHING AWARD - William Huggon, department of Psychology
EXPERIENTIAL TEACHING AWARD - Karim Bardeesy, Dean of Arts Office
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING FIRST-YEAR CLASSES AWARD - Meagan MacKenzie, department of Psychology
STAFF RECOGNITION AWARD - Melissa Paola, department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
STAFF RECOGNITION AWARD - Yumi Numata, Yellowhead Institute