The First-Year Composition Committee makes four yearly awards for excellence in teaching to outstanding teaching assistants for their work in the First-Year Composition Program: the Marion Bashinski Award, the Fred Standley Award, the Robert O. Lawton Award, and the Bryan Hall Award. The Bryan Hall Award is new as of 2002 and is an award especially for brand new TAs -- sort of like a "rookie of the year" award. Awards are made by the First-Year Composition Committee and previous award winners. A modest stipend accompanies the award. Winners of the awards are recognized at the English Department Award Ceremony in April.
Please see the guidelines below and ask the Director of First-Year Composition if you have any questions about making nominations. Nominations are generally due January 31. Early nominations are necessary in order for nominees to prepare their award application files.
The Committee generally reads award application files prepared by the nominees. These items were chosen based on their ability to demonstrate excellent teaching and their ease or practicality of preparing. In other words, all the items should be readily available in the nominee’s teaching file or are items needed for preparing dossiers. Award application files are generally due in mid-February.
Guidelines
- Eligibility: TAs who have earned a teaching award are not eligible for nomination a second time. TAs who have not been chosen for an award can be nominated any number of times. The Committee discourages TAs from nominating themselves or two TAs nominating each other.
- Who can nominate: Nominations may be made only by a TA, instructor, or faculty member who has observed the teaching of the nominee and is able to speak specifically about the nominee’s effectiveness in the classroom. TAs may decline a nomination, so please check with the nominee before making a nomination.
- Writing a letter of nomination: Nominations must be accompanied by a letter to the Committee describing the nominee’s teaching. The Committee suggests addressing these areas: demonstrated effectiveness, innovation, thoughtfulness of course design, assignment, and activities; commitment to teaching in all areas of the First-Year Composition Program (ENC 1101, 1102, 1142, 1144, 1145, RWC, Honors, Horizons, computer-supported sections); student interaction, accessibility, and development; mentoring of other TAs. Nomination letters may also discuss the nominee’s participation in the First-Year Composition Program’s in-service workshops, committee work, and other service to the English department, especially that which relates to teaching.
- Award Application Files: A list of what needs to be submitted by the nominees is sent to them. Typically the file includes a teaching philosophy and several kinds of teaching materials.
Recent Award Winners
1989-1990 Gay Lynn Crossley, Tom O’Donnell, Shems Rubaii
1990-1991 Kim Haimes Korn, Dean Newman, Judy Schmidt
1991-1992 Rebecca Stevens, Susan Taylor, Ann Turkle
1992-1993 Roberta Proctor, Donna Sewell, Pris Yotter
1993-1994 Sandra Teichmann, Bill Snyder, Gretchen Thies
1994-1995 Ron DePeter, Darrell Fike, Rex West
1995-1996 Devan Cook, Greg Beaumont, Melissa Standley
1996-1997 Genevieve West, Amy Cashulette Flagg, Tammy Clewell
1997-1998 Cadence Kidwell, Mark Hankerson, Ken Brandt
1998-1999 Jenny Caneen, John Grosskopf, Jennifer Ahern
1999-2000 Pat Hendricks, Ormond Loomis, Paul Rienfenhieser
2000-2001 Terra McVoy, Dan Melzer, Carissa Neff
2001-2002 Sandra Giles, Amy Hodges, Charlie Lowe, Laura Newton
2002-2003 Kathy Ashman, Katie Brown, Masood Raja, Terra Williams
2003-2004 Jocelyn Cullity, Ashley Denham, Kristi Steinmetz, Brandy T. Wilson
2004-2005 Dustin Anderson, Bill Eville, Jen McClanaghan, and Lisa Lakes
2005-2006 Tao Valentine, Dominka Wrozynski, Lindsey Phillips, Emily Dowd
2006-2007 Stacey Suver, Joe Quattro, Jenny Moffat, Nikki Louis
2007-2008 Toby McCall, Natalie Szymanski, Sarah Grieve, Matt Hobson
2008-2009 Evan Peterson, Jennifer O’Malley, Lucy Littler, Katie Bridgman
The English Department also offers awards for writing, scholarship, and leadership from among the graduate students. Watch for posted signs in the early spring about these awards.
Teaching Assistant Awards
The Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) makes a number of awards every year to outstanding teaching assistants. Nominations are generally made from the university at large. Forms and information about these awards are available from the PIE office in Wescott.
Recent PIE Award Winners
1992-1993 Thom Chesney, Claudia Crawn, & Susan Taylor
1994-1995 Rex West, Catherine Reid, & Sandra Teichmann
1995-1996 Ed Flagg, Amy Cashulette Flagg, & Devan Cook
1996-1997 Genieve West, Elizabeth Trelenberg, & Helen Wallace
1999 Dawn Remsing
2000 John Grosskopf
2001 Tom Mannarino
2004 Dustin Anderson, Masood Raja, & Jay Szczepanski
2005 Kelly Hall
2006 Thomas Bligh, Joe Quattro, & André Stefañ Johnson
2007 Samantha Levy
2009 Tatia Jacobson Jordan
