The Academy of Distinguished Teachers Application Process

About the Academy

The Academy of Distinguished Teachers is emblematic of the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching. The purposes of the Academy are to honor and reward excellence in teaching, provide leadership in improving the quality and depth of the undergraduate experience, foster research on effective college teaching and learning and advise the institution on teaching policies and practices.

Members of the Academy

• Advise the President and Provost on matters related to the university’s instructional mission
• Serve as a resource and an inspiration for teachers and promote a sense of community among teachers
• Serve as mentors to other faculty

Eligibility

Candidates must demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to teaching and must have excelled across their full portfolio of professional contributions. The following eligibility requirements apply:

• Tenure-track assistant professors are not eligible.
• Professional-track faculty must have completed a minimum of 5 academic years of full-time faculty service at UT Austin at the time of application.
• Tenured faculty must have completed at least five academic years of full-time faculty service at UT Austin at the time of application.

Dates and Deadlines

• Award opens for nominations – August 2026
• Deadline for CSU nominations to EVPP Faculty Affairs – October 30, 2026

Number of Nominations

School of Architecture: 1	College of Liberal Arts: 5
McCombs School of Business: 2	College of Natural Sciences: 4
Moody College of Communication: 2	School of Nursing: 1
College of Education: 2	College of Pharmacy: 1
Cockrell School of Engineering: 3	LBJ School of Public Affairs: 1
College of Fine Arts: 2	School of Social Work: 1
School of Civic Leadership: 1	Jackson School of Geosciences: 1
School of Law: 1	Dell Medical School: 1

Nomination Process

Colleges/Schools must conduct their own internal review process to determine nominees to submit for University-wide consideration. Final nomination packets submitted for ADT consideration must include the following materials. Please note the CSU nomination limits listed above.

Faculty members interested in being nominated for the ADT should contact their chair/director, or dean’s office regarding the internal nomination and review process in their unit.

Application package at a glance

• Cover sheet (1 page)
• CSU Nomination Statement (2 pages)
• Nominee statement (3 pages)
• Abbreviated CV (4 pages)
• 5-year CIS Summary (3 pages)
• Peer Teaching Observation (2 pages)
• Two letters of recommendation (2 pages each)
• All materials must be submitted as a single bookmarked PDF file. For help with adding bookmark sections, see this guide.

Cover Sheet

• Nominee’s name, faculty title, college or school, and department (if applicable)
• Nominee’s EID, and contact information
• Nominee’s title series, current rank, UT Austin appointment date and date of appointment at the current eligible rank
• A brief description of the school or college process used to identify the nominee

CSU Nomination Statement (two-page maximum)
The statement should be prepared by the individual or group most knowledgeable about the nominee’s teaching impact and contributions. It may be prepared by the dean, department chair, or college/school awards committee and should:

• Explain why the nominee merits membership in the Academy
• Assess the nominee’s teaching effectiveness, educational leadership and mentorship
• Provide evidence of the nominee’s excellence, contributions and national impact across other professional areas of review (research, service, mentoring) relevant to their title series
• Provide specific examples of teaching excellence and impact rather than serving as a general letter of support

Nominee Statement (three-page maximum)

Nominees should incorporate specific evidence and examples rather than providing only a general narrative. The nominee’s statement should address:

• Teaching philosophy and instructional approach
• Effects of the nominee’s teaching on student learning and student success
• Contributions to teaching and curriculum at the department, college / school, University and/or national level
• Mentorship of students and other faculty
• How the nominee has considered and incorporated student feedback and peer or expert evaluations
• Broader professional impact through teaching

Abbreviated CV (four pages maximum)

The abbreviated CV should highlight:

• Teaching-related scholarship, research or creative work
• Curriculum development and educational innovation
• Student and faculty mentorship
• Teaching leadership and service
• Teaching awards and honors
• Evidence of excellence across other professional areas of review (research, service, mentoring) relevant to applicant’s title series

Five-Year Course CIS Summary (not including the current academic year) and selected Student Comments (three pages maximum)

• Use these instructions to access CIS/CES data, student comments, and the standardized template provided by the Provost’s Office
• Nominees may provide up to two pages of representative eCIS student comments from courses taught during the five most recent academic years.

Peer Teaching Observation Report (two pages maximum)

The packet should include one recent (within the past 5 academic years) peer or expert assessment of teaching or clearly identified excerpts from no more than two assessments.

Two Letters of Support (up two pages each)

• Must be current letters or written within the past three years. Letters should provide specific evidence and context rather than general endorsement.
• One letter from a current or former student
• One letter from a fellow UT faculty member
• Members of the ADT Selection Committee may not serve as referees.
• Letters should provide critical evidence and context rather than general advocacy. Each letter should:
  • Briefly describe the referee’s relationship with the candidate;Assess the candidate’s teaching leadership, innovation, and impact;
  • Assess the candidate’s teaching leadership, innovation, and impact;
  • Offer supporting evidence and contextualization of the excellence and impact of their teaching.

Selection Review

After the submission deadline

• ADT Selection Committee members will evaluate nominations based on criteria listed below.
• Final recommendations will be made to the Provost, who determines the ADT recipients.

Evaluation Criteria

• Teaching excellence and effectiveness: Demonstrates sustained excellence in teaching, supported by evidence of student learning and success, course evaluations, and peer assessment.
• Educational leadership and innovation: Makes significant contributions to curriculum, instructional practices, teaching-related scholarship, or educational programs at the department, college/school, University, or national level.
• Mentorship and broader impact: Provides exceptional mentorship to students, and demonstrates a broader influence on teaching, learning, and the educational community.
• Reflective and responsive teaching: Thoughtfully incorporates student feedback, peer evaluation, and evidence of learning into the continued development and improvement of their own teaching.
• Distinction and professional impact: Demonstrates contributions that exceed normal expectations, including excellence and national impact in teaching and in other professional areas relevant to the nominee’s faculty title series.

Award Amount
Awardees will receive a one-time honorarium in the amount of $25,000.