Academic Affairs
The Academy of Distinguished Teachers
The academy is emblematic of the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching.
What we do
The Academy of Distinguished Teachers at the University of Texas at Austin is emblematic of the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching. The Academy provides leadership in improving the quality and depth of the undergraduate experience. Members of the Academy advise the president and provost on matters related to the university’s instructional mission; participate in seminars, colloquia and workshops on teaching effectiveness; and serve as mentors to new faculty.
Established in February 1995, the Academy of Distinguished Teachers was one of the first associations of its kind in the nation. Each year, new members of the Academy are selected through a rigorous evaluation process. Deans of colleges and schools annually nominate faculty for membership, and a committee that includes members of the Academy, students and other faculty review the nominations and recommend a slate of honorees to the provost, who makes the final selections. Honorees are awarded the title Distinguished Teaching Professor and serve for the duration of their tenure at The University of Texas at Austin.
The purpose of the Academy is to
- Honor and reward excellence in teaching
- Enhance teaching effectiveness, particularly at the undergraduate level
- Create a central core of teachers who can serve as a resource and an inspiration for other teachers
- Select a body of faculty who can promote a sense of community among teachers, foster research on effective college teaching and learning, and advise the institution on teaching policies and practices
Principles of Instruction
Excellent courses share many common features, all of which can be articulated clearly and understandably. The course organization, the teacher’s presentation, and the activities in which students participate both in and outside of class all contribute to the overall quality of instruction and the learning that results. Our intent here is to identify those aspects of excellent instruction that are definable and about which there is a consensus among excellent teachers.
- The teacher conveys a personal interest in and enthusiasm for the subject matter of the course.
- The teacher demonstrates respect for students and shows an interest in their learning. [e.g., written work returned promptly; encourages students to meet during office hours, before or after class; class begins and ends on time; encourages questions].
- Class presentations comprise lucid and cogent explanations of subject matter content.
- There are frequent opportunities in class for students to ask questions and to talk with one another about the subject matter.
- There are frequent opportunities, both in and outside of class, for students to practice applying the information and skills learned — solving problems, explaining relationships, restating ideas in their own words.
- The course objectives, activities, and schedule for the semester are clearly stated in the printed syllabus.
- The course objectives focus on understanding and applying important principles in the discipline.
- The course objectives define in clear terms what students will know and how they will demonstrate what they know by the conclusion of the semester.
- The class activities, homework assignments, projects, papers, and labs contribute to the accomplishment of the course objectives.
- All graded assessments, including tests, papers, and projects, effectively measure the students’ accomplishment of the course objectives.
- The primary graded assessments focus on the important principles of the discipline and require the application of knowledge and skills.