OVERVIEW
Teaching Awards: A Strategic Direction for Advancing Pedagogical Excellence – Phase 1
This strategic plan outlines Phase 1 of a multi-year institutional initiative to strengthen and expand MacEwan University’s teaching awards program. It establishes the conceptual and operational foundation for a redesigned, tiered system of recognition that aligns teaching excellence with institutional priorities—including the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), community engagement, global perspectives, inclusivity, and future readiness. Drawing on sector benchmarking across fifteen Canadian post-secondary institutions, the report identifies gaps in the existing model and recommends a broader suite of institutional-level awards, supported by faculty-level and program-level pathways that recognize excellence within disciplinary contexts.
The plan proposes a revised governance structure, redistribution of adjudication processes, and the establishment of dedicated oversight through an Office of the AVP Teaching to support long-term sustainability. Phase 1 focuses on environmental scanning, policy review, stakeholder consultation, and defining high-level objectives, with later phases addressing policy revision, adjudication committee formation, submission platform selection, implementation, evaluation, and ongoing sustainability. Together, these components create a coherent, scalable, and future-oriented framework for celebrating pedagogical leadership and fostering a culture of excellence across the university.
IMPACT
This strategic direction had significant institutional impact by shifting teaching awards from a small set of centrally adjudicated recognitions to a university-wide framework for pedagogical excellence. The plan introduced a tiered awards ecosystem—program, faculty, and institutional levels—that expands opportunities for recognition, strengthens faculty advancement pathways, and aligns award structures with emerging academic priorities such as SoTL, community engagement, and global perspectives.
Its recommendations provided clarity on governance, sustainability, and adjudication capacity, addressing long-standing structural challenges and enabling the university to grow its awards program responsibly. By articulating the need for expanded administrative support, defining the role of an Office of the AVP Teaching, and outlining the technology and workflow infrastructure required for equitable adjudication, the plan laid the groundwork for a modernized, transparent, and scalable recognition system.
The environmental scan of fifteen institutions positioned MacEwan within national best practices and strengthened the institution’s ability to intentionally design future-oriented awards. Ultimately, this work advanced the university’s strategic commitment to pedagogical excellence by embedding recognition into the broader architecture of faculty development, academic leadership, and institutional culture.