The Graduate Council’s Advisory Committee for GSI Affairs and the Graduate Division’s GSI Teaching & Resource Center are pleased to announce the 2023 Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs. This award recognizes faculty (including both Senate and non-Senate faculty) who have provided GSIs outstanding mentorship in teaching at Berkeley and in preparing for teaching in future careers.

Nomination Deadline: February 16, 2024

Types of Awards

Up to three awards will be given. Awards will typically be presented to faculty members mentoring GSIs in multi-section courses, in stand-alone courses (e.g., foreign language or reading and composition courses), or through the teaching of a 375 pedagogy course. In those cases in which a faculty member is nominated for an outstanding 375 pedagogy course, nominations will be accepted from students who have taken the course.

Nomination Process and Criteria

Nominations are sought from current and former GSIs. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Only those faculty members who have not received the award in the past are eligible.

GSIs may nominate a faculty member for this award by submitting the electronic nomination form and an attached letter (maximum of two, single-spaced pages or 1200 words) describing the mentoring contributions made by the faculty member. The nomination letter should give a rationale for why the faculty member should receive the award and should address:

• how the faculty member has contributed to the development of skills needed by GSIs to teach effectively at Berkeley and in future careers (please give specific examples);
• the overall quality of the faculty member’s mentorship of GSIs, i.e. what it is about this faculty member that makes themsuch a good mentor of GSIs.

In determining award recipients, the committee may also consider the following:

• articulation of GSI roles and responsibilities;
• quality and frequency of meetings with GSIs;
• discussion of pedagogical issues and ways to teach specific topics;
• attentiveness to create inclusive learning environments for students and GSIs;
• feedback to GSIs on their teaching (e.g., classroom observation, review of mid-semester evaluations);
• promotion of critical thinking as related to teaching;
• incorporation of GSI input on essay topics, exam questions, lectures, etc.;
• development of knowledge needed by instructors to foster student welfare and an ethical educational environment;
• the quality of the 375 pedagogy course for which a faculty member has been nominated.

The Graduate Council’s Advisory Committee for GSI Affairs will review the nominations and select the recipients of the award. Each faculty member selected by the Committee will be asked to submit a one- to two-page statement describing his or her mentoring philosophy and the steps he or she has taken to mentor GSIs.

Essays describing the recipients’ mentoring philosophies and, when applicable, award-winning 375 course syllabi will be published on the GSI Teaching & Resource Center’s website.

Application Guidelines

• Nominations should come directly from current or former GSIs and must be submitted using the on-line nomination form.
• Letters of support from departmental chairs may be submitted. Chairs’ letters should be sent by email to [email protected].
• GSIs can submit nominations either individually or jointly with other GSIs who have been mentored by the faculty member. Please note, when submitting a nomination letter jointly with other GSIs, each GSI’s name must appear on the letter and each GSI must submit his or her own electronic cover sheet.
• Nomination letters must be a maximum of 1200 words.
• Deadline for nomination letters to be received is February 16, 2024, 11:59 p.m. PT.
• Late submissions will not be considered.

All nomination letters and forms must be submitted electronically. Support letters from chairs should be sent by email to the GSI Teaching & Resource Center.

Go to Nomination Form