RIT Provost’s Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award
The RIT Provost’s Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award recognizes a current full-time RIT graduate student who demonstrates exceptional ability in teaching and a strong commitment to the student learning experience.
Presented by the Office of the Provost and facilitated by the RIT Graduate School, the award celebrates the important contributions graduate students make to teaching and learning at RIT.
Nominations for the 2027 Provost’s Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award (POGSTA) open October 27, 2026, and close November 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Eligibility
- The nominee must be a current full-time RIT graduate student in the fall semester, plan to remain enrolled in the spring semester of this academic year, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
- The nominee must have been involved in teaching at RIT for at least one semester and be in a GTA role for some portion of the year they are nominated.
- Graduate students who support or engage in teaching, supervise laboratory sections and/or recitation sections, or teach their own courses are equally eligible.
- Nominees must be able to attend the 2027 Celebration of Teaching and Scholarship Awards ceremony on April 7th in the Gordon Field House.
At RIT, teaching may include broad activities, such as in-class or laboratory/studio presentation and supervision, creation of engaging curricula, designing educational experiences, etc. Those who serve in an additional capacity, such as lecturers or adjuncts, are not eligible for this award and should instead be nominated for the Outstanding Teaching Award for Non-Tenure Track Faculty.
Nominations
Faculty, students, staff, and administrators may initiate nominations, including self-nominations.
The nomination deadline is Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Nominations must address the candidate’s impact on student learning by providing examples and explaining why the nominator believes the nominee exemplifies outstanding teaching, particularly in comparison to peers within their department. Additional letters of support or materials are welcome but not required. Nominees under consideration will be notified by the RIT Graduate School.
The RIT Graduate School will notify nominees by email with instructions for accepting their nomination and submitting their review materials. Submit required materials by Friday, December 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Additional time is allotted for current-semester course evaluations, due Wednesday, January 6, 2027, at 11:59 p.m., to accommodate end-of-semester and winter break schedules.
Nominees should be prepared to provide the following materials:
- CV or resume* including full name and RIT email address
- List of courses or teaching experiences* to be considered
- Digital Eligibility Form* completed by the Department Head, Teaching Coordinator, Graduate Program Director, or other supervisor confirming GTA status and GPA
- Course evaluations and student feedback* (Current-semester course evaluations may be submitted by January 6, 2027.)
- Additional supporting materials (optional), such as critique guides, assignments, syllabi, and letters of support
Each file should include the nominee's last name in the file name. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.
*Required materials.
Review Process
A review committee will convene to complete reviews and recommend an awardee to the Provost. Depending on the candidate pool, the review committee may recommend awards for both an MS/MFA GTA and a PhD GTA. The review committee may, with the concurrence of the Provost and the graduate dean, recommend recognition of finalists for the award.
Presentation
The Provost’s Celebration of Teaching and Scholarship awards will honor award recipients in late spring. The awardee also receives a certificate and check (currently $500.00).
Provost's Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award Contact:
