Nominations are welcome from undergraduate students, and graduate students (enrolled in a graduate course where there is a TA), who have observed the TA first-hand in a teaching environment. Each student submitting a nomination must be registered in the course in question in the current academic year.

The awards are based on excellence in teaching. Factors to be considered by the selection committee include the TA’s ability to:

• Motivate, engage, and challenge students
• Be helpful and approachable
• Be well prepared for labs or tutorials
• Conduct the lab or tutorial in an organized and clear manner
• Have a good grasp of the subject matter
• Communicate interest and enthusiasm in the course material
• Provide constructive and timely feedback on course work
• Demonstrate a positive attitude towards teaching and learning

Candidates for the award must hold, or have held, a Teaching Assistant or Sessional Instructional Assistant position in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology of at least 70 hours that academic year.

Courses include BIO120, BIO220, BIO251, all EEB courses, EHJ352, ENV234, ENV334, ENV432.

Email your PDF letters to undergrad.eeb@utoronto.ca. The letter should address one or more of the criteria outlined above and should include specific examples. Please include the full name of the TA and the course.

A single letter nominating a TA signed by multiple students from the class is acceptable. Please be sure to include your name(s).

Deadline to submit: April 4, 2025

The selection committee will evaluate each nomination in accordance with the criteria stated above. Short-listed candidates may be requested to submit a CV, statement of teaching philosophy, and letter of support from the course instructor. Award announcements will be made in the spring/summer.