2019 Teaching Excellence Award
Guidelines and Application


To begin the application process, click Login above, then create a new user. After you have created the profile, you will click Applications and Submit New, which will take you to the award application

Before you begin the application process, you will need the following materials. They are required and you will not be able to submit your application without them:
  • Application - complete application form, which includes responses to the five criteria
  • Recommendation letter - A letter of recommendation from the nominee's immediate supervisor. The supervisor must acknowledge that regional recipients are anticipated to attend the ACBSP Annual Conference.
  • Vita - A formal vita
  • High-Resolution Photo

Purpose and Objective: The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) recognizes the significance of the classroom teacher to the mission of degree-granting institutions. It is for this reason that the two ACBSP Board of Commissioners, both Associate Degree and Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree, established a Teaching Excellence Award to recognize diverse individuals who exemplify excellence in teaching.

Eligibility: Teaching faculty at ACBSP member institutions are eligible to apply. Any individual may also nominate an eligible faculty member by completing the nomination form on the International Teaching Excellence website (http://www.acbsp.org/page/teachingexcellence). The applicant must be teaching at a member institution at the time of the award decision at the Regional (March 31) and International (June 1) levels. The applicant must also show intent to attend the 2019 Annual Conference in Houston, Texas, to receive the award. Previous recipients of the award will be ineligible to re-apply for a period of five years.

Regional/International Awards: In each region, one award recipient is selected from among all associate degree school candidates, and one recipient is selected from among all baccalaureate/graduate degree school candidates if those who applied meet the standards set forth in these guidelines. In addition, the regional recipients will also be considered for the International Teaching Excellence Award. One individual from among all the associate degree school recipients and one individual from among all the baccalaureate/graduate degree school recipients will be chosen as International Teaching Excellence Award recipients. In the event that the evaluators do not feel that any applicants from the Region meet the standards, the evaluators may choose not to select a winner from that Region.

Criteria: The Teaching Excellence Award Committee has established five criterion for the selection of recipients, both at the Regional and International levels. Each criterion is required - please see each criterion for word limit on each response. Should an application be received containing incomplete information, the application will not be returned to the applicant for revision/resubmission. No deadline extensions will be granted for revisions. These are the criterion the evaluators will be basing their decisions on. The more specific and concrete the response, the more beneficial to the evaluators.


1. Teaching & Learning (500 points/500-word limit): This criterion is considered the most important factor to be used in the selection process. The nominee must demonstrate an outstanding ability to communicate effectively with students; to plan, prepare, and deliver effective classroom presentations; and to establish and maintain a positive rapport with students within an educational environment. These 500 points are broken down as follows:
  • 100 points: Communicates effectively with students.
  • 100 points: Plans, prepares and delivers effective and dynamic lessons.
  • 100 points: Establishes and maintains positive rapport with students.
  • 100 points: Goes beyond contractual obligations to help students succeed.
  • 100 points: Effectively prepares students for real world situations.

2. Professional Development (200 points/300-word limit): This criterion considers the nominee’s academic background and preparation; business, industrial, or other professional experience; and the demonstrated commitment of the nominee to remain current in his/her academic discipline through involvement in professional developmental opportunities at the institutional, local, regional, national, and international levels. These 200 points are broken down as follows:
  • 100 points: Demonstrates commitment to remaining up-to-date on current thought/policy related to their discipline.
  • 50 points: Academic background. 
  • 50 points: Professional experience.

3. Institutional Versatility (100 points/300-word limit): This criterion assesses the extent to which the nominee responds to institutional needs in addition to instructional activities, including problem solving, institutional development, and the demonstration of an exceptional ability to adapt positively to unit and institutional change. These 100 points are broken down as follows:
  • 50 points: Responds to institutional needs in addition to instructional activities to assist with problem solving and institutional development.
  • 25 points: Demonstrates a broad range of skills and is involved in a variety of activities at his or her university and within his or her department.
  • 25 points: Affects, and adapts positively to, unit and institutional change.

4. Curriculum Development (100 points/300-word limit): This criterion considers the extent to which the nominee has been involved in curriculum development, revision, and renewal beyond the normal expectation of faculty at large in the discipline/institution. These 100 points are broken down as follows:
  • 50 points: Is actively involved in ensuring courses are rigorous, current and will prepare students for employment.
  • 50 points: Demonstrates strong commitment to developing department and course curricula that incorporates innovative teaching practices and current developments in their discipline.

5. Community Commitment (100 points/300-word limit): This criterion considers the extent and scope of the nominee’s involvement in civic and professional activities within the community served by the institution. These 100 points are broken down as follows:
  • 50 points: Civic activities.
  • 50 points: Professional activities. 

Outcomes: In addition to the recognition and monetary awards, applying for the Teaching Excellence Award allows the applicant or nominee to better understand his/her own strengths, weaknesses, and challenges in the classroom. The application process provides insight into an individual's involvement on campus and within the community. This allows for a renewed focus on the importance of stimulation and creativity in the classroom and in turn, provides an opportunity to examine personal and professional development. 

Application Process: An online form is used to nominate another individual for the Teaching Excellence Award. All nominations must be submitted electronically via online through the website. Applications will be acknowledged by email within five working days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application, please email excellence@acbsp.org or call 913-339-9356.  

Only electronic submissions will be received. Completed applications and all supporting files must be submitted online no later than December 15, 2018. The application will be acknowledged by a reply stating that the application materials were received, are complete and the files could be opened and read. This reply will be sent within five business days of having received the materials. If you do not receive an acknowledgement please contact the Director of Member Services at excellence@acbsp.org or by phone at 913-339-9356.  

Application materials for each individual will be forwarded to the respective regional evaluators. Each applicant will be considered in the regional competition to determine the associate degree school and baccalaureate/graduate degree school award recipients for that region. There are currently eleven regions. A map of each can be found at http://www.acbsp.org/?regions. Each region has a committee to evaluate applications and determine the recipients for their region. Regional award recipients will be determined by March 15, 2019. Every applicant will receive an email message in early April announcing the Teaching Excellence Award recipients from their respective region. 
 
Teaching Excellence Award recipients, representing all eleven ACBSP regions, then become nominees for the International Teaching Excellence Award. Application materials for the Regional recipients are automatically forwarded to the Teaching Excellence Award Committee. No other action is needed on the part of the Regional recipient. 

Applicants who do not receive the award may choose to make slight revisions in their application materials and re-submit in subsequent years.

Selection Process: Following the selection of the Regional recipients as outlined in the previous section, a selection committee comprised of up to eight individuals will select the International Teaching Excellence Award recipient. Other committee members are typically past award recipients. 

The two international award recipients are announced at the annual conference each year. Since there is no advance notice, it is important that all regional recipients make plans to attend the annual conference and be honored at the “Salute to Regions” luncheon. To facilitate attendance, a full waiver of conference registration fees is provided to each regional recipient as well as an extra lunch ticket for a guest. 

Regional Award Recognition: The Teaching Excellence Award recipients for each of the eleven regions are anticipated to attend the annual conference, where they will receive regional recognition, a crystal medallion and a check in the amount of $250 from ACBSP. They will also be announced as nominees for the International Teaching Excellence Award. 

International Award Recognition: The two International Teaching Excellence Award recipients will be honored at the “Salute to Regions” luncheon at the Annual Conference, where he/she will be presented with a crystal award and a check in the amount of $500. The names of the two international recipients will be engraved on a permanent honor roll plaque that hangs on the “Wall of Fame” at the ACBSP office in Overland Park, Kansas. 

Additional Recognition: Following the announcement of regional recipients the first week of April, a press release will be sent to each recipient for distribution to their campus Media Relations office and to local and regional media contacts. Following the Annual Conference, a second press release will be sent to International Teaching Excellence Award recipients for distribution to their campus Media Relations office and to local and regional media contacts 

Photos will be taken at the conference, and will accompany any press releases. Photos will be available on the ACBSP website following the conference. On occasion, the recipient will be asked to participate in publicity recognition at their campus and at their fall/winter regional meeting.

More Information: We welcome questions about the Teaching Excellence Award application process and any suggestions on ways to improve the Teaching Excellence Award program. Please submit questions or comments to excellence@acbsp.org or use the following contact information:

Carmen Hayes, Director, Member Services
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
11520 West 119th Street, Overland Park, Kansas USA 66213
Phone: 913-339-9356   Fax: 913-339-6226