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Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA)

The continuous enhancement of the teaching and learning environment is a priority in the Faculty of Science. We are pleased to announce the establishment of our Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA), which will be given to a maximum of two course instructors (undergraduate or graduate) who have demonstrated sustained, high quality teaching in their courses.

Who can we no​minate?

Instructors eligible for nomination include full or part-time faculty or instructional staff, lecturers, clinical teachers and demonstrators in Science. It does not include undergraduate or graduate TAs, nor sessional lecturers.

Eligible instructors must have been employed at University of Waterloo for at least 3 years in order to provide sufficient time to establish meaningful metrics associated with teaching quality. In the case of the School of Pharmacy, an exception to this criterion for eligibility is warranted until the School has been in operation for 5 years.

Previous ESTA winners are ineligible for renomination for a 5-year period in order to provide opportunities for other deserving teachers. Former DTA winners, and winners of external teaching awards (e.g., OCUFA, 3M) are ineligible.

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Who ca​n nominate?

Anybody who learns, teaches or works at the University of Waterloo. In many cases, we anticipate that nominations will come from the Dean, Department Chairs or School Directors, following annual performance reviews. However, undergraduate and graduate students can nominate as well, and are strongly encouraged to do so.

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What does the ESTA committee structure l​ook like?

Chairs/Directors appoint one instructor from their department/school to represent their department/school on the ESTA Committee. Normally, this appointment is for a 3-year term. The ESTA Committee is chaired by the Associate Dean of Science (Undergraduate or Graduate) or a delegate.

The current ESTA Committee members are:

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How does the process work?

Once an individual (or two) is identified as a potential ESTA nominee, contact your Department or School ESTA representative who will advise on the process of developing the required dossier. Students may also identify a potential ESTA nominee by filling out the form. The form can also be printed off and submitted to the Science Undergraduate Office. Each nomination must be accompanied by a complete dossier compiled in time for the meeting in which the ESTA Committee reviews nominations. This dossier must include:

  1. A letter of support from the chair/director, which contains a clear statement addressing the quality of the nominee's teaching in light of comparison with his/her department/school peers.
  2. Between 2 and 5 letters of support from individual undergraduate or graduate students. Students should be encouraged to provide specific examples to illustrate the nominee's teaching quality.
  3. Between 1 and 3 letters of support from teaching colleagues (cannot be a sitting ESTA Committee member).

The nomination form, when filled out by a student, can count as one of the 2-5 letters of support from individual undergraduate or graduate students. The ESTA Committee will meet in the Winter term (early March), following completion of annual performance reviews by Chairs/Directors. ESTA winner(s) will be announced and recognized shortly thereafter.

How does ESTA relate to University of Waterloo's Distinguished Teacher Awards?  

There is no attempt to coordinate activity related to the ESTA competition and University of Waterloo's Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA). However, Chairs/Directors (or their delegates) should be encouraged to develop the dossiers of ESTA award winners so that they are fully competitive at the university level for future DTA competitions, for which nominations are due in February each year.

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What is the actual award?

A plaque will be posted in the Dean of Science area presenting the names of each ESTA winner and the winners will be awarded a certificate along with a monetary award of $1500 to be used toward teaching purposes within their department/school, faculty or university (e.g., library). Examples of appropriate use of ESTA funds include: student lab or computer equipment or upgrades, academic scholarships, library books.

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For more information

Please contact any member of the ESTA Committee, who will be pleased to help:

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2012 Winners

2011 Winners