Nominate for the Teaching Awards

Nomination process

The Golden Section has a two-step nomination process for the distinguished teaching awards that consists of (i) the initial nomination, and (ii) the full nomination.

The initial nomination is very simple and requires the filling out of a one-page form together with a one-page summary that supports the nomination.

After screening the initial nominations, the Teaching Award Committee will invite the nominators of clearly competitive nominations to submit full nominations.

Members of the Golden Section are encouraged to nominate their exceptional colleagues for the two Golden Section Distinguished Teaching Awards (New Teacher and General).

Eligibility

Golden Section Teaching Award (General):

The following eligibility requirements are a subset of the requirements for the MAA Haimo Award.

  1. The awards are to be made to college or university teachers of mathematics who have been widely recognized as extraordinarily successful. Their teaching effectiveness must be documented and, in particular, shown to have influence beyond their own institutions. Teaching is to be interpreted in its broadest sense, not necessarily limited to classroom instruction.

  2. Recipients must be members of the Association (teaching in the U.S. or Canada).

Golden Section New Teaching Award:

The following eligibility requirements are a subset of the requirements for the MAA Alder Award. Please note that, unlike the Alder Award, a nominee for the Section Award does not have to hold a Ph.D.

  1. Be college or university teachers who have held a full-time faculty appointment in a department of mathematical sciences in the United States or Canada for at least two, but not more than seven, years since receiving the master's or Ph.D. A nominee who has just started the eighth year of teaching at the time of the application is still eligible for the award.

  2. Hold membership in the Mathematical Association of America.

  3. Nominees should:

    • Be recognized as extraordinarily successful in their teaching

    • Have effectiveness in teaching undergraduate mathematics that can be documented

    • Have had influence in their teaching beyond their own classrooms

Directions

Initial nomination

Golden Section Teaching Award (General):

  • Fill out the initial nomination form. In your description of the nominee, you may include the nominee's extraordinary success in teaching by providing a narrative of the nominee's background, experience, teaching style, special contributions, other teaching awards, and any additional evidence of the nominee's unusual achievement in teaching. You may attach one, and only one, additional page for the narrative.

  • Click HERE for the MAA Haimo site with full regulations, guidelines and full nomination form.

Golden Section New Teaching Award:

  • Fill out the initial nomination form. Where the form asks, "Date Nominee Received Ph.D.," note if the nominee has a master's degree, but not a Ph.D. (This does not affect a nominee's standing for the Section Award.) In the one-page summary, describe the unusual and personal and professional qualities of the nominee that contribute to his or her extraordinary teaching success

  • Note: Pages may be single spaced but must be printed on 8.5 by 11 inch paper with a type size no smaller than 12 points (pica) and margins no smaller than 3/4 inch.

  • Click HERE for the MAA Alder site and full nomination form.

Email the initial nomination form as a PDF file to the Teaching Award Committee Chairman, currently Dr. Edward Keppelmann keppelma@unr.edu, by the middle of DECEMBER.

Full nomination

Golden Section Teaching Award (General):

Please pay attention to the directions for the Haimo Award at the link given above. We highlight some of the requirements here.

  • Only printed materials will be considered.

  • If the nomination packet significantly exceeds the prescribed limits contained in the directions (linked above), it will not be eligible for consideration for the MAA Haimo Award. Since the nomination packet of the recipient of the Section Award will be forwarded for the Haimo Award, it is, therefore, imperative that the full nomination packet for the Section Teaching Award keep to these limits as well.

  • Limit the narrative of the nominee to no more than five double spaced pages.

  • Submit no more than three pages of evidence to document the nominee's extraordinary teaching success.

  • Include no more than five letters of recommendation of no more than one page each as follows.

    • Two letters from the nominee's present or former students.

    • Two letters from the nominee's colleagues (one of whom could be the department chair).

    • One additional letter from anyone qualified to comment on the nominee's extraordinary teaching success.

Golden Section New Teaching Award:

  • Only printed materials will be considered.

  • Keep to the limits that are prescribed in the directions for the Alder Award. We highlight some of the requirements here.

  • Limit the narrative of the nominee to no more than two pages.

  • Submit no more than two pages of further evidence to document the nominee's extraordinary teaching success.

  • Include no more than five letters of recommendation of no more than one page each as follows.

    • Two letters from the nominee's present or former students.

    • One letter from the nominee's colleagues (could be the department chair).

    • At most two additional letters from anyone qualified to comment on the nominee's extraordinary teaching success, including additional students and/or colleagues.

  • Note: Pages may be single spaced but must be printed on 8.5 by 11 inch paper with a type size no smaller than 12 points (pica) and margins no smaller than 3/4 inch.