Online Teaching Excellence Awards

Outstanding teaching is an integral part of Mason’s mission and is deserving of significant recognition. The Online Teaching Excellence Award (OTEA) is both institutional recognition and a monetary acknowledgment of the significant work that Mason faculty members devote to innovative online course planning and teaching. We encourage Mason students, faculty members, and administrators to take this opportunity to recognize online teaching excellence by nominating a faculty member for this special honor.

The 2026 Online Teaching Excellence Award Nominations are open!

Nomination Process:

The Online Teaching Excellence Awards, sponsored by Mason Online, are open to all instructional faculty at Mason (adjunct, term, tenure-track, and tenured faculty) who have taught at least one fully online course during the past academic year, and who also have at least four semesters completed of teaching fully online courses at Mason. The semesters of online teaching do not need to be consecutive, and faculty also do not need to teach exclusively online to be eligible for the OTEA. Online courses may include any combination of synchronous and asynchronous online instruction.

Past winners of TEA or Adjunct TEA recognition or earlier versions of online course awards (Mason Online) may be nominated and considered for the OTEA so long as they meet eligibility requirements.

OTEA Portfolio Requirement & Criteria:

Each OTEA nominee will be asked to prepare a teaching portfolio. The teaching portfolio provides each nominee an opportunity to share evidence for what is unique about their online teaching, in relation to the discipline, best teaching practices, and most of all, student learning & engagement. Teaching Portfolio Guidelines & Evaluation Criteria may be accessed here.

The Stearns Center and Mason Online offices will provide each nominee with details & guidance for preparing the OTEA teaching portfolio.  Nominees are also encouraged to submit (or supplement) their teaching portfolios in an alternative (i.e., innovative) format, if they wish. Alternative formats may include a video, multimedia presentation, or digital portfolio.

The OTEA Selection Committee will use four criteria to evaluate evidence of online teaching excellence documented in the OTEA teaching portfolio:

1. Evidence of growth and development as an online educator
2. Online student and learner engagement
3. Assessment of online student learning and achievement
4. Online teaching effectiveness and impact

The nomination form will prompt you for answers to three questions about the faculty member’s teaching; you may add more information if you wish. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact us.

The Selection Process:

1. Nominees will be contacted by December, and provided guidance about preparing their online teaching portfolio.
2. Nominees will be invited to submit teaching portfolios by early February.
3. The Online Teaching Excellence Award winners will be selected by early April.
4. Our recognition ceremony for all our award winners will be in April. Winners receive a stipend as well as formal recognition; Teachers of Distinction will also be recognized at this ceremony.

Questions?

If you have questions or would like further information, please contact us at [email protected].

Winners