Awards and Grant Guidelines

Excellence in Teaching Awards - Non-Tenure Track

Nominees should be faculty who currently and regularly carry a non-tenure track teaching load and have completed at least four semesters of teaching at SUNY Cortland prior to the year of nomination. According to the guidelines, previously nominated faculty must wait two years before being considered again for this award. Letters of nomination should be sent to the Faculty Development Center via email to Betsy Barylski.

Excellence In Teaching Award - Non-Tenure Track Award Guidelines
Previous Recipients of the Excellence in Teaching Award - Non-Tenure Track

Excellence in Teaching Awards - Tenure Track

While individual teachers develop their methods independently, we as a community benefit when gifted teachers are recognized and rewarded for their accomplishments. Unlike other teaching awards bestowed on campus, the only criterion for the Tenure-track Excellence in Teaching Award is superior classroom performance. The nominee must maintain a flexible instructional policy that adapts readily to student needs, interests and problems. Mastery of teaching techniques must be demonstrated and substantiated. The successful candidate will receive a plaque and an honorarium of $1,000. He/she will also be honored at the annual Cortland Excels awards ceremony, highlighting excellence at SUNY Cortland.

Any tenure-track faculty member who has taught and completed at least four semesters at SUNY Cortland is eligible. Letters of nomination should be sent to the Faculty Development Center via email to Betsy Barylski.

Excellence In Teaching Award - Tenure Track Guidelines
Previous Recipients of the Excellence in Teaching Awards - Tenure Track

Fine Teaching Development Award

The Fine Teaching Development Award supports pre-tenure, tenure-track faculty by allowing for a one-course, one semester reduction in teaching load. The award is funded by the Robert and Bette Fine Faculty Development Fund, established in 2006 by Dr. Peter Fine. Applicants for this award must complete one year of teaching at SUNY Cortland before applying.

The Fine Teaching Development Award is a competitive award that allows for a decrease in course load to accommodate the pursuit of superior teaching practices, methods or techniques for use in the classroom. Application materials are due by March 15 for the following academic year.

Fine Teaching Development Award Guidelines
Fine Teaching Development Award - Application Form (Adobe)

Rozanne M. Brooks Dedicated Teacher Award

This award was created and is presented to individuals who are outstanding teachers in the classroom, who spend considerable time with students and are very student oriented. These teachers are also active and worthwhile participants in the business of the College and involved with curriculum.

The award is funded by the Brooks estate. The recipient is chosen by the College's Brooks Dedicated Teachers Award Committee and can use the $7,500 award, in Brooks’ words, "for experimentation, purchase of books and special materials, travel or to do whatever they want to do that they think might enhance their ability to teach."

The Award Committee seeks nominations from the current faculty. Self-recommendations are disallowed. The award is open to full-time teaching faculty who possess continuing appointment and have been employed at SUNY Cortland for a minimum of five years. Nomination shall follow the same criteria as the Distinguished Teaching Professorship and the Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Teaching with the exception of the publication expectation.

The selection process includes observation of classes and preparation of a brief but appropriate dossier. This dossier should include the name of the nominating professor and a one- or two-paragraph statement summarizing the pertinent attributes of the candidate.

Rozanne M. Brooks Dedicated Teacher Award Nomination Form (Word)

Previous Recipients of the Rozanne M. Brooks Dedicated Teacher Award

Rozanne M. Brooks Internationalized Curricular Development Award

This award supports curricular development of a new (semester-long) course that contains a significant international curricular component. Development of the component must entail international travel (during summer, or sabbatical semester/year). The award, in the amount of $4,000, is intended to partially or wholly defray the costs of international travel associated with the course content development. Applications for Fall 2023 are due Oct. 20, 2023.

Rozanne M. Brooks Internationalized Curricular Development Award Guidelines

Rozanne M. Brooks Internationalized Curricular Development Award Application (Word)

Teaching Innovation Grants

The aim of these grants is to encourage the development and sharing of new instructional strategies among faculty. Grants may be awarded to any part-time or full-time faculty member with at least one semester of service at SUNY Cortland who is scheduled to teach in at least one of the upcoming semesters.

Teaching Innovation Grant Guidelines

Teaching Innovation Grant Application Form (Adobe)

The Small Grant Program

Program Description: The Cortland College Foundation Small Grants Program provides funding of up to $500 to SUNY Cortland faculty.

Applications for funding are accepted once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester. The deadline for applications this fall is September 15, 2023. The application deadline for this spring is February 15, 2024.

Small Grant Award Guidelines
Small Grant Request Form (Adobe)