Academic Awards

The University of Calgary values community engagement through thought leadership, cultural enrichment, collaborative partnerships, and alumni engagement. The Werklund School of Education aims to foster community engagement to support knowledge exchange networks, community-based research, and professional learning opportunities. The Community Engagement Award annually recognizes a Werklund School academic staff member or Community member who is engaged with the Werklund School of Education for facilitating valued professional and organizational relationships between the School, the University, and the extended community. The Community Engagement Award recognizes the contributions of an exceptional individual whose leadership has enhanced community engagement in Werklund School of Education on one or more of the priorities and aims identified above.

The Distinguished Research Lecture Award is a prestigious recognition bestowed annually by the Werklund School of Education. The Award recognizes a scholar who has made outstanding contributions to research in the discipline and in the community. The recipient will deliver a public lecture on campus in the fall semester (usually late September to end of November) at the University of Calgary.

The Werklund School of Education awards one Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award (EDI), annually, to an academic staff member (or academic team) who demonstrates outstanding leadership and commitment to improving equity, diversity and inclusions experiences and fostering innovation and creativity in the School, the community, and in the profession. This award has a strong focus on evidence of the application/practice of intercultural competency. Nominee(s) will be an individual (or team) showing strong evidence of leadership, pertaining to students and/or academic staff, in addressing EDI obstacles germane to:

• Gender equity
• Ageism 
• LGBTQ+ 
• Skin colour 
• Sexual violence 
• (Dis)ability 
• Unconscious biases 
• Visible/ racialized minorities 
• Indigenous Peoples 
• Religious beliefs/practices 
• Prejudice and racism 
• Other identified areas 

The Werklund School of Education awards one Leadership in Education Award annually to an academic staff member who demonstrates outstanding leadership and commitment to improving teaching and learning experiences in the School and in the profession. A nominee should be an individual who shows strong evidence of leadership, whether in a formal or informal role, within one or more of the following areas: curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; supervision; community outreach; innovation in education; and collaborative practice.

The Werklund School of Education awards one Sessional Instructor Teaching Excellence Award annually to a sessional academic staff member who creates outstanding teaching and learning experiences. A nominee should be an individual who is widely recognized for their teaching and academic inquiry within the School, supports the educational excellence of colleagues, and embodies a spirit of instructional innovation.

An exemplary supervisor demonstrates engaged mentoring of undergraduate (B.Ed. Honours) and graduate students, and/or postdoctoral scholars through regular meetings and research training aimed at promoting excellence in research and scholarship. Exemplary Supervisors assist their undergraduate and graduate students and/or post doctoral scholars in a variety of ways, such as: applying for awards and scholarships, obtaining research funds, developing track records in refereed publications and conference presentations, and encouraging and supporting apprenticeship in a research community of practice (collaborative review of papers, grants, academic writing, and data analysis). One academic staff member will be recognized each year.

The Early Career Researcher Award recognizes the research contributions and promise of early career researchers in the Werklund School of Education. The award recognizes an emerging research leader who has made outstanding contributions to research in their field and can demonstrate the significance and impact of their research.

The supervised practical experience (variously known as practicum, clinical training, internship, depending on the discipline) is an essential component of professional degree programs. It is the means by which instruction and learning through the professions of teaching, counselling psychology, and school and applied child psychology socializes students to become practitioners. Practicum offers students practical and supervised opportunities to integrate classroom learning with the day-to-day pragmatic work of the profession.

Practicum supervision is a distinct professional activity that involves mentoring, observation, evaluation, feedback, and acquisition of knowledge and skills by instruction, modeling, and mutual problem-solving. We want to honor excellence in practicum supervision for professionals who undertake this essential component of our professional degree programs. Three (3) practicum supervisors will be recognized each year, one in the Bachelor of Education, one in Counselling Psychology, and one in School and Applied Child Psychology.

The Online Teaching Excellence Award is presented annually to an academic staff member in the Werklund School of Education who demonstrates outstanding blended and/or online teaching and learning experiences. A nominee should be an individual who is widely recognized for their teaching and academic inquiry within the School, supports the educational excellence of colleagues, and embodies a spirit of instructional innovation.

The Research Excellence Award recognizes outstanding contributions to research by an academic staff member in the Werklund School of Education. One award will be given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to research over at least a decade. The successful individual will have excellent standing, demonstrate research excellence, and provide evidence of the significance and impact of their research achievement in their specific field.

The Werklund School of Education awards one Werklund Teaching Excellence Award annually to a full time, continuing academic staff member who demonstrates outstanding teaching and learning experiences. A nominee should be an individual who is widely recognized for their teaching and academic inquiry within the School, supports the educational excellence of colleagues, and embodies a spirit of instructional innovation.