Dean's Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentorship

Terms of Reference

The Faculty of Arts and Science Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoship recognizes faculty members who, in the judgement of their graduate students, have made outstanding contributions to promoting graduate student excellence through teaching, supervision and mentorship at the graduate level.

Nomination Deadline

  • Sunday, May 31, 2026

Eligibility

  • Nominees must be faculty members (including continuing adjuncts) in the Faculty of Arts and Science at 91ÖÆƬ³§.
  • Nominees must be currently involved in graduate teaching, and must have taught or mentored graduate students for the past 5 years
  • Nominators can be individual students, groups of students, or student organizations, societies, and alumni.

Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated based on their record of graduate student mentorship and teaching, and by the information provided in the nomination submission and letters of support.

In submitting a nomination, current and former graduate students should address the following as appropriate:

  • the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s ability to encourage and support students’ research interests.
  • the quality of the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s involvement in graduate teaching as evidenced, for example, in their graduate course instruction, participation on supervisory committees, supervision, and promotion of graduate training and professional skills development.
  • the degree of the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s encouragement of students to publish and/or present work. A list of all publications under the nominee's supervision to date (joint publications and solo publications by students) may be included.
  • the nature of the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s support of students to pursue scholarly or professional opportunities related to the student 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s degree and career goals.
  • the ways in which the nominee provides opportunities for and supports students to be successful academically, including opportunities to connect with scholars at and beyond Queen 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s.
  • the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s provision of timely and constructive instruction at different stages of the student 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s program.
  • the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s promotion of research culture and sharing of information about grants, internships, professional practice and employment.
  • how the nominee serves a model of professionalism and integrity.

Once the nomination is submitted a letter of support will be requested by the Dean's office to the Department Head/Program Director (to a maximum of two pages in length) that addresses:

  • evidence of the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s excellence in graduate teaching, supervision and mentorship.
  • program norms with respect to graduate supervision, course instruction, and supervisory committee work (i.e. average number of supervisions per professor, expectations regarding supervision and committee work, and level of involvement in supporting graduate student publications, presentations, projects and professional training opportunities).
  • the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s teaching history as evidenced in course evaluations, teaching methods or approaches, number of supervisions, record of involvement in supervisory and examining committees, support of timely degree completion, graduate student success in securing external and university awards and funding.
  • the nominee 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s contributions to the Faculty 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s and/or Department 91ÖÆƬ³§ ’s graduate program, and to scholarly, professional and curriculum development at the graduate level.