On Monday, December 1, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Erin Sanders O’Leary shared this message via BruinPost
Dear Colleagues:
The UCLA Distinguished Teaching Awards celebrate teaching excellence and play an important role in elevating the practice of teaching here at UCLA. Each year, deserving instructors are recognized for their innovation in the classroom, dedication to helping students thrive, and commitment to continuously improving our students’ educational experience. The Distinguished Teaching Awards are co-sponsored by the UCLA Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), the UCLA Office of the Chancellor, and the Division of Graduate Education.
Awards
This year, six awards will be presented to each group of Non-Senate Faculty and Senate Faculty. Faculty awardees (Senate and Non-Senate) will receive a one-time payment of $6,000 each and can be nominated in any one of the following categories: The Practice of Teaching, Innovation and Impact, Community-Engaged Teaching, and Undergraduate Mentorship. Each nominee’s portfolio will be evaluated according to the category selected, and there is no cap on the number of awards per category.
Six awards are also available (an increase from the five presented last year) to TAs who demonstrate effective teaching, incorporate current best practices, inspire and challenge students, and support student success. Each recipient receives a one-time payment of $6,000.
Nomination Deadlines
The Distinguished Teaching Awards nomination period is now open. See the chart below for award eligibility and nomination deadlines by honoree group.
| Award | Eligibility | Deadline |
| Teaching Assistant | Currently enrolled graduate students who are or have served as an academic student employee (ASE) at the time of nomination. | February 6, 2026 |
| Non-Senate Faculty | Non-Senate Faculty (faculty in the Adjunct series, Clinical compensated series, Visiting Professors, Acting Assistant Professors, Lecturers, and Academic Administrators) at the time of nomination. | March 6, 2026 |
| Senate Faculty | Academic Senate members (members of the following series: Professor, Professor of Teaching, Professor in Residence, and Professor of Clinical X, as well as Acting Professors, and Acting Associate Professors) at the time of nomination. | April 3, 2026 |
Complete eligibility criteria and nomination instructions for each award are available on the Distinguished Teaching Awards website. Please read the eligibility requirements carefully before preparing your nomination.
Nomination Guidelines
Nominations are welcome from qualified individuals in departments, interdepartmental degree programs, institutes, or other academic units offering undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees at UCLA. For Senate and Non-Senate Faculty, departments should not exceed a total of five nominations per faculty group. For example, a department could nominate five Senate Faculty members and five instructors who are Non-Senate Faculty. These nominations can be made up of any combination of the four award categories (The Practice of Teaching, Innovation and Impact, Community-Engaged Teaching, and Undergraduate Mentorship).
There are no caps on the number of nominees allowed per department for Teaching Assistants. Additionally, self-nominations will be considered with departmental endorsement. Nominators are encouraged to consult broadly to identify exemplary nominees.
For all honoree groups (Senate, Non-Senate, and TAs), departments have the option to screen applications at the departmental level. Under such a model, departments might consider developing an internal committee to determine a process to review nominations. The departmental committee may also determine an approach to provide letter(s) for those they nominate. The letter(s) can also be advanced to the Distinguished Teaching Awards Selection Committee to assist with their review process (Awards@teaching.ucla.edu). A ranking approach, for example, may streamline the process for the department, create efficiencies, and prevent any potential confusion among the Distinguished Teaching Awards applicants and nominees.
Late or incomplete nomination packages will not be accepted.
More Information
For questions related to the awards, contact Awards@teaching.ucla.edu.