Outstanding teachers at UNT do make a difference for students. They make learning challenging and fun; they are available when needed; and they weather many storms with students to foster bright futures. Our Featured Faculty page provides opportunities to recognize these outstanding faculty and instructors who are highly engaged in student learning and pedagogical practice.
The Teaching Excellence Spotlight showcases faculty and instructors nominated by their peers, students, and/or themselves. Each month during the academic year, we feature the most recent nominee with an interview where they share insights into their teaching practice.
Students can also recognize outstanding faculty and instructors via our Thank a Teacher program. Thank a Teacher allows students to directly thank teachers via notes submitted at the end of the semester. Deans and chairs receive notification of these notes from the Provost. Students can submit as many thank you notes as they wish and may choose to remain anonymous.
Scroll down to learn more about these programs and to submit nominations for Teaching Excellence Spotlight and Thank a Teacher.
“. . . even though he is a full-time Ph.D. student with a growing family, he takes time out to really care for the students outside of the classroom any time the need arises. As his mentor and boss, I have watched him grow and not only meet, but exceed my expectations as an instructor both online and in the classroom. His attention to every detail about his courses shows great future potential to be an outstanding professor as well as a prolific researcher. . . I cannot think of another instructor at this time that puts more heart and soul into preparation for each and every class to make sure it is the very best that it can be.” – Dr. Becky Knight about Instructor Li —Qiwei Li
Teaching Excellence Spotlight Award
September 2019 Recepient
Qiwei Li
Our September Teaching Excellence Spotlight awardee is Qiwei Li, Teaching Fellow and Doctoral Student in the Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services. Instructor Li describes his overall approach to teaching as “adaptive” and is always adjusting his teaching to meet students where they are.
Nominate
Excellent teachers enrich not only their students, but also their departments, disciplines, and the UNT community at large. Students, staff, and faculty can nominate UNT instructors for the Teaching Excellence Spotlight. Each month during the academic year, we feature nominees who share insights into their teaching practice. To nominate a teacher, click the button below.
Past Awardees
Thank a Teacher
When teachers make a difference in students' lives, many students wish for a way to say “thanks.” Students often say that their teacher has: made the course interesting; made learning fun; provided valuable help in future career choices; was supportive during a difficult time; and/or was inspirational.
Students who want to share their own thanks can click on the button below to fill out the online form. You can submit as many of these forms as you wish and choose to remain anonymous. After final grades have been submitted, the notes are sent to the teacher as a part of a letter of recognition from the Provost.