UTC Teaching Awards
The University Teaching Council offers two opportunities to recognize the amazing instructors we have at Kent State University:
Glenn Frank Distinguished Teaching Award
Nominate Your Favorite Faculty Member for the Glenn Frank Distinguished Teaching Award
Sponsored by the Kent State Alumni Association, the Glenn Frank Distinguished Teaching Award (GFDTA) is the university鈥檚 most prestigious honor in teaching. The award is presented annually to part- and full-time faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary teaching in the classroom and devotion to touching the lives of students. Qualified nominees include Kent State tenure and non-tenured faculty who are currently employed by the university.
Nominations open on March 1 and are due by May 31.
Eligibility Requirements
- A faculty member must have been on a teaching contract at any Kent State University campus for a minimum of seven years, including the current academic year.
- A faculty member must have taught at least one course in two of the three semesters during each of those seven academic years. (For purpose of the awards, summer sessions are considered one semester and the academic year extends from the beginning of fall semester through summer session of the following calendar year.)
- Previous Outstanding Teaching Award and Distinguished Teaching Award recipients are not eligible.
In Spring 2025, members of the National Alumni Board and the Distinguished Teaching Award Committee worked closely with the University Teaching Council, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Provost鈥檚 office to unify university processes around teaching awards. The committees determined that the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Outstanding Teaching Award would be combined into a single honor called the Glenn Frank Distinguished Teaching Award. The newly envisioned award is supported by a single committee comprised of past DTA and OTA recipients, alumni, faculty, and students. The new award streamlines the nomination and selection processes and provides an opportunity to equally honor teaching by all faculty, regardless of their faculty appointment. Past Outstanding Teaching Award recipients will be recognized on this website and can be viewed by clicking the link below.
Faculty & Instructor Recognition
Students are encouraged to nominate their instructors for an Instructor Recognition Award. These awards are an opportunity to highlight all Kent State instructors who have been motivated, engaged, and inspired their students. Nominees will receive a certificate of recognition.