Regents' Teaching Award

The Nevada Regents’ Teaching Award is given annually to two faculty members with distinguished records of teaching. One award shall be granted annually to one full-time faculty member who is tenured or tenure-track or who provides instruction as their primary assignment at UNLV, UNR, or NSC, or to a DRI faculty member who provides instruction as part of their regular assignment. The second award shall be granted annually to one full-time non-tenured or non-tenure track faculty member who provides instruction as part of their primary assignment at UNLV, UNR, or NSC, or to a DRI faculty member who provides instruction as part of their regular assignment. Nominations can be made by any NSHE employee or student, using the published criteria for the award. Candidates must have at least five years of cumulative service in the NSHE by the date of nomination in order to be considered for the award. This is a prestigious award, and the winner receives a special medal and a check for $5,000. Nominations are made in early fall each year, with the winner being announced in early spring.

Nomination process

To nominate a faculty member, send a formal letter of nomination through the candidate's dean. The nomination letter must:

1. Address how the candidate has accomplished a significant record of excellence in teaching that has brought recognition to the university;
2. Provide clear evidence of the candidate’s ability to communicate effectively with students, impart knowledge, and/or develop skills in a manner that excites students’ interest in the subject matter as well as students’ interest in furthering their education aspirations;
3. Provide clear evidence of the candidate’s enthusiasm for assessing, revising, and updating instructional methods, materials, or technologies in an effort to create ongoing participatory/active learning in the classroom and move the state of instruction in a field to a new level or in new directions; and a recurring effort to create learning tasks (assignments, exercises, and/or exams) that encourage critical thinking/reasoning skills;
4. Provide clear evidence of the candidate’s eagerness to be accessible to all students and to provide students with accurate advisement and appropriate referrals to other campus departments or to other NSHE institutions.

Previous Regents' Teaching Award winners