How to choose a Teacher of the Year?

[MNnaloxone]

My preceptor just visited my office with an assignment. He wants to revamp the method in which we select the Teacher of the Year (ToY) in the COP. Currently, the process is simply that the P1/2/3 students hold a simple vote. Since P1 students haven't had any P2/3 teachers, and P2/3 students are likely to vote for their 'easy' P1 teachers after their current profs just put them through the ringer, P1 teachers usually get the honor. My preceptor sees this as a flaw.

If anyone here in a COP has this award at their school, I'd appreciate you sharing how this award is given (criteria and method of selection). If you are not currently in a COP, and and have any good ideas that I can steal, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

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[Caverject]

Have all students write a 300 word essay on who should be picked. Chances are, you will not get 100% participation but you should get at least over 50%. Then form an executive committee to go thru the essays and pick the top essay from every class. Then hold a vote among the executive committee. Thats what my undergrad school did

 

[r_salis]

How about: 1) a weighted vote system according to seniority, and 2) polling recent alumni (last 3 years)? P1s get the least weight, since they've only "experienced" the P1 faculty, P2s a little more, P3s more than P2s, and alumni get the most weight? It wouldn't help with the vote skew away from the harder later-years faculty, but it would even out the "vote for who you know" factor.

 

[moobymaster]

But a bad essay could ruin the chances for a good teacher.

 

[Caverject]

Originally posted by moobymaster
But a bad essay could ruin the chances for a good teacher.

But the students would be voting for "Teacher of the year" not "Idiot of the year"

 

[moobymaster]

Heh. I meant that a student could write an essay that was just written so badly that it wouldn't be considered, thereby possibly eliminating a teacher from consideration.

 

[VP_Pharm2004]

I can't imagine that a student, in the College of Pharmacy, writing a poorly written essay. If they are capable of writing "bad", then what are they doing in Pharmacy school?

 

[moobymaster]

The pharm students I know...good in science...bad in written composition. I know this isn't true of everyone, but let's face it, we are generally science majors not English/liberal arts.

 

[MNnaloxone]

Thanks everyone for the input. I spoke with my preceptor this morning, and he agreed that the essay selection makes sense (evidently, that's what we do here for undergrad, too).

Any thoughts about who should make up the selection committee? Maybe the dean (or an assistant dean-someone w/o 'teaching' status), and 2-3 members of each class?

 

[MNnaloxone]

Bump-I present tomorrow for the Department, and any other help would be appreciated. Thanks.