Nominations: Graduate Supervision

Eligibility

Continuing tenured or tenure-track faculty members who have supervised graduate students for a minimum of 5 years at SFU shall be eligible for this Award.

Normally two awards will be given each year. Minimally one award each will be in the two categories defined by the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies:

• Fine Arts/Humanities/ Social Sciences
• Engineering/Medical Sciences/Natural Sciences

Note: If a junior faculty member is not a recipient of either of these two awards, a third award may be given to recognize a faculty member in the early stage of their career (less than ten years from initiating a tenure-track or equivalent appointment) who has built an exceptional graduate student supervision record for that career stage.

Criteria

• Sustained record of high-quality graduate mentorship
• Ability to stimulate graduate students to think creatively and critically
  
• Provision of a supportive environment to develop as a scholar
  
• Commitment to the graduate student learning experience
  
• Fostering of research, performance and/or practice-based skill development
  
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for and innovation in graduate student instruction/teaching
  
• Exceptional guidance to students applying for internal/external financial support
• Encourages diversity and promotes a culture of inclusive excellence and belonging

Nominees are encouraged to provide specific examples.

Process

Nominations should include a completed online nomination form and upload nomination letters from the Graduate Program Chair and graduate students. The online nomination form includes the following questions:

• What are the exceptional aspects of the mentorship provided by the nominee? (200 words max.)
  
• What are the ways in which the nominee fosters the education and scholarly development of graduate student supervisees? (200 words max.)
  
• What is the impact of the nominee's supervision on students? (200 words max.)

The nominator is encouraged to answer each question using specific examples where possible.

Required documents:

• Nomination form (online) which may be completed by a student, a group of students, a colleague or group of colleagues, a Graduate Program Committee, a Graduate Program Chair, a Department Chair or other suitable individual
• One page letter of support from the Graduate Program Chair or Department Chair (Department Chair letter is needed only in cases when the Graduate Program Chair provided the nomination)
• Up to three (3) one-page letters of support from current or former graduate students. Letters may be written and signed by more than one individual
• A one-page statement from the supervisor that outlines their approach to supervision, with particular emphasis on how they encourage diversity and promote a culture of inclusive excellence and belonging

Email correspondence may be sent to all current and previously supervised students requesting a supervisory evaluation on each nominee.

The committee adjudicates the awards based on the criteria above.

Re-nomination

Nominations from the previous year will be considered only if they meet all of the conditions of the initial nomination and an updated nomination package.

The package must include:

• a current re-nomination form (the nomination button below will indicate if it's a nomination or a re-nomination) submitted by the nominator; new letters of support from the Graduate Program Chair, the Department Chair, or Dean
• up to one new letter or document of support from graduate students
• A one-page statement from the supervisor that outlines their approach to supervision, with particular emphasis on how they encourage diversity and promote a culture of inclusive excellence and belonging

Prizes

Each award consists of:

• one targeted Graduate Fellowship (GF) of $7,000 that can be awarded in the following academic year to a graduate student of their choice (the student must meet the terms of reference for a GF)
• an inscription of the recipient's name on a permanent plaque housed in the Thesis Defence Room
• a trophy inscribed with the recipient's name and award

Recipients will be presented with their award at a graduate awards ceremony.