SUNY Cortland - Faculty Development Center

Awards and Grant Guidelines

Fine Teaching Development Award

The Fine Teaching Development Award was conceived to benefit non-tenured, tenure-track faculty by allowing for a one-course, one semester reduction in teaching load. One award is granted to one applicant each semester. The award is funded by the Robert and Bette Fine Faculty Development Fund, which was established in 2006 by Dr. Peter Fine.

Unlike other grants bestowed on campus, the Fine Teaching Development Award is a competitive award that allows for a decrease in course load to accommodate the pursuit of superior teaching practices, methods or techniques for use in the classroom. Application materials are due by November 15 for the Spring semester, and March 24 for the following Fall semester.

Award Guidelines
Application Form

Non-Tenure Track Excellence in Teaching Awards

Nominees should be faculty who currently and regularly carry a non-tenure track teaching load and have completed at least four semesters of teaching at SUNY Cortland prior to the year of nomination. According to the guidelines, previously nominated faculty must wait two years before being considered again for this award. Letters of nomination should be sent to the Faculty Development Center, Memorial Library. Application guidelines are available online. To receive a hardcopy of the guidelines, call ext. 2088 or send an e-mail to FDC.

Teaching Innovation Grants

The aim of these grants is to encourage the development and sharing of new instructional strategies among faculty. Grants may be awarded to any part-time or full-time faculty member with at least one semester of service at SUNY Cortland who is scheduled to teach in at least one of the upcoming semesters. Application Guidelines are available online. To receive a hardcopy of the guidelines, call ext. 2088 or send an e-mail to FDC.

Tenure-track Excellence in Teaching Awards

While individual teachers develop their methods independently, we as a community benefit when gifted teachers are recognized and rewarded for their accomplishments. Unlike other teaching awards bestowed on campus, the only criterion for the Tenure-track Excellence in Teaching Award is superior classroom performance. The nominee must maintain a flexible instructional policy that adapts readily to student needs, interests and problems. Mastery of teaching techniques must be demonstrated and substantiated. The successful candidate will receive a plaque and an honorarium of $1,000. He/she will also be honored at the annual Cortland Excels Awards Luncheon, and be featured in a brochure highlighting excellence at SUNY Cortland.

Any tenure-track faculty member who has taught and completed at least four semesters at SUNY Cortland is eligible. Application Guidelines are available online . To receive a hardcopy of the guidelines, call ext. 2088 or send an e-mail to FDC.

Rozanne M. Brooks Teaching Award

This award was created and is presented to individuals who are outstanding teachers in the classroom, who spend considerable time with students and are very student oriented. These teachers are also active and worthwhile participants in the business of the College and involved with curriculum.

The award is funded by the Brooks estate. The recipient is chosen by the College's Brooks Dedicated Teachers Award Committee and can use the $5,000 award, in Brooks’ words, "for experimentation, purchase of books and special materials, travel or to do whatever they want to do that they think might enhance their ability to teach."

The Award Committee seeks nominations from the current faculty. Self-recommendations are disallowed. The award is open to full-time teaching faculty who possess continuing appointment and have been employed at SUNY Cortland for a minimum of five years. Nomination shall follow the same criteria as the Distinguished Teaching Professorship and the Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Teaching with the exception of the publication expectation.

The selection process includes observation of classes and preparation of a brief but appropriate dossier. This dossier should include the name of the nominating professor and a one- or two-paragraph statement summarizing the pertinent attributes of the candidate. To view/print the nomination form for the award, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the free shareware version that allows you to view PDF files throughout this web site.

The Small Grants Program

Program Description: The Cortland College Foundation Small Grants Program provides funding of up to $500 to faculty, staff, and students of SUNY Cortland.

Applications for funding are accepted once in the Fall semester and once in the Spring semester. Deadlines for applications are September 15 for the Fall semester and February 15 for the Spring semester, respectively.