Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award
Eligibility | Criteria | Application | Nomination | 2024 recipient | Past recipients
The Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award recognizes and celebrates exemplary contributions in the mentorship of colleagues and students at Mount Royal. This prestigious award honours faculty members who demonstrate a deep commitment to fostering the growth and development of their peers and students in alignment with Mount Royal's vision of opening minds and changing lives.
Recipients of the Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award receive a letter signed by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, along with a framed certificate. They are also recognized on Mount Royal's Faculty Excellence Awards website and at the Faculty Excellence Celebration in May. Award recipients may also be recognized through other channels.
2024 Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award recipient
Dr. Nadine Van Wyk
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Health and Physical Education
Faculty of Health, Community and Education
Dr. Nadine Van Wyk is an assistant professor and the Physical Literacy Program Coordinator in the Department of Health and Physical Education at Mount Royal. She believes that education has the power to develop the knowledge and skills within students to help them become contributing members of an ever-changing society.
With a focus on physical literacy, Nadine takes responsibility to review, refine and ensure that the Physical Literacy program curriculum reinforces the underpinnings of the discipline to ensure student success. And she wants everyone — from students to peers to community partners — to understand that physical literacy is more than physical activity; it includes the development of fundamental movement skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential for lifelong engagement in healthy behaviour.
As part of her nomination, a colleague remarked that, “Nadine is committed to creating and delivering an educational experience that looks to the future. She is leading the movement in physical literacy across Canada by producing research that is new and innovative, challenging the narrative on physical literacy, and sharing this with students, faculty and the community at large.”
Nadine’s goal is to create advocates for health and wellness wherever she goes. Her commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment exemplifies best practices in educational leadership.
2024 Awards Adjudication Committee
| Member | Title |
| Dr. Karim Dharamsi | Vice-Provost Academic (Chair) |
| Dr. Connie Van der Byl | Associate Vice-President, Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement |
| Dr. Samanti Kulatilake | Associate Professor, Anthropology |
| Dr. Adam Cave | Vice-Dean, Academic, Faculty of Business and Communication Studies |
| Dr. Gaye Warthe | Vice-Dean, Faculty of Health, Community and Education |
| Dr. Melanie Rathburn | Vice-Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology |
| Cari Merkley | Associate Professor & Librarian, University Library |
| Paul Jessop | Contract Faculty, Health and Physical Education, Faculty of Health, Community and Education |
| Joseph Nguyen | President, Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) |
| Tala Abu Hayyaneh | Vice-President Academic, Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) |
Award requirements
Eligibility
All faculty who are defined as Employees in Mount Royal's faculty collective agreement are eligible for this award.
All candidates for this award must be nominated.
Criteria
Nominees are assessed on the demonstration of excellence in one or more of the following:
Exceptional and engaged teaching
- Demonstrates a profound commitment to pedagogical excellence and innovation.
- Employes a student-centered approach that fosters critical thinking, creativity and a love for learning.
- Utilizes diverse and inclusive teaching methods that cater to the varied learning styles and needs of students.
- Contributes to curriculum development and teaching practices that reflect the dynamic nature of education in the 21st century.
Mentorship
- Demonstrates exemplary mentorship of students and colleagues, significantly contributing to their academic and professional growth.
- Fosters a culture of collaboration, support and continuous learning within the university community.
Values-based approach
- Demonstrates a commitment to Mount Royal’s core values of transformation, belonging, boldness, inquisitiveness and authenticity, as outlined in the Mount Royal University Strategic Plan.
- Integrates these values into teaching methodologies and interactions with the university community.
Focus on inclusivity
- Demonstrates efforts in creating an inclusive, equitable, and supportive academic environment.
- Champions diversity and inclusivity in teaching, research, and community engagement.
Application
Application process
- All candidates for this award must be nominated.
- The selection committee receives and reviews all nominations to confirm eligibility.
- Eligible nominees are invited to apply for the award. They are supplied with detailed application instructions.
- Applicants have approximately three weeks to submit their applications.
- The selection committee reviews the applications and selects the award recipients.
- All applicants receive a decision letter from the selection committee.
- Award recipients are expected to be announced by mid-April.
Application package
Detailed instructions, an application form (in Google Forms) and a dossier template (in Google Docs) will be provided to nominees who are invited to apply. All application materials are to be submitted in PDF format.
The application package includes:
Dossier document:
- Cover letter that articulates how you meet your chosen award criteria, including your most relevant significant achievements
- Teaching philosophy statement
- Summary of three SPoT evaluations from the past three years
Additional documents:
- Current curriculum vitae
- Up to two letters of support
- Optional supporting documents (e.g., course outlines, chair and peer evaluations etc.)
Nomination
Please carefully review the Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award eligibility and criteria, along with the following information, before submitting a nomination.Eligibility to nominate
Nominations can be submitted by any student, faculty, staff, management or alumni of Mount Royal University.
Requirements
- All nominations must be seconded by a full-time or contract faculty member.
- Nominations should be accompanied by a statement that includes the reasons for the nomination (maximum 500 words). Specific reference should be made, where possible, to the nominee's qualifications relative to the criteria.
- Nominations should be submitted to the Office of the Vice-Provost Academic and must be completed using the nomination form provided on this webpage during the nomination period.
- An mtroyal.ca email address is required to complete a nomination form. Anonymous emails or testimonials will not be accepted.
Return to Teaching and Learning Awards
The Faculty Excellence Awards are administered through Academic Affairs, as part of Mount Royal’s Celebrate U framework for employee rewards and recognition.