Distinguished university teachers
The Faculty of Science and Technology Faculty Board has its own guidelines on the requirements for being granted distinguished university teacher status. Applications are reviewed by referees and a special board with representatives from each subject area decides whether the applicant will be approved.
Only permanently employed teachers at Uppsala University (lecturers, senior lecturers/associate professors or professors) are eligible for approval as distinguished university teachers. There are two application windows each year, one per semester.
Applications are assessed by the Faculty of Science and Technology Board for Appointment of Distinguished University Teachers. Assessments are made in accordance with the document Guidelines for the recruitment and promotion of teachers at the Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, chapter 11.
Instructions for applying for distinguished university teacher status
The application, written in Swedish or English, must describe how you fulfil the criteria for being admitted as an excellent teacher. It must be clearly structured and compiled in such a way that an external assessor can form a picture of your overall qualifications and professional experience, emphasising those relevant to teaching, and make an assessment of your teaching skills.
What the application should contain
The maximum length of the application is 120 pages. The application documents must be organised in five PDF files as follows:
1. CV (curriculum vitae) including pedagogically relevant qualifications and experience
- Teaching activities (scope, level, depth, breadth and form)
- Management of educational activities
- Assignments in committees and councils
- Published teaching materials and teaching media
- Funds received for educational research and development work
- Publications and conference contributions with educational relevance
- Popular science presentations and collaboration with the surrounding society
- Higher education pedagogical training
- Pedagogical awards
2. Educational portfolio including educational philosophy (10-15 pages)
The pedagogical portfolio should be a personal document in which you describe your basic pedagogical view and reflect on learning and teaching based on your own experience and knowledge of student learning.
You should describe and discuss your pedagogical skills in relation to all five criteria described in the faculty's guidelines for the admission of excellent teachers (teaching skills, holistic perspective, scientific and investigative approach, collaboration with colleagues and students, and pedagogical leadership).
The pedagogical portfolio should reflect the breadth of pedagogical activities, including examination, supervision, pedagogical development work and leadership.
You must present a selection of examples based on relevant themes related to scientific theory, your basic pedagogical view and the faculty's criteria for pedagogical expertise.
It is important that the portfolio text is reflective. In other words, the pedagogical portfolio not only states what you have done, but also how and why, what the results were and what can be learnt from the experience.
3. Attachments supporting the content of the CV and pedagogical portfolio
Material that can help to substantiate the content of the CV and pedagogical portfolio must be attached. For example, certificates with assessments from the director of studies or colleague, course reports with summaries of course evaluations and working material (such as course plans, compendiums, laboratory instructions or examination assignments).
In particular, the criterion of teaching skills may be difficult to demonstrate solely through what can be written in the text of the portfolio. It is therefore particularly important to attach relevant course evaluations, formative evaluations or equivalent as a basis for substantiating the criterion for teaching skills.
4. Recommendation from the Head of Department
The head of department must express his or her support for your application in the recommendation.
For a head of department applying for admission as an excellent teacher, the deputy head of department, director of studies, subject coordinator or other educational leader can write the recommendation.
5. Certificate of teaching skills
The certificate must be written by a person specifically appointed by the head of department (e.g. director of studies, programme coordinator, chair of a programme committee or equivalent).
Support in preparation for applications and referees’ opinions
The Council for Pedagogical Development at the Faculty of Science and Technology organises workshops and seminars on applying for distinguished university teacher status.