Faculty Forum

We surveyed representatives of faculty search committees seeking candidates who demonstrated “excellence in teaching,” a “commitment to excellence in teaching,” or the like in an attempt to determine how such committees conceptualize and assess excellence in teaching. In order, respondents rated student evaluations, letters of recommendation, quality of previous teaching experience, statements of teaching philosophy, and the quality of the teaching demonstration or job talk in gauging the teaching excellence of applicants. We offer suggestions for preparing graduate students and faculty to compete successfully for academic positions that specify excellence in teaching.