Faculty Advancement
Columbia Engineering is dedicated to the professional advancement of our faculty at every stage in their careers through events and workshops, faculty awards, and leadership opportunities.
Faculty support is led at the University level by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, and at the School level by the Office of Faculty Affairs. University programs and resources may be accessed from the University’s Office of Faculty Advancement site, in addition to the information provided below.
Dedicated to Your Advancement
Faculty are supported through events and workshops, faculty awards, and leadership opportunities.
-
Events and Workshops
The Office of Faculty Affairs runs a number of faculty community-building events and professional development workshops each semester in collaboration with faculty representatives. Examples of SEAS Faculty Development events may be found below.
- Faculty Excellence and Welcome
- URM Faculty Lunch
- Women Faculty Happy Hour
- Junior Faculty Happy Hour
- Retiring Faculty Dinner
- …and more!
If you have an idea for a faculty event, please contact Allen Chen, Assistant Director of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development ([email protected]). Faculty Affairs is committed to managing the logistics between campus services and external vendors to ensure that the planning process feels seamless.
-
Faculty Awards
Teaching Awards
Columbia Engineering Alumni Association’s Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award
Established by CEAA in 1996, the award is presented annually by the Board of Managers in recognition of excellence in teaching and dedication to undergraduate students. The recipient must be a member of the faculty of the School.
Presidential Awards for Outstanding Teaching
The Presidential Awards for Outstanding Teaching were established in 1996 as a way to honor the University’s best teachers. They are conferred based on the original criteria for the awards for faculty and graduate student instructors. To receive this award is a great honor, as it demonstrates commitment to excellent and often innovative teaching as recognized by the entire Columbia community.
Ordinarily, an announcement including a statement of aims, criteria, and procedures should be distributed by Thanksgiving. Nominations should be due by February 10, dossiers by March 1, and awards decided by the end of that month. During this academic year, a strong and visible campaign of publicity should be deployed the first week of the spring semester.
The Society of Columbia Graduates: the Great Teacher Awards (GTA)
First awarded in 1949, the GTA’s are given annually to one or more members of the faculties of the College and SEAS respectively. Nominations for the Awards are received from the Offices of the Deans and the recipients are selected by the Society’s Board of Directors based on the professors’ abilities to stimulate, challenge and inspire undergraduate students; for their demonstrated interest in students; their ability to relate positively to students outside the classroom; and for their recognized standing in their respective academic disciplines.
Service Awards
Avanessians Award
The Avanessians award, established by engineering alumnus and University Trustee, Armen Avanessians M.S. ’83, and his wife, Janette, honors faculty whose actions encourage students from diverse backgrounds to become part of the academic community at SEAS.
Kim Award
The Kim Award, established in 2000 by Edward and Carole Kim, was created to honor a faculty member who is not only an excellent teacher, but who also shows a special, personal commitment to students. Nominations for the Kim Award are made by undergraduate and graduate students. Selection criteria include how the faculty member "goes the extra mile" for students, effectively guides students in professional development and/or research activity, demonstrates a caring attitude toward students, and engages with students in career advising and life planning. The Kim Award includes an honorarium and a commemorative plaque.
For a list of previous award recipients for these awards and others, please see this living spreadsheet managed by Faculty Affairs. To seek additional information regarding internal awards, the Office of the Provost administers a range of funding opportunities available here.
-
Leadership Opportunities
Opportunities exist both within and outside of Columbia for faculty to develop their leadership skills.
Learning and Development
Columbia Human Resources has a Resource Library of articles and videos to encourage growth and development for employees in the Columbia community. The materials were curated by FranklinConvey, a coaching company which provides training and assessment services in the areas of leadership, individual effectiveness, and business execution for organizations and individuals.
Provost Leadership Fellows
The Provost Leadership Fellows Program was established in 2013 to further these priorities. The program aims to develop leadership skills for some of Columbia’s outstanding mid-career and senior faculty. Fellows have opportunities to develop greater insight into key campus strategic initiatives and academic processes, strategic planning, budget issues, and challenges in higher education.
Faculty Advancement Network
The Faculty Advancement Network (FAN) is a consortium of thirteen national research universities collaborating to advance diversity and inclusion in the American professoriate. FAN hosts the Institute on Inquiry, Equity, and Leadership in the Academic Department, which is a yearlong program designed to help faculty leaders in the work they are already doing as chairs, heads, and in similar academic leadership roles.
Provost’s Academic Leadership Institute
The Provost’s Academic Leadership Institute was created to help Morningside department chairs, vice deans, division and institute directors, and heads of other academic units develop and strengthen skill sets needed to lead academic units. Several sessions are held for the group each academic year.