The Stuart Tave Course Design Award recognizes up to three graduate students who have demonstrated exemplary course design. The award is intended to foster a culture of course design excellence among graduate teaching assistants and instructors.

Each department may nominate one student for the award. Please submit the dossier to the Dean of Students Office at humdos@uchicago.edu no later than March 14, 2025.

Eligibility

All current doctoral students who have demonstrated excellent course design prior to Winter 2025 are eligible for nomination. Students who have been nominated previously can be nominated again; however past award recipients will be ineligible for nomination. 

Award amount and recognition

The 2025 awardee(s) will receive a cash award of $1,500, a certificate, and will be recognized at the Humanities Division Spring Convocation on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Examples of course design excellence recognized by the Stuart Tave Course Design Award can include, but are not limited to:

• courses designed by the graduate student reflecting their intellectual interests, but not mirroring dissertation research
• courses that are designed in a way to create an engaging and interesting environment for students taking the course
• courses that have syllabi which are innovative, creative, and inclusive in their course design

Nomination Process

Complete nomination packets should be emailed as a pdf attachment to humdos@uchicago.edu. Nominations may be submitted by the student's faculty advisor, and should describe the qualities of course design that make them an excellent candidate. Nomination packages must include:

• the student's current CV
• the self-designed course syllabus, including a course description and articulation of learning goals
• one letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty related to the student's ability to design a course
• The Department Chair's written endorsement of the department nominee

Selection Process

The committee for Stuart Tave Course Design Awards will review all nominations. The committee includes the Master of the Humanities Collegiate Division, the Deputy Dean(s) of the Division of the Humanities, and the Dean of Students of the Division of the Humanities.

Past Award Winners

• 2024 - Alice Casalini (ARTH)
• 2024 - Tobias Scheunchen (NELC)
• 2023 - Catrin Dowd (MUSI)
• 2023 - Sam Gray (LING)
• 2023 - Rivky Mondal (ENGL)