McCalla Professorships

The McCalla Professorships are named after Dr. Arthur Gilbert McCalla. A renowned agriculturalist, researcher, and academic leader, McCalla was the first Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. The McCalla Professors are outstanding academics who have made (and continue to make) significant contributions to the integration of teaching and research, and educational leadership. The McCalla Professorship also provides recipients with a venue for further educational leadership through the McCalla Professor Group.

A. G. McCalla was Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies from 1957 - 1971. Pictured above circa 1970.

McCalla Professorship Application and Selection Procedure (UAPPOL)*

* Note, the UAPPOL procedure and the administrative details below are intended to be used together when compiling a nomination for this award.

ANNUAL ALLOCATIONS
Please note that nominations have been paused for the current academic year. 

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be used when selecting eligible applicants:

  • Evidence of a career commitment to teaching excellence, integrating research and teaching and educational leadership
  • Innovation in the project or planned activities
  • Impact of the project or planned activities on student learning and alignment with For the Public Good

The selection committee will ensure that the university's commitment, to "Build a diverse, inclusive community of exceptional students, faculty, and staff from Alberta, Canada, and the world" is upheld. (For the Public Good)

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Large Faculties determine individual submission deadlines and select the McCalla Professor using the guidelines described in the UAPPOL McCalla Professorship Application and Selection Procedure and the above criteria.

The following large Faculties are responsible for their own adjudication processes. For faculty-specific application procedures and deadlines please visit their website or contact:

Recommendations from large Faculties are due no later than 4 p.m. on the first working day of March.

The following small Faculties are adjudicated as a group by a Selection Committee:

  • Augustana Campus
  • Campus Saint-Jean
  • Extension
  • Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation
  • Law
  • Native Studies
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • School of Public Health

Submissions from small Faculties are due no later than 4 p.m. on the first working day of February.

Please send the original application (no copies are required) to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), 2-40 South Academic Building (SAB), and an electronic version to faculty.excellence.awards@ualberta.ca. Applicants are required to use 12 point Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins, and single spacing. The Committee reserves the right not to consider materials exceeding the page limitations noted below.

The submission shall include these items in the following order:

a. A letter of support from the Chair/Dean.

b. An outline of the project or activities planned for the award period.

c. Highlights of a teaching dossier.

d. Highlights of a research dossier.

e. Highlights of an educational leadership and service dossier.

f. An abbreviated curriculum vitae.


EVIDENCE FOR SELECTION

Letter of Support from the Chair/Dean

Letter of support should:

  • Include a short list of points at the beginning of the letter highlighting the candidate's key contributions and innovations in teaching, research and educational leadership, and how these contributions benefit the Faculty and the institution
  • Address the quality of the proposed application
  • Address how the application fits within Departmental/Faculty priorities and aligns with For the Public Good
  • State why the Professorship would benefit the faculty member at this time in their career

The letter needs to provide a context for the award including:

  • The extent of teaching
  • The current research program
  • The extent of educational leadership

Please note, if the faculty member has cross appointments, they must have written support from all the areas/departments

Outline of the Activities

A brief proposal (3 pages maximum) for a program of activity during the tenure of the McCalla Professorship:

  • Describing priorities, objectives and expected outcomes for the project and related activities
  • Commenting on how the application aligns with For the Public Good
  • Outlining how the funds will be used (a detailed budget is not required)

 

Abbreviated Teaching dossier

Highlights of a teaching dossier (4 pages maximum), including:

  • A statement of the philosophy of teaching, prepared by the nominee. [Nominees may wish to view CTL resources on teaching dossiers and teaching philosophies and consult with CTL for further advice.]
  • A synthesis of evaluations of courses taught in the last five (5) years with course title, course level, dates and class size
  • Evidence for Teaching Excellence (which may include):
    • A description of effective teaching strategies: examples of effective strategies showing reflection and change over time (why change was needed, what was done, rationale behind the changes, evidence for their effectiveness, a description of the learning outcomes)
    • Teaching awards
    • A description of course development efforts: examples of excellence in the (re)design of new courses (why change was needed, what was done, what is unique about the change and what is the evidence for its effectiveness?)

Abbreviated Research dossier

Highlights of a research dossier (4 pages maximum), including:

  • A description of the nominee's program of research
  • A list of recent (last 5 years) grant support, specifying agency, amount of award and title of project
  • A list of top 5 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows supervised and a description of their career trajectory.If applicants do not have access to graduate students or postdoctoral fellows, they must describe how they engage in mentoring students in research at the undergraduate level

Abbreviated Educational Leadership and Service Dossier

Highlights of an educational leadership and service dossier (4 pages maximum), including:

  • A description of engagement in leadership or service activities
  • A description of how these activities link to the applicant's disciplinary research and/or teaching
  • A description of the benefits of the activities to students, peers, the institution, and/or community-at-large
  • A description of recognition or awards received for leadership or service

Abbreviated CV

(10 pages maximum)


CONSENT FORM AUTHORIZING USE OF APPLICATION MATERIALS

Upon receipt of a McCalla Professorship, recipients will be asked to complete a consent form which provides authorization to post the following items to the Centre for Teaching and Learning website:

• The outline of project planned

• The final report of activities


REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

A final report on the McCalla Professorship is due within three months of the end of the Professorship.

There is no template for the final report. A brief summary (up to 4 pages) highlighting the McCalla project activities and the outcomes realized during the Professorship is sufficient for final reporting purposes. A hard copy of the report should be sent to Dr. John Nychka, Vice-Provost (Learning Initiatives), 2-40 South Academic Building AND an electronic copy to faculty.excellence.awards@ualberta.ca.

For a complete list of academic awards and recipients visit the teaching awards database. Use the search tool or navigate to the award you are interested in. For discipline specific awards select the appropriate field of study and determine which award(s) are applicable.

Announcing the 2019-2020 McCalla Professors
McCalla
Read full post in The Quad
Summary of November 27 Revisions to McCalla Professorships

1. The duration of the Professorship has been extended to two years.

2. Restrictions around the use of the funds have been modified (funds may be used to give the professor time for the project).

3. The criteria and evidence for the award have been clarified. The awards are for academics who have made (and continue to make) significant contributions to the integration of teaching and research, and educational leadership. The proposed project or planned activities must show innovation, impact on student learning and alignment with For the Public Good.

4. There will be increased opportunities for educational leadership, with the creation of the McCalla Professor Group. They will meet regularly as a group with the Vice-Provost (Learning Initiatives) and the Academic Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). They may be asked to participate in a range of University events such as public lectures, new faculty orientations and/or workshops. The McCalla Professor Group will also be asked to identify potential applicants for all awards and encourage applications/nominations.

5. These changes will allow for clearer laddering into other awards (such as the 3M National Teaching Fellowship).

(Effective November 1, 2017)

McCalla Adjudication Results

McCalla recipients and abstracts by year

For More Information or Assistance Contact

faculty.excellence.awards@ualberta.ca