About twenty years ago, when I was fairly new at the University I have now been working at for twenty-five years, I was nominated for an ‘Excellence in Teaching’ award. I was pretty happy about that, as I love teaching even though I had never set out to be a teacher (or an academic at all). Oh great, I thought, now I can see whether my students have just been buttering me up or whether more experienced teachers and teaching experts agree with them.
I was informed that I had to submit a portfolio. I was very naïve at this point, and in the course of this process had my eyes opened to several things about this and similar awards.
I blithely informed the award committee of what I had taught, submitted some teaching evaluations, all of which seemed reasonable, and told them where and when they could come and observe my teaching. That was the first and most striking eye-opener. There would be no observing of my teaching. The people that determine these awards never actually observe the teaching.
Rather, the award is given entirely on the basis of the portfolio submitted by the person nominated for the award, who makes a case for why they are an excellent teacher.
Then, I learned that my case, where I had been nominated by someone else, was unusual. I had been nominated by a colleague (the best Head of Department I’ve ever served under, because she actually listened), and a former student. I had noticed in the materials sent to me by the committee that folks could nominate themselves, but on seeing that I scoffed and thought that only a complete narcissist would do that. It is, on the contrary, the norm. Most people who are nominated for such awards (and similar ones in research, engagement, diversity, whatnot) nominate themselves.
Finally I learned that ‘excellence’ stands for ‘innovation’ in these contexts. One cannot win such an award by merely being really really good at teaching. No, instead one has to show how one’s teaching is somehow innovative, as if the tools invented by Socrates, Erasmus, and their ilk cannot lead to excellence.
Lest this sound like sour grapes, I have since then been a part of teams that have won Excellence in Teaching Awards and have also won an Equity and Diversity Award. So, look, I can do it. But the whole self-promotion aspect left a very sour taste in my mouth. It was also a LOT of work, taking me away from doing the thing I was allegedly excellent at. These should really be called ‘Awards for Excellence in talking about how excellent you are at…’
Or, as a colleague of mine once put it, ‘Figjam awards.’ If you’re not sure what ‘figjam’ means in this context, Urban Dictionary and Collins Dictionary can help.
The Fifth Columnist 
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