Patricia A. Prelock Award for Excellence in Online Teaching

The Patricia A. Prelock Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, presented annually, recognizes superior online synchronous and asynchronous teaching, provides models of excellence for fellow faculty, and encourages all faculty to continue to improve and advance their online teaching pedagogy. Named in honor of former Provost Patricia Prelock, an early adopter of online teaching at UVM, this award celebrates innovative and effective online instruction. 

Dr. Prelock is Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Arizona, following her tenure as Provost and Senior Vice President at the University of Vermont (2019 to 2025) and as Dean of UVM’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS). Her University of Vermont faculty appointments included Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders in CNHS, and Professor of Pediatrics in the UVM Larner College of Medicine. Renowned for her expertise in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Dr. Prelock has secured $24 million dollars in funding for interdisciplinary training  and ASD interventions and has published over 211 worked and delivered over 585 presentations on autism, neurodevelopmental disabilities, collaboration, leadership, and language learning disabilities.  

 Award recipients will receive a framed certificate, a letter outlining their accomplishments to aid in their professional development, and a taxable cash award of $1,000. Names are displayed on a plaque on the third floor of the Waterman Building. 

Award Categories:  

Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, Full-time Faculty: for courses (credit or non-credit) taught by full-time faculty members. 

Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, Part-time Faculty: for courses (credit or non-credit) taught by part-time faculty members. 

Eligibility/Criteria
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All faculty members, whether teaching credit or non-credit courses, who have completed at least 9 semester hours of fully online instruction at UVM—delivered synchronously or asynchronously via the Brightspace Learning Management System—are eligible for consideration, except for those who have previously received this award.

The award evaluation considers the following criteria for excellence in online teaching: 

  • Innovative and effective use of online teaching technologies and pedagogies 

  • Demonstrated excellence in course design and delivery in the online environment 

  • Evidence of student engagement and learning outcomes in online courses 

  • Creative approaches to fostering interaction and community in virtual learning spaces 

  • Commitment to accessibility and inclusive practices in online education 

  • Professional development and continuous improvement in online teaching methods 

  • Impact on student success and satisfaction in online learning 

Nomination Process
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Nominations are due by February 1st every year (if this date falls on a weekend, the due date is the following Monday), and must include the following:

  • A letter of nomination detailing the nominee’s excellence in online teaching and relevant achievements (should detail the minimum of nine (9) semester credit hours of online teaching required). 

  • The nominee’s current curriculum vitae (CV) or link to their UVM profile.  

  • The nominee’s course syllabi. 

  • Optional: additional supporting materials such as evidence of student learning, examples of innovative coursework, student course evaluations, peer observation reports or documentation of inclusive practices. 

All nomination materials should be submitted as a single PDF file titled “Prelock_Award_Nomination_[NomineeLastName]” as the file name no later than 11:59 PM on February 1st (if this date falls on a weekend, the due date is the following Monday).

Award Committee

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The Committee is made up of faculty members representing degree granting colleges or schools and former award recipients. The Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs appoints the Chair of the Committee and its members. Committee members serve three-year terms, with the option to renew. The Committee recommends finalists to the Provost, who makes the final decision regarding award recipients. 

Award Review Committee 2025-2028 

Review Committee Chair: TBD 

Review Committee Members: TBD 

Selection Timeline
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  • December 1: Call for nominations opens. (If December 1 falls on a weekend, the call for nominations opens the following Monday.) 

  • February 1: Nominations due. (If February 1 falls on a weekend, the due date is the following Monday.) 

  • February 1 – March 30: Nominations reviewed by the Award Committee. 

  • April 1: Award Committee submits list of finalists to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. 

  • May 1: Award recipients are announced. 

For more information, contact Bettyjo Bouchey at Bettyjo.Bouchey@uvm.edu