Teaching Incentive Program – In-Unit

Program Overview

The UCF In-Unit Teaching Incentive Program (TIP) rewards teaching productivity and teaching excellence. The TIP award recognizes in-unit employee contributions to UCF’s key goals of offering the best undergraduate education available in Florida and achieving international prominence in key programs of graduate study.

Please contact your college/unit for earlier deadlines.

Funding

Regardless of the contract length (9 or 12 months), award recipients shall receive a one-time award of $5,000 as soon as practicable and a $5,000 increase to their salary effective at the beginning of the succeeding academic year.

There are up to 55 awards available to eligible in-unit employees. Academic Affairs provides the funding for these awards. TIP awards shall be allocated to the college in proportion to the total number of in-unit employees (rounded to the nearest integer), with a minimum of one award per college.

Eligibility

Eligibility Requirements:

1. In-unit employee on 9- or 12-month appointment.
2. Four years of continuous, non-OPS service immediately prior to the current year. Authorized leaves are not considered a break in service (e.g., sabbaticals, professional development leave, parental leave). Visiting and other temporary appointments are not eligible for incentive awards.
3. May only receive the award once every five years.
4. Tenured and tenure-earning center and institute employees must apply for the award through the college where their tenure resides.

Application Materials

Applications are submitted through Interfolio. Visit this link for a video tutorial on filing for awards or explore this guide. Gathering the following materials prior to the submission date will ease the application process:

• Teaching and Learning Philosophy Statement (text box 3000 characters – approximately 428-750 words or fewer)

• • Describe your teaching and learning philosophy.

• Summary of Instructional Activities (text box 3000 characters – approximately 428-750 words or fewer)

• • Provide a summary of your instructional activities.

• Summary Statement Supporting Impact of Instruction (text box 3000 characters – approximately 428-750 words or fewer)

• • Provide a statement supporting the impact of your instruction.

Supporting Materials: Items 1-6 must be uploaded as PDF files:

1. Current Curriculum Vitae (Required)
2. Annual Assignments (Required)
   • Upload a single PDF that includes a one-page summary table that lists annual assignments by year for all categories for which you had assigned duties, e.g., teaching, research, service, and then the last four academic years of your annual assignments, in descending order.
   • Please do not use Adobe Portfolio.  

3. Annual Evaluations (Required)
   • Upload a single PDF that includes a table that provides, by year, each category evaluation assessment, e.g., outstanding, above satisfactory, etc., and then the last four academic years of your annual evaluations, in descending order.
   • Please do not use Adobe Portfolio.  

4. Course Assignments (Required)
   • Upload a single PDF that contains a listing of all courses taught in the last four academic years.
   • Please do not use Adobe Portfolio.  

5. Student Evaluations (Required)
   • Upload a single PDF of Student Perception of Instruction (SPI) summaries for each course evaluated in the last four academic years, in descending order. The applicant may, but is not required to, include the SPI comments; however, if comments are used, all comments must be included rather than selected excerpts. To assist the reviewers, the applicant may wish (but is not required) to consider including a one- to two-page summary of all student evaluation results (e.g., by year, by modality, comparison to department, college, UCF).
   • Please do not use Adobe Portfolio.  

6. Examples of Teaching Products (Optional – Maximum of Three Uploads)
   • Applicants may attach materials to support their application. Should supporting materials be included in the application, include (as appropriate) a table of contents, section cover pages and other organizational features to clearly delineate the materials and assist the reviewer in understanding its value in relation to the application. A maximum of three pdf uploads are permitted. Examples include course syllabi, teaching tools, documentation of teaching awards and recognition, and documentation of grants related to teaching. Examples must be from the last four (4) academic years and selected to provide evidence of quality rather than quantity.
   • Please do not use Adobe Portfolio.  

Evaluation and Award Process

Award winners are selected by committee. Please see the Collective Bargaining Agreement for committee instruction TIP: Article 23 Annual Incentive Award Programs.

The provost or his or her designee shall give the final approval for awards and shall notify successful faculty. After approval by the provost or designee, each college/unit shall notify all nominees of the results.