CSCA - Call for Nominations – Cooper Award
2025 CSCA Cooper Award Call
The prestigious Cooper Award, named after former CSCA President Pamela J. Cooper, is presented to one M.A.-level graduate teaching assistant and one Ph. D.-level graduate teaching assistant in recognition of excellent teaching by a graduate student. At the annual convention, the recipients each receive a cash award and a plaque.
To be considered for the Cooper Award, nominees must submit materials electronically (not to exceed 12 pages, excluding cover page, index page, and/or divider pages), which must be the original work of the graduate teaching assistant. The electronic packet must include (1) no more than two letters of nomination/support; (2) a one to two-page statement of the nominee's teaching philosophy; (3) a description of the nominee’s teaching experiences including courses taught and course responsibilities; (4) evidence of the nominee’s teaching effectiveness, including peer/supervisor evaluations, a narration of a pedagogical challenge you overcame, or other evidence; and (5) teaching materials including syllabi, assignment sheets, handouts, or web pages. In recognition of clear evidence that end-of-semester student evaluations, also known as SETs, show racial, cultural, and gender bias, the Cooper Award committee will not accept student evaluations (SETs) as part of Cooper Award applications. On the application, please note whether the application is for the M.A. award or the Ph.D. award.
Only two candidates can be nominated by one department. Students who were graduate teaching assistants during the past academic year, as well as current M.A. and Ph.D. students, are eligible. Graduate teaching assistants at colleges and universities in the CSCA region are eligible. In addition, graduate teaching assistants advised by faculty outside of the CSCA region are also eligible, but they, their nominating faculty, or department should be CSCA members. Per association bylaws, all recipients must be CSCA members at the time of the nomination. Cooper Award winners are also expected to attend the 2025 conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, to receive their award. The recipients of the Cooper Award are recognized at the Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon and Business Meeting.
All materials must be submitted electronically by December 1, 2024. Please reference the Cooper Award in the subject line and whether your application is for the M.A. or Ph.D. award. When the materials are received, you will receive a confirmation email indicating that your submission is under review. Please submit all application materials in a single PDF to:
Dr. Grace Sikapokoo
Cooper Award Committee Chair
Department of Communication
Northern Illinois University
Chair: Dr. Grace Sikapokoo, Northern Illinois University
Vice Chair: Leah Bryant, DePaul University
Other Committee Members:
Riley Richards, Oregon Institute of Technology
Nurhayat Bilge, State University of New York-Fashion Institute of Technology
Madison Pollino, University of South Florida