Graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) from all academic units at FSU may be nominated for this award. Please nominate TAs who have demonstrated excellence in the teaching/learning process. TA roles may include but are not limited to: grader, lab instructor, class instructor, recitation leader, or a course facilitator for a faculty member for face-to-face or online instruction. FSU faculty, staff, and undergraduate students can submit a nomination (self-nominations and/or nominations submitted by current graduate students will not be considered).
The nomination window for Spring 2026 is now open. FSU faculty and undergraduate students can submit nominations for an outstanding TA via the 2026-2027 OTAA Nomination Form.
Nominations are due October 19th, 2026. Late or incomplete nominations may not be considered.
Please email any questions about the nomination process to teaching-assistants@fsu.edu.
Note: The details for the eligibility/submission process below are currently under revision and may not accurately reflect the upcoming award process. Please check back in late Fall 2026/early Spring 2027 for the updated submission process.
The Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards (OTAA) recognize outstanding graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) for their distinguished contributions to student learning through excellence in instruction. The nomination and application processes for this award were previously managed by the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) and are now managed by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT).
TAs who receive a nomination for an award must meet the eligibility requirements described below to submit a portfolio for award consideration.
The nomination itself is an achievement that we encourage you to include in your CV. The portfolio submission process is optional and intended for eligible TAs who would like to compete for one of the monetary awards (e.g. if you are nominated and eligible, you can choose to participate in the portfolio process for monetary award consideration OR you may save the nomination and decline to participate in the monetary award consideration process).
Eligibility
It is the nominee’s responsibility to ensure that they are eligible to receive the OTAA award. In order to be eligible, nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Current FSU or FAMU-FSU College of Engineering degree-seeking graduate student hired as a teaching assistant (face-to-face or online) and in good academic standing.
Served as a TA at FSU for two completed semesters (non-FSU TA positions/other teaching experiences outside of FSU TA roles do not qualify. Spring 2026 also does not qualify as a second semester as it is not yet completed).
Previous OTAA recipients are not eligible for the award but may be nominated (i.e. they may receive the nomination letters but cannot participate in the portfolio submission process).
Submission Process for Award Consideration
This process is currently under revision. Please check back in late Fall 2026/early Spring 2027 for the updated information.