Purpose
The Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award and the Coffey Outstanding Teacher Award each recognize faculty members who have excelled in meeting the following criteria:

1. Strength in teaching as determined by the cumulative faculty record and by student evaluations of teaching.
2. Contribution to the teaching profession through extracurricular achievements, leadership responsibilities, and scholarly activity.

One award is given each year throughout the University naming the Cunningham Teacher/Scholar and one is also given annually naming the Coffey Outstanding Teacher.

Nomination Process
The nomination process for Faculty in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences for each teaching award will be administered by the Dean with the assistance of the Teaching Effectiveness Advisory Committee (TEAC) for the College. On behalf of the Dean, the TEAC will accept nominations of Faculty in the College from any UT Martin Faculty, UT Martin Student, UT Martin Alumnus, or UT Martin Administrative Staff Member though September 15 in the Fall Semester of year year. Nomination letters should be sent to the Dean, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, 250 Brehm Hall. The eligibility requirements and selection procedures for the College are as follows:

A. In order to be eligible for the Cunningham of Coffey award, a person must be a full-time, tenure-track faculty member whose normal duties include at least 50% teaching and who has taught at UT Martin for the last four years.
B. Faculty members will not be eligible for more than one teaching award per year. Faculty members who have on the Cunningham or COffey Award will not be eligible to apply for either of these awards again for a period of five (5) years.
C. The nomination procedure requires a detailed letter addressed to the Teaching Effectiveness Advisory Committee for the University of Tennessee at Martin of no more than two single-spaced pages (Times or Courier, 10 or 12 font) that detail the nominee's accomplishments and contributions in teaching and may also include the nominee's accomplishments in scholarship and service.
D. After the nomination deadline, the TEAC for the College will contact the nominees and confirm their willingness to continue the evaluation process. To continue, the nominees will be asked to submit to the Office of the Dean Part I. Narrative (only) from the Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award Application or the Coffey Outstanding Teacher Award Application as appropriate. Applications are available from the Office of Research, Grants, and Contracts (311 Administration Building).
E. The TEAC for the College will evaluate the nomination letters and the narratives from the application process as mentioned in D above to select one nominee from the College for the Cunningham Award and one nominee from the College for the Coffey Award as recommendations for the Dean to send forward for the final competition at the University level.