Colleges and universities do many things to distinguish themselves with excellence, from chasing rankings to highlighting Fulbright research to touting their alumni. But one rarely used tool is to distinguish a university by its teaching excellence. Teaching excellence is a factor that the public deeply values when it comes to what makes the “best university”—more so even than research, job placement, student satisfaction, and sports teams (Campbell, 2024). In fact, teaching excellence may be a key factor to bolstering public trust in higher education.

The Indispensable Role of Faculty in Higher Education
If a university were a quilt, the faculty would be the threads holding the fabric together. But despite their essential role, faculty often find themselves undervalued and underappreciated. This article