February 7, 2014 - 2:31am
Vancouver Island University is launching 10 new faculty achievement awards to recognize excellence in teaching and learning.
“VIU has a reputation for effective teaching,” says Dave Witty, Provost and Vice-President Academic.
“These new Teaching Design and Practice Awards are intended to formally recognize the best teaching and learning approaches that our faculty use to engage with students.
"We will be looking at how a faculty member designs, develops and offers learning opportunities for students around specific learning outcomes for their discipline," adds Witty. "The awards will contribute to a culture of promoting student success at VIU.”
Virginia MacCarthy, Vice Chair of VIU’s Senate, says the new awards program was developed over several years.
“We have 10 awards because we felt it’s important to honour and celebrate more than one faculty member per year,” explains MacCarthy. “The multiple awards recognize different teaching and learning practices being used in VIU classrooms and beyond.”
For example, one award will recognize a faculty member whose teaching and design practice has fostered learning with Aboriginal students; another will recognize faculty who have used technology to enhance student learning.
MacCarthy says many institutions offer more than one teaching award, recognizing that there isn’t just one person per year who could represent excellence in teaching across various institutional initiatives.
Successful recipients will be asked to ‘pay it forward’ by offering presentations within VIU’s learning and teaching community, mentoring colleagues and getting involved in university and higher education committees.
A selection committee consisting of nine faculty members, one student and VIU’s Associate Vice-President Academic, Steve Lane, will review applications once the nomination period closes February 15.
The awards are open to regular teaching faculty members holding full or part-time appointments. Nominees must have completed three years of teaching duties at VIU and be currently employed.
A complete list of available awards is listed online.
[Read more..](http://www.viu.ca/pvpa/ProvostAwardsforExcellenceinTeachingDesignandPrac...)
-30-
MEDIA CONTACT
Janina Stajic, Manager, Communications and Public Engagement, Vancouver Island University P: 250.740.6288 E: Communications@viu.ca Twitter: @VIUNews
Tags: In the Community
