Alumni Association expands teaching awards

The Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching will expand next year to include a separate category for sessionals and other instructors.

"This is an opportunity to recognize non-faculty instructors who carry a lot of the teaching load on campus, much more than they did 20 years ago," says Anne McLaughlin, chair of the UVic Alumni Association's grants, scholarships and awards committee.

The first award category is designated for regular and limited-term faculty, senior instructors, artists-in-residence or librarians—reflecting the research responsibilities of those positions.

The new, second award is for sessional, senior lab, and lab instructors. "Sessionals play a very important role in teaching at the university," says Jamie Cassels, vice president academic. "Many are superb teachers and we want to recognize them for their skill and contributions." The university employs 701 regular faculty and 468 sessional instructors.

Each award includes a cash prize of $2,000 from the alumni association. As well, the McPherson Library stairway features a photo gallery of 32 past recipients of the award. The UVic Alumni Association established the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1989, the first award of its kind on campus.

Dr. Geri Van Gyn, director of the UVic learning and teaching centre, calls the expanded award program "a very progressive step. Instructors who don't hold a regular appointment were somewhat disadvantaged when competing with regular faculty."

The association is developing specific criteria, and a possible re-naming of the awards. The deadline for 2005 nominations is Jan. 31 and nomination forms are online at www.alumni.uvic.ca/awards/excellence.
The 2004 winner is Dr. Gweneth Doane (nursing). Her award will be presented during the Legacy Awards on Nov. 16, along with Distinguished Alumni Award winners and UVic Sports Hall of Fame inductees.