Cooperative Extension Program - Prairie View A&M University

March 6, 2009
Faculty Receive Texas A&M University System Teaching Excellence Award

Five faculty members in the PVAMU College of Agriculture and Human Sciences received the first ever Texas A&M University System Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award at a ceremony held on campus in the Julius W. Becton Auditorium, Thursday, March 5.

Pictured left to right are: Dr. Freddie Richards, Dr. Wash A. Jones, Ms. Grace Goodie, Dr. Selamawit Woldesenbet, Dr. E. Joahanne Thomas-Smith, provost and senior vice-president for Academic Affairs, Dr. George C. Wright, Ms. Doris Morgan-Bloom, Dr. Eustace Duffus, and Dr. Richard Griffin, Department Head - Agriculture, Nutrition and Human Ecology.

Photo Taken By: Sabrina Simon

The award winners are: Dr. Wash A. Jones, assistant professor; Ms. Grace Goodie, adjunct instructor; Dr. Eustace Duffus, adjunct instructor; Ms. Doris Morgan-Bloom, adjunct instructor; and Dr. Selamawit Woldesenbet, adjunct instructor.

This award was part of a pilot program started in the fall 2008 by TAMUS Chancellor Michael D. McKinney in three system institutions—Texas A&M University – College Station, Texas A&M University – Kingsville and Prairie View A&M University. According to Dr. Michael L. McFrazier, PVAMU associate provost and associate vice president for Academic Affairs, faculty were rated on their teaching performance by students using a system-wide faculty evaluation form comprised of sixteen questions. The Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board, system faculty senates, presidents and provosts and the system administrative office developed the questions.

One hundred three faculty in all teaching categories at Prairie View A&M University participated in the fall 2008 competition, and eighteen faculty won the Teaching Excellence Award. Faculty must have directly taught 90% of each of their individual courses to be eligible and must have had at least 15 students enrolled in their classes.

“We are extremely proud of the impact that these faculty are making on our students in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences and are very pleased that almost one third of the award winners came out of our college,” said Dr. Freddie Richards, interim dean, CAHS. “It shows the dedication that we have in giving young people an education that they can use far beyond the classroom.”

Awards were based on two separate categories: Top 3% and the Next 15%. All of the CAHS faculty scored in the Next 15% category and received a certificate and cash award ranging from $2,500 to $5,000.

President George C. Wright, who presented the awards, told the winners that “they were role models to their colleagues as a result of winning the System Teaching Excellence Award and that now they must live up to and exceed their goals in being better teachers.”

A reception for the award winners and their families and friends was held following the ceremony.

Writer: Gloria J. Mosby, program director – Communications