Exceptional Educator Wins 3M Fellowship

UVic’s vice-president academic and provost is one of only 10 Canadian university educators named as this year’s 3M Teaching Fellows. Jamie Cassels, a member of the University of Victoria’s faculty of law since 1981 and former dean of law, is being recognized for his exceptional educational leadership and his commitment to the improvement of university teaching across disciplines. 3M Fellowships are considered one of Canada’s premier teaching awards.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized for being good at something that you both enjoy doing and feel is important,” says Cassels. “I think it’s also a result of the support that I've always received from my colleagues and from the university.”

“I am thrilled that Jamie’s teaching excellence is being recognized with this award,” says UVic President Dr. David Turpin. “It is especially significant that the award goes to the University of Victoria’s vice-president academic and provost. This is symbolic of the values UVic places on teaching and learning.”

This isn’t the first time Cassels has been recognized for his teaching excellence. He is also the winner of the 1999 Canadian Association of Law Teachers Award for Academic Excellence, the 1998 UVic Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award, and the law faculty’s 1986 and 1996 master teacher award.

During his tenure as law dean, Cassels helped maintain the faculty’s reputation as one of Canada’s top law schools, praised for its faculty members’ open door policy. He was named UVic vice-president academic in August 2001, and has supervised all academic programs, long-range academic planning, enrolment management and all human resource matters related to UVic faculty.

The 3M Fellowship is given to individuals who not only excel in the teaching of their own courses but who also demonstrate an exceptionally high degree of leadership and commitment to the improvement of university teaching across disciplines. Cassels is the seventh UVic professor to win this honour. It has also been awarded to UVic sociologist Dr. Aaron Devor (2000), chemist Dr. David Berry (2000), English professor Dr. Thomas Cleary (1994), and art historian Dr. Elizabeth Tumasonis (1992), English professor Dr. Connie Rooke (1987) and social work professor Dr. Andy Farquharson (1986). For more information please visit http://www.tss.uoguelph.ca/stlhe/3M.html

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Keywords: exceptional, educator, wins, 3m, fellowship


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