Salient

Victoria University lecturers honoured at national teaching awards

By Denise Garland | 28 Jul, 2008

Two Victoria University lecturers were recognised at the Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards, held at Parliament on 16 July.

Dr Sean Weaver from the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Science, and Dr Marc Wilson of the School of Psychology both received Sustained Excellence awards at the national event.

Their latest success follows the recognition of their teaching talents from students and peers, having also won Victoria teaching excellence awards in previous years.

Vice-Chancellor Pat Walsh described both lecturers as “highly regarded researchers and practitioners in their respective disciplines and professions,” and said that as a result, their awards came as little surprise.

Wilson, who has been lecturing at Victoria University since 1999, said he was very proud to have his teaching efforts recognised, though it felt a bit “cheeky” receiving an award for something he loves to do.

He adds that he works hard to encourage interaction in lectures to motivate his students, with his undergraduate students achieving a record pass rate this year.

Similarly, Weaver said the award was a nice acknowledgement of his teaching adventures, having taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, adding, “I love teaching and that’s why I put a lot into it.”

Both lecturers are known for their innovative styles of teaching, with Wilson having once dyed his hair pink for a 100-level class experiment, while Weaver admits that he loves playing the class clown.

Weaver recently resigned from his role at the University, attributing the decision to a desire to focus more on his role as an environment consultant. However, he is continuing to teach as a contractor for the University.