RCTC Names 2018 Outstanding Educators
January 19, 2018
RCTC Names 2018 Outstanding Educators
(Rochester, MN) Rochester Community and Technical College is proud to announce Jaime Tjossem, Brendan Shea, and Peter Karnilaw have been selected to receive the College’s 2018 Outstanding Educator Award. Instructors were nominated by faculty, students, and staff, and completed an extensive portfolio of their work and accomplishments at RCTC in order to be considered for the award. RCTC will celebrate these remarkable faculty at a reception on Thursday, April 26, from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm in Coffman Building, room CF 206-208.
The Outstanding Educators’ teaching portfolios are statements about who they are as instructors and makes visible their work in planning coursework, teaching, and improving student learning. Nominees’ portfolios are reviewed for teaching philosophy; content expertise and professional growth; teaching strategies and materials; standards of assessment of student learning and performance; and service to students, profession, institution, and the Minnesota State system.
Joining RCTC in fall 2002, and with her prior teaching experience, JaimeTjossem has been teaching biology for 21 years. Always working to explain difficult concepts in a manner that is more easily understood and incorporating her own experiences in her instruction, Jaime excels at making learning engaging and impactful. Students emphasize her talents in these areas and say she ‘never lets a question go unanswered’. Along with Jaime's ability to explain difficult concepts, she is always available to answer student concerns. As one student stated, "Jamie is an excellent teacher who knows how to make anatomy fun! She's a great role model, and I always thought of her like my really cool aunt…"
Previously at Winona State University, Brendan Shea starting teaching at RCTC in 2013. Along with leading a number of philosophy courses including Logic, Ethics, Bioethics, Business Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion, Brendan has been published in over 15 books and magazines. In his classes, he emphasizes structured practice, expectations and goal setting, and building a philosophical community. Students emphasized how Brendan wants everyone to do well in his classes but does not lower the bar to make it easy. "He provides material in multiple forms to give everyone access to the learning mode that works well for them."
Along with recognizing outstanding full-time faculty, RCTC also recognizes and appreciates the great educational experiences the College’s adjunct and part-time faculty offer students. This year's Adjunct Faculty of the Year is Peter Karnilaw. Teaching a number of chemistry classes each semester since January 2014, Peter was nominated by multiple students. Students consistently stated how he is willing to make sure every student understands the material and how he is eager to help anyone who needs it. "Every small thing he does matters a lot to the students" and he "teaches every class with a smile and makes the information fun".
Portfolios for both full-time instructors, Jaime Tjossem and Brendan Shea, will be forwarded to the system-wide Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Teaching Review Committee. Up to 70 portfolios from Minnesota State’s 31 colleges and universities will be reviewed by the committee, which will recommend up to six Educator of the Year award recipients from the portfolios submitted. RCTC’s Outstanding Educators, their colleagues from across the state, and the Educator of the Year award recipients will be honored at a system-wide reception in April.
The Minnesota State Educator of the Year recognition program was initiated in 2007. To date, RCTC has had six of its faculty members honored with this prestigious, system-wide award.
Established in 1915, RCTC is the largest higher education provider in the fastest-growing city in Minnesota, serving more than 8,000 students a year in credit courses and nearly 3,700 in non-credit continuing and workforce education programs. RCTC combines the best in liberal arts, technical, and life-long learning with more than 70 credit-based programs and over 100 credential options. RCTC’s expansive 518-acre campus includes university partnerships, a diverse student body, and a vibrant student life program. RCTC provides a unique learning environment that offers the feel of a four-year university campus with the commitment to access and opportunity of a two-year college.
The Minnesota State system consists of 37 colleges and universities with over 16,000 employees offering nearly 4,000 educational programs to nearly 400,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system in the United States.
RCTC is a member of the Minnesota State system.
RCTC is a member of the Minnesota State system.
Contact:
Nate Stoltman, Director of Marketing
nate.stoltman@rctc.edu, (507) 536-5604
