Pine Technical College honors faculty in Educator of the Year awards

Pine Technical College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU), will participate in this year’s Educator of the Year awards program – an esteemed award, which is the system’s highest academic honor. The MnSCU Board of Trustees launched the awards program in 2007, and while many MnSCU system institutions have nominated faculty members over the years, this is PTC’s first year to participate.

“Winning an Educator of the Year award is to honor and recognize teachers who have given distinguished service and who exemplify excellence in their profession,” says Dean of Academic Affairs Joan Bloemendaal-Gruett. “And, Pine Technical College is fortunate to have numerous dedicated and highly skilled faculty members capable of inspiring and teaching students of all backgrounds and abilities. The award recognizes their personal achievements and makes them more visible and will strengthen public support of our programs. It will bring acclaim to the winners, PTC, and the Pine community,” Bloemendaal Gruett explains.

The Board of Trustees Educator of the Year Award for Excellence in Teaching is an honor bestowed upon MnSCU faculty to acknowledge and reward exceptional individual professional accomplishment and to encourage ongoing excellence in teaching. The award is intended to recognize superior teaching at MnSCU colleges and universities.

MnSCU Chancellor James H. McCormick says, “I am proud we highlight the excellence of our faculty with these awards. The honorees exemplify what we value most in this system – high-quality teaching, learning and service.”

Winners of the award are recognized at a gala state event, and their programs and institutions are given broad exposure, informing the public about the fields in which they teach and also about what makes for exceptional teaching in public colleges and universities. By applauding winners and nominees, institutions have an opportunity to celebrate the core importance of teaching and provide models for faculty and students.

All currently full-time and unlimited, tenured, or tenure-track faculty who have at least three years of full-time teaching service at their home institution are eligible for the award. Nominators may be members of the college or university community such as faculty members, staff members, administrators, students and/or community members. Faculty designated as Outstanding Educators by their campus president must prepare a teaching portfolio which will be reviewed by a systemwide review committee which will recommend the Educator of the Year winners.

To nominate an outstanding Pine Technical College educator who exemplifies excellence in teaching, please complete the Award for Excellence in Teaching Nomination Form by Dec. 26, 2010; return the completed form(s) to Joan Bloemendaal-Gruett via e-mail: bloemendaalj@pinetech.edu or on campus, Room 44 in the Administrative Offices suite. For more information about Pine Technical College’s participation in the Educator of the Year awards program, call 320-629-5116.


Image above: An Educator of the Year medallion, hand-crafted in the jewelry design and manufacturing program at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.