Beginning in spring 2005, students will be able to take specially designed courses available nowhere else but Ball State.
These "dream courses" are offered through the Excellence in Teaching Award, given to three teachers who have been nominated by students.
The 2003-2004 award recipients are professors Paul Biner, professor of psychological science; Kay Hodson-Carlton, professor in the School of Nursing; and Angela Nickoli, assistant professor of criminal justice.
The award is sponsored by the Office of Teaching and Learning Advancement, in cooperation with the Office of the Provost.
Students made nominations in the fall of 2002 on Blackboard. Ten finalists were chosen, and after a panel of judges reviewed their classrooms and course presentations, a final three were selected to receive the award.
Award recipients are given a raise in salary and financial support to develop their course.
It gives teachers the opportunity to teach a course they have developed themselves, completely unique to the curriculum, Jones said.
Currently, the teachers are in the process of developing what their course will entail. Beginning in the spring of 2004, the courses will be offered as special topics courses only at Ball State .
Biner's course is "Influence, Attitude Change, and Persuasion." The course will focus on examining and applying theoretical social psychological theories to marketing, history, sports, political science, management and other disciplines. Biner said that social psychology has roots in attitude change and perception and the course will further explore these areas.
"[It's] quite an honor, because it is from the students, and they are the bottom line," Biner said. "I work with students, and to have them say that they got something from your course is a cool thing."
Kay Hodson-Carlton will teach "Health Information: Untangling the Medical Web."
Nickoli's course will focus on the influence of media and film, narrowing in on the perceptions formed about crime victims, offenders and other aspects of criminal justice.
Charles Jones, Executive Director of the Office of Teaching and Learning Advancement, said that the award is unique because of the role students play.
"We all have had teachers that have been outstanding, but we often don't take the time to tell them. It means the world to them to hear that, and this is a way to tell them," Jones said.
Beginning in the spring semester of of 2004, students can nominate teachers for next year's award nominees on Blackboard.
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