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U of L professor to receive Distinguished Teaching Award

May 27, 2019 | 11:35 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A University of Lethbridge political science professor has been named the winner of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. Harold Jansen works with the school’s Faculty of Arts & Science. According to a release from the U of L, Jansen has been teaching his entire adult life and first discovered his passion during his high school years, when he led ad hoc Chemistry 20 tutoring sessions.

He later worked as a teaching assistant for both chemistry and history classes while studying at the King’s University College in Edmonton. Following his time in Edmonton, Jansen completed his BA at the University of Alberta, his master’s at Carleton University and then his doctoral studies back at the U of A.

The U of L said that, “at the heart of his teaching philosophy is a focus on empathy, understanding what it is like for his students who are approaching a subject for the first time, or learning about it from him for the first time.”

“Jansen strives to capture the excitement of being a student while quelling the uncertainty students feel exploring new concepts and big ideas,” read a release from the university.

In Maclean’s yearly guide to colleges and universities, Jansen was named one of the U of L’s popular professors for six years in a row.

His Digital Politics class was cited in 2018 as one of two cool classes at the University. Last year, he also received the Teaching Excellence Award from the U of L’s Students’ Union.

Jansen will receive the Distinguished Teaching Award from the U of La at the 2019 Spring Convocation Ceremony II on Thursday, May 30 at 2:30 p.m. in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium.

The Distinguished Teaching Award was established in 1987 to recognize the importance of teaching to the philosophy and goals of the University.