Professor Mark Weisberg honoured for educational leadership

Photo by Aimee Burtch

Professor Mark Weisberg is the first recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for Educational Leadership from Queen’s University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Professor Mark Weisberg received the Distinguished Service Award for Educational Leadership from Queen’s University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for his significant and sustained contributions to improving teaching at Queen’s. Principal Daniel Woolf presented the new award at a reception in Ban Righ Hall on November 12, 2009.

Weisberg is the first recipient of the award, which will be presented sparingly to particularly outstanding candidates.

“Mark Weisberg is an inspiring and committed teacher who has dedicated his career to his students and colleagues with the aim of making Queen’s an institution where learning is central and where students are stimulated, challenged and encouraged to become curious, self-directed and reflective learners throughout their lives,” said Professor Joy Mighty, CTL Director, as she presented the award. “The Centre for Teaching and Learning is delighted to honour him for his work with faculty and students, both at Queen’s and in the wider Canadian higher education community.”

Since arriving at Queen’s Law in 1969, Weisberg has brought imagination and creativity into the courses he teaches, such as Legal Imagination, Legal Ethics and Images of Doctors and Lawyers. He was a pioneer in developing innovative courses and in working across disciplinary boundaries. For over two decades he has promoted conversations about teaching through the Cross-Faculty Teaching Forum, organized teachers’ reading and writing circles, and was integral to the establishment of the Instructional Development Centre in 1992 (now the CTL). Not only does Weisberg design and present workshops and offer consultations to colleagues on teaching improvement, but his articles about teaching have been published in Canada and abroad.

Weisberg has been recognized before for his exceptional contributions to teaching. In 1994, he received the Ontario Confederation of Faculty Associations Award, and in 1995, he received the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, an award bestowed by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and sponsored by 3M Canada.

Weisberg’s latest award comes as he is about to retire from his position at Queen’s Law. “I’m honoured to be recognized by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, where I’ve spent many challenging and fulfilling years,” he said. “Working with colleagues interested in improving their teaching and their students’ learning has been both gratifying and enriching.”