Website slings good profs

By Bonnie Leung

Students can now surf the net to find outstanding professors instead of badgering others for information.

The University of Calgary launched a new website commending outstanding professors Nov. 15 in the Learning Commons.

The website includes profiles of over 100 professors who have won teaching awards since 1992, according to Coordinator Tim Buell.

"It also allows them to find out about all the different profs from across campus that they might
not necessarily get to know," said Buell.

Third-year English student Irena Aligazakis, who helped Buell with the website, agreed.

"The Great Teachers site was created mostly for students," she said. "It’s also a great way to publicly credit exceptional teachers, and serves as a promotional tool for the U of C."

Aligazakis hopes the website will give students a better perspective on their professors.

"The people we talked to spoke on everything from their childhood experiences to the research they’re doing presently and how these things affected how they teach," she said. "When students understand what motivates their teachers, they learn a lot better. I see the Great Teachers website as a great way of promoting that kind of sharing, and I hope it will encourage all professors and instructors at the university to do more of it in their classrooms."

Buell feels the website will give recognition to the profs at U of C.

"[It’s also] a means of providing their profiles to U of C students and the general community," he said.

The website is funded from money from the Learning Commons budget.

For more information, visit: http://www.ucalgary.ca/commons/GreatTeachers or contact Tim Buell at 220-3493.