The President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

The President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning honour the passion and dedication of faculty staff

Congratulations to our deserving winners at the 2021 President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Dr Barbara Dignam from the School of Theology, Philosophy and Music and Dr Diarmuid Torney from the School of Law and Government. We also extend our congratulations to all of those nominated in this year's awards across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Commitment, enthusiasm, dedication 

The long-running awards celebrate and acknowledge the role of staff in delivering teaching and learning in Dublin City University and in light of the impact of COVID-19, this year’s awards were of extra significance. Commitment, enthusiasm, dedication and the willingness to go the extra mile were the consistent themes in submissions for this year’s awards.

The Faculty’s Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, Dr Ken McDonagh, said:

Our Faculty's success in the President's Awards is testament to the commitment and passion our colleagues have for delivering a transformative student experience. The large number of nominations from students points to the incredible work put into teaching, particularly given the very difficult year we have all experienced. We are very proud of our award winners, Dr Torney and Dr Dignam, and of all of our colleagues who received nominations. 

Distinctive Approaches to Assessment and Feedback Recipient 2021

The work undertaken by Dr Dignam to reimagine and revitalise the assessment elements of her modules in order to make them relatable for the contemporary student was a key thread among the submissions in this category. The powerful sense of continuous development felt among students and the motivation to keep achieving and striving in the course, was also attributable to Dr Dignam’s drive and passion for her subject.

Distinctive Approaches to Innovation in Teaching Recipient 2021

Organisation and preparation were consistently mentioned in regards to Dr Torney, DCU’s School of Law & Government. Submissions described the structured nature of his course content and how this approach allied with his own insights helped to foster a sense of confidence in his students who find a lecturer that is fully engaged and thorough in his subject matter. Dr Torney’s expertise in climate change policy was described as “unrivalled” and that learning in his lectures was “effortless.”

Read more about DCU’s award winners for Teaching and Learning here.