Innovative Pedagogies Award
Eligibility | Criteria | Application | Nomination | 2024 recipients | Past recipients
The Innovative Pedagogies Award is a prestigious recognition designed to honour faculty members who have exemplified exceptional innovation as an expression of their commitment to teaching and learning. This award celebrates those educators who have made remarkable contributions to the enrichment and evolution of classroom work, curriculum design, work integration, and experiential learning.
Recipients of this award are distinguished by their creative and forward-thinking approaches to education, which are not only reflective of but also significantly contribute to Mount Royal's strategic emphasis on liberal education, experiential learning and transformative practices in the classroom. These educators have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to enhancing student engagement, fostering critical thinking and nurturing a passion for lifelong learning among their students.
The Innovative Pedagogies Award is not merely a recognition of past achievements but also a testament to the ongoing influence these faculty members have in shaping a future generation of learners and leaders. It underscores MRU’s commitment to excellence in teaching and its dedication to providing an education that is both meaningful and transformative.
Recipients of the Innovative Pedagogies Award receive a letter signed by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, along with a framed certificate. They are also recognized on Mount Royal's Faculty Excellence Awards website and at the Faculty Excellence Celebration in May. Award recipients may also be recognized through other channels.
2024 Innovative Pedagogies Award recipients
Dr. Giuliana Harvey
Associate ProfessorSchool of Nursing and Midwifery
Faculty of Health, Community and Education
Dr. Giuliana Harvey is an associate professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. As a leader and innovator in the program, Giuliana looks for ways to improve student outcomes by developing various pedagogical tools and techniques, such as technology-enhanced learning environments, to create inclusive and effective learning experiences.
In addition, she has played a pivotal role in revamping the curriculum in the Nursing program by integrating a focus on contemporary challenges and opportunities, such as diversity and inclusion, consistency in lab courses, enhancing clinical learning contracts, and student E-Portfolios.
Guiliana also made a significant positive impact on her students during the COVID-19 pandemic. One student remarked “Dr. Harvey’s organization and adaptability to the online learning environment was remarkable. She facilitated online classroom opportunities that continued to engage me with my peers and stimulated thought-provoking discussions despite the lack of personal connectivity. “
Giuliana’s program of research is focused on undergraduate nursing student stress and well-being. Her overarching goal is to empower students through the development of personalized stress management tools and coping mechanisms.
Her commitment to student success and ability to integrate cutting-edge scholarly work into nursing education makes Guiliana a deserving recipient of this award.
Lavinia Moldovan is an associate professor in the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies. Her work in the field of economics connects her to experiential learning, pedagogical innovation, advancement of liberal education and transformational educational practices. How she creates these connections is truly innovative.
Teaching economics relies heavily on mathematical models, and Lavinia believes that students need to be exposed to complementary methods of instruction to grasp certain concepts. Combining traditional and non-traditional methods in teaching economic concepts, Lavinia encourages students to make connections between their own world or lived experiences and economic theory. They are also challenged to find imaginative ways to convey economic concepts in practice, to ensure they understand how economic concepts are presented in daily life and in the economic decisions that we make.
One academic, who saw Lavinia present her ideas on the use of photography assignments in economics at an international conference says, “(this approach)…is now a fundamental part of my toolkit. Her pedagogy has shaped the way I teach, and more importantly, the way students learn.”
Lavinia’s innovative ideas go beyond traditional teaching methods and allow her to develop new ideas for her practice and new opportunities for experiential learning.
2024 Awards Adjudication Committee
| Member | Title |
| Dr. Karim Dharamsi | Vice-Provost Academic (Chair) |
| Dr. Connie Van der Byl | Associate Vice-President, Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement |
| Dr. Samanti Kulatilake | Associate Professor, Anthropology |
| Dr. Adam Cave | Vice-Dean, Academic, Faculty of Business and Communication Studies |
| Dr. Gaye Warthe | Vice-Dean, Faculty of Health, Community and Education |
| Dr. Melanie Rathburn | Vice-Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology |
| Cari Merkley | Associate Professor & Librarian, University Library |
| Paul Jessop | Contract Faculty, Health and Physical Education, Faculty of Health, Community and Education |
| Joseph Nguyen | President, Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) |
| Tala Abu Hayyaneh | Vice-President Academic, Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) |
Award requirements
Eligibility
All faculty who are defined as Employees in Mount Royal's faculty collective agreement are eligible for this award.
All candidates for this award must be nominated.
Criteria
Nominees are assessed on the demonstration of excellence in one or more of the following:
- Innovative curriculum design
- Experiential learning and work integration
- Pedagogical innovation
- Advancement of liberal education
- Transformational educational practices
Innovative curriculum design
- Play a pivotal role in designing or revamping curriculum that is both challenging and relevant, integrating contemporary issues and interdisciplinary perspectives.
- Skillfully balances theoretical knowledge with practical application, ensuring that the curriculum remains dynamic and responsive to the evolving needs of the industry and society.
Experiential learning and work integration
- Excels in embedding experiential learning opportunities within one's teaching practices.
- Provides students with invaluable real-world experiences that complement and enhance their classroom learning, through internships, community projects or hands-on research.
Pedagogical innovation
- Utlizes a range of pedagogical tools and techniques—from technology-enhanced learning environments to collaborative learning spaces—to create a more inclusive, engaging and effective learning experience for students.
Advancement of liberal education
- Champions the development of well-rounded, critical thinkers, in alignment with Mount Royal's commitment to liberal education.
- Encourages cross-disciplinary learning and cultivates an environment where diverse viewpoints and ideas are explored and respected.
Transformational educational practices
Application
Application process
- All candidates for this award must be nominated.
- The selection committee receives and reviews all nominations to confirm eligibility.
- Eligible nominees are invited to apply for the award. They are supplied with detailed application instructions.
- Applicants have approximately three weeks to submit their applications.
- The selection committee reviews the applications and selects the award recipients.
- All applicants receive a decision letter from the selection committee.
- Award recipients are expected to be announced by mid-April.
Application package
Detailed instructions, an application form (in Google Forms) and a dossier template (in Google Docs) will be provided to nominees who are invited to apply. All application materials are to be submitted in PDF format.
The application package includes:
Dossier document:
- Cover letter that articulates how you meet your chosen award criteria, including your most relevant significant achievements
- Teaching philosophy statement
- Summary of three SPoT evaluations from the past three years
Additional documents:
- Current curriculum vitae
- Up to two letters of support
- Optional supporting documents (e.g., course outlines, chair and peer evaluations etc.)
Nomination
Please carefully review the Innovative Pedagogies eligibility and criteria, along with the following information, before submitting a nomination.
Eligibility to nominate
Nominations can be submitted by any student, faculty, staff, management or alumni of Mount Royal University.
Requirements
- All nominations must be seconded by a full-time or contract faculty member.
- Nominations should be accompanied by a statement that includes the reasons for the nomination (maximum 500 words). Specific reference should be made, where possible, to the nominee's qualifications relative to the criteria.
- Nominations should be submitted to the Office of the Vice-Provost Academic and must be completed using the nomination form provided on this webpage during the nomination period.
- An mtroyal.ca email address is required to complete a nomination form. Anonymous emails or testimonials will not be accepted.
Return to Teaching and Learning Awards
The Faculty Excellence Awards are administered through Academic Affairs, as part of Mount Royal’s Celebrate U framework for employee rewards and recognition.