Sue Hodge Honored as Teaching Award Finalist

Sue Hodge of Criminal Justice and Criminology is one of three nominees for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer. The other nominees are Tonya Bates of Biological Sciences and John Taylor of Mathematics and Statistics.

Susan Hodge has taught Criminal Justice courses at several institutions including Pfeiffer College, Central Piedmont Community College and UNC Charlotte. She was also a Certified General Instructor for the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, North Carolina Department of Justice. Hodge has volunteered with the Victim Assistance Program as a Rape Crisis Companion and served on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Law Center.

As a senior lecturer in the Criminal Justice and Criminology department at UNC Charlotte, she currently teaches undergraduate level courses which include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice Ethics, Criminal Justice Theory, Juvenile Justice and Ethical Issues in Personal, Professional and Public Life.

Hodge is the Advising Coordinator for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. She works with students to insure they are on the correct path toward graduation and fulfilling careers in Criminal Justice. Her dedication and excellence in advising students result in consistently strong feedback from the students and in others on campus seeking her counsel, through presentations and informal conversations. She also is an Advisor for the National Honor Society for Criminal Justice majors, and the Omega Theta chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma.

She focuses on staying up-to-date on new methodologies and invites professionals in the field to present in her classes and to connect with students. She believes writing is critically important and infuses writing assignments in various ways. She has led a cohort of students in a study abroad trip to Kingston, England.

Her teaching philosophy is focused on “generating enthusiasm and providing the tools necessary for student learning.” It is clear from student feedback that she succeeds at both. One student summed it up when she wrote that “Mrs. Hodge is how college professors should be. Kind and helpful as well as providing you with an excellent education.”