Teaching & Advising

James Cook, a professor in the Department of Psychological Science at UNC Charlotte, has received the 2019 Outstanding Educator Award, a top award given by the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), Division 27 of the American Psychological Association. The award recognizes Cook’s long-standing and far-reaching contributions to community psychology and community research and action through education.

UNC Charlotte’s German Studies and Japanese Studies are number two and four, respectively, in the nation when it comes to awarding undergraduate degrees. The national rankings speak to a concerted effort by faculty, staff, students and partners of the Department of Languages and Culture Studies to ensure that what students are learning is not only challenging, but also relevant, said Ann Gonzalez, chair of the department.

UNC Charlotte’s nationally accredited Gerald G. Fox Master of Public Administration program has been ranked in the top 21% of 285 public affairs programs nationwide that were included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Graduate Schools rankings, released on March 12. The UNC Charlotte program ranked #60 nationally, with or ahead of much larger public affairs programs that were part of the rankings. The program also has achieved national specialty area rankings, including #16 in local government management, #22 in urban policy, and #27 in public finance and budgeting.

Public sector managers face specific challenges that differ from those of people working in the for-profit arena. To address these challenges, UNC Charlotte’s Gerald G. Fox Master of Public Administration Program and the University’s Continuing Education Office offer the MPA Public Management Academy Professional Development Certificate program.

As part of the effort to advance experiential learning for students, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences faculty and staff learned best practices during a two-day workshop in June with Worcester Polytechnic Institute facilitators. The primary goal of the workshop was to explore how to integrate project-based learning throughout CLAS.

Fans of comic books, graphic novels, and manga gathered on June 15-17 at the Charlotte Convention Center for the annual Heroes Convention. In a “Monday Missive” blog posting, English Department Chair Mark West took a moment to discuss the use of sequential art to tell stories.

For her transformational impact on international education at UNC Charlotte, Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau, associate professor of German, is the 2018 recipient of the International Education Faculty Award. Notable contributions include a keen focus on expanding opportunities for students to study, work and intern abroad, with a parallel focus on growing community partnerships to support students. She also has grown academic offerings and community outreach.

A classroom approach in which students seek solutions to problems rooted in real meteorological data; non-traditional teaching techniques to help students grasp organic chemistry; and a focus on students choosing research projects geared to their interests are just some of the innovative, hands-on approaches this year’s CLAS Excellence in Teaching Awards recipients use to challenge students.

UNC Charlotte’s University Writing Program has earned a 2017-2018 CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence, as one of only nine honorees to receive the national award. The UWP serves the entire university and is housed within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Discerning between real and fake news has become an increasingly difficult task, especially in the digital domain. With a goal of helping students address this challenge, UNC Charlotte — with faculty from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences as leaders — was selected as one of 10 institutions for the pilot program “Digital Polarization: Promoting Online Civic Literary,” sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU) American Democracy Project.