Professors were invited to taste test a variety of homemade salsas made by faculty on Monday, Sept. 24. The 2nd Annual Salsa Contest also featured the presentation of the Innovative Online Teaching Award to Christopher Strickland.
“This event is an opportunity for faculty and staff to come together to celebrate innovations that are happening on our campus while also getting to enjoy one another’s company and tasting salsas that their peers have created,” said Shannon Mulhearn, an assistant professor of physical education and spearhead of the contest.
The salsa contest and award started last year with the re-institution of the Center for Teaching Excellence. The dean of graduate studies brought this idea to life as they felt it was necessary to draw faculty to the west side of campus for space set aside for the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Those in attendance were given four tickets to vote on their favorite salsas and relax during the presentation of the teaching award. They also received various snacks, listened to music and shared advice to benefit their roles in online teaching courses.
The first annual salsa contest and Innovative Online Teaching Award was in November 2023. It was presented to Amanda Sladek last year for her accessibility and sparking class discourse throughout each of her online classes. This year, Strickland was recognized for his integrational practices in his online classes that were innovative and beneficial for students.
Strickland was chosen for this award by his fellow faculty members and peers by submissions about their teaching and examples of practices they are using in their courses. Then, each packet is taken to a panel of judges who rate each candidate based on a rubric.
“The winner gets a certificate and they will be featured in a blog through the Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Innovation, along with a stipend for professional development and collaboration with the Center for Teaching Excellence to offer a training event for other faculty members on our campus,” Mulhearn said.
Event leaders said they feel this event is beneficial and necessary to continue with as it builds camaraderie among the staff. The tactics the award recipient uses will also be incorporated into other online classes in hopes for more professors to learn from their peers.
Photos by Lily Roby and Jenna Heinz / Antelope Staff
