OCUFA Teaching Award

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Teaching Awards honour faculty members in Ontario who have made significant contributions in the area of instruction, teaching and course development.

This year, Sarah Keefer was one of seven Ontario faculty members, and the only one in the humanities, to receive an OCUFA teaching award.

The award was presented to Professor Keefer on June 8, 2001, with the following citation:

The OCUFA Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards Committee is pleased to present a 2000 Teaching Award to Professor Sarah Keefer of the English Literature Department at Trent University. Through her commitment to her students within and outside the classroom and in her contributions to the enhancement of pedagogical resources in her field, she has proven herself an exemplary teacher.

Testimonials on Professor Keefer's classroom instruction are uniformly superlative. Students and fellow professors comment on her enthusiasm for the subject matter and her dedication to her students. Former students write that her courses are taught "with a passion that is contagious" and that "she cares about her students and wants them to succeed." Among her peers, there is broad based admiration for her innovative pedagogical techniques and her ability to convey difficult subject matter in interesting and accessible ways. Or as a fellow professor notes, "by virtue of Sarah's enthusiasm and creative teaching methods, she has made a difficult subject popular and brought all of her students into the world of her scholarship."

Perhaps the most interesting example of Professor Keefer's ability to inspire and motivate her students is detailed by the chair of her department. He recounts that during a leave of absence due to ill health, students in one of her classes were able to supervise themselves and successfully continue with their studies in her absence - a feat that is a testament to Professor Keefer's ability to instill in her students a passion for course material, but also for the learning process itself.

The Committee was also impressed by Professor Keefer's ability to seamlessly combine her scholarly activity with her teaching and course development. The dean of her faculty notes that she is a "highly respected scholar with a very strong publication record," while testimonials from students frequently mention the degree to which Professor Keefer kept them abreast of new developments in the field, and the degree to which course materials were updated based on these developments. Of note is an instance where Professor Keefer re-wrote an entire textbook in order to satisfy student concerns about the quality of the original text. This textbook is now considered a standard in the field.

Professor Keefer's commitment to the well being of her students goes far beyond the classroom setting. A recurring theme is the degree to which Professor Keefer serves not only as a teacher, but also as a mentor and role model. She is described as a "warm, concerned, intelligent mentor to any and all who approach her," and as someone who is always available to help and encourage students to succeed both academically and personally. One student notes that "when I convocate, it will be due, in large part, to Sarah's help and encouragement," while a colleague encapsulates Professor Keefer's ability to reach out to her students by noting that "students leave her courses being not only educated in English Literature but also inspirited in their lives."

It is apparent that Professor Keefer is someone who is fundamentally committed to her students both within and outside of the traditional academic setting. This commitment has won her the admiration of her students and the respect of her colleagues. It has also made Professor Keefer an exceptional teacher richly deserving of an OCUFA Teaching Award.

Sarah Keefer's Home Page
English at Trent Home Page

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Created by Zailig Pollock; last updated: August 31, 2001