North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) congratulates this year’s Excellence in Teaching award winners Doug Morse, Randy Bonde, and Gary Herrig. During the 2016-17 academic year graduating students were invited to respond to a survey and provide comments about an instructor they had in class who made a positive impact in their life and educational experience. NIACC President, Steve Schulz, presented the awards during the NIACC All-Staff meeting on August 21.

Arts and Science: Doug Morse – According to President Schulz, “Doug exemplifies learner centered instruction. He puts students and their learning as a priority. Doug is an innovator in the classroom, adjusting his teaching style to the needs of the learner. He demonstrates care for his students in his classroom and promotes life success.”

A student responded, “Doug Morse was the best teacher that I had. He wanted all of his students to learn. He helped me get a better understanding of how business works and how to live successfully in the real world. He motivated me to believe in myself and my visions.  He is a great instructor and really cares about his class. He was always enthusiastic and you always have the feeling that he truly cares about you. I also feel that he has helped me gain a wealth of knowledge that will help me succeed in the business world. He has made learning fun in and out of the classroom. I like the way he teaches using the flipped classroom approach. He records videos for his class to watch outside of the designated meeting times, then when his students come to class they take a quiz to test their knowledge of the content and then he expands on it during the class time. Doug is an excellent instructor who has had an impact on my life during my time at NIACC.”

Career/ Technical: Randy Bonde— “There is no better instructor than Randy”, said a former student. ”He gives 1000% (yes 1,000%) to his students.  He is very attentive when we ask for assistance.  Ask anyone who has had the pleasure of being one of his students past or present. He is a great teacher and very nice too! He is so in depth in his teaching that he helped me better understand.  He always assists you with whatever problems you run into in the class.  He goes way above the requirement of his job to help his students.”

President Schulz shared, “Randy is intensely committed to his craft and sharing that knowledge with his students.  He keeps career and technical education up to date with current innovations and industry practices.  His demeanor with students demonstrates care and concern over them and their learning.”

Adjunct Teaching Award: Gary Herrig — According to President Schulz, “Nothing is more evident than Gary’s exuberance for student success.  His commitment to students is unwavering. He communicates his expectations and holds his students accountable, but does so in a helpful way. Students describe him as fun and having a positive impact on their lives.”

Most telling is this response received from a student, “He gave me the opportunity to develop leadership skills and become a leader myself. His personality and sense of humor never fail to brighten my day. He has made me feel so welcome while I have attended NIACC. He always sees the best in me and always tells me I’m doing a great job. Even when I doubt myself he lets me know he has confidence in me. He’s a great listener. Gary always listens to my ideas and then provides suggestions on how to put them into action. He is nonjudgmental, caring, and he really does make everyone feel like they belong and that they matter. Having Gary here at NIACC has changed my whole experience. I am so very thankful for him!”

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