Dr. Marc Richard, Coordinator of Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program, has been named one of ten new Fellows welcomed into the 3M National Teaching Fellowship by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). He is the first college professor to be accorded this honour; all other Fellows to date have been affiliated with universities.
Founded in 1986 by STLHE in partnership with 3M Canada, the National Teaching Fellowship recognizes exceptional contributions to teaching and learning in Canadian postsecondary education. The community of 3M National Teaching Fellows embodies the highest ideals of teaching excellence and scholarship with a commitment to encourage and support the educational experience of every learner. It is also the only pan-Canadian, cross-disciplinary recognition of educational leadership and excellence in postsecondary teaching.
Dr. Richard has been teaching for over 25 years, and began in the field as a kindergarten teacher. He first came to Sheridan as a director and choreographer in 2001. “My philosophy of educational leadership begins with an image of the student as rich with ideas and creative potential,” says Richard. “My passion for teaching is all about helping students discover something for themselves so that they own it,” he adds. “We can’t give knowledge to them—we have to let them discover things for themselves.”
Dr. Richard joins a community of over 320 3M National Teaching Fellows, representing a broad range of academic disciplines from more than 80 small and large Canadian postsecondary institutions. Fellows are granted a lifetime membership in STLHE, and the opportunity to participate with other Fellows in a four-day study retreat at the Chateau Montebello in Quebec, held in November.
Click here to read more about Marc Richard in Maclean’s.