The selection process for the Hayward Award for Excellence in Education is now complete. As you know, in 1985 the Board of Governors of California Community Colleges, in honor of the former state Chancellor, Gerald C. Hayward, created an award to honor outstanding community college faculty members who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to their students, college, and profession. In addition to excellence in teaching, they must have a record of outstanding performance in professional activities, as well as a record of active participation on campus. We would like to congratulate the following faculty on being selected to receive the 2006 Excellence in Education Award: Area A: Michelle Macfarlane, Agriculture, Sierra College Area B: Angelica Buendia-Bangle, Counseling, West Valley College Area C: Richard Manley, Counseling, Antelope Valley College Area D: Dibakar Barua, English, Golden West College As you know, only one faculty member from each geographical area may receive this award each year. There were a great number of applications forwarded to our office and the selection was difficult for each of the selection committees. We certainly appreciate having all the nominees for this award and look forward to again receiving applications from all the colleges for next year's selection process. Area D: Dibakar Barua has been chair of the English department at Golden West College since 1996. He has also been a classroom instructor for nearly 25 years, teaching composition, creative writing, and literature. His experience with and commitment to students has led him to make curricular innovations in English. He has created self-paced mini-courses for the Reading and Writing Center and championed the cause of improved supplemental instruction for ESL and Basic Skills students. In addition to the canonical texts, he draws from varied perspectives such as post-colonial, feminist, and post-structural pedagogy to enrich his students’ literary experience, as well as to impart global scope and understanding. Barua holds that a personal connection with the student is fundamental to learning. He strives to develop a "genuine intellectual, emotional, or … spiritual" engagement with his students, in order to imbue them with a love of learning and a love of life. Barua is deeply committed to open access, student equity, and student success, and his commitment and dedication to his students and to the community college system is not limited to the classroom. He continuously serves on many committees on both the local and statewide level, especially with regard to matters of equity and basic skills. He has also served as on the Executive Committee of the State Academic Senate.
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