Dr. Aileen Creighton

Dr. Aileen Creighton

This award for teaching excellence pays tribute to an outstanding and beloved educator—Dr. Aileen Creighton.  Above all else, she loved teaching.  Born August 27, 1911, to John Scott and Adda Inez (Griffin) Swafford in Cannaday Community near Gainsville, Texas, Dr. Creighton was the youngest of four children.  She seemed always to have been surrounded by educators.  Her two sisters and a brother were teachers at some point, and her father taught for 50 years.

Dr. Creighton wanted very much to attain her father’s goal of teaching 50 years, and she clearly surpassed it.  Her nieces, however, describe her teaching career as having spanned nearly 70 years.  She taught in high school for seven years before coming to Del Mar College, and she spent 41 years at Del Mar College as a classroom teacher and as the Chair of the English Department.  Following her retirement in 1979, she continued teaching English courses at Del Mar College until Christmas of 2001.

Dr. Creighton learned to read at age four, and she was a student in her father’s classroom from grades 4 through 11.  About her early education, she said:  “I loved the fun of working sentence diagrams in English and doing the work assigned to upper grades just to see if I could finish a problem before they did.  I’ll always be grateful for that experience.  Heady stuff!”

At age 16, Aileen Creighton graduated from West Texas State Teachers High School in Canyon, Texas, as an Honor Society member and class valedictorian.  Always in pursuit of higher learning, her family moved to Austin, where she entered the University of Texas.  Even working two part-time jobs, she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1929 at the age of 18.  Unable to get a teaching job because of her youth and because of the Great Depression, she continued her studies in UT-Austin’s then “Department of the Art of Teaching” and earned her master’s degree in English.  Later in her academic life, she became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Lambda Theta and was eventually recognized as a Piper Professor and as a Texas Junior College Teachers Association “Teacher of the Year” Award recipient.  Today we credit her with beginning the curricula for remedial English classes at Del Mar College, an initiative that was well ahead of its time in the 1960s.

Through her uncanny ability with words, Dr. Creighton has inspired large numbers of students to love the beauty and majesty of our language.  Patterning their lives after her example, many of her former students have caught the passion that she felt for our mother tongue and have chosen to become teachers of English.

Dr. Creighton’s inner fire and enthusiasm brought her through some hard financial times.  Her salary for many years was minuscule by today’s standards, yet she always chose to share her fascination with prose and poetry with thousands of fortunate students. Even today when she glibly quoted from memory long passages of melodious phrases, the magic of words in her life became evident.  The inspiration of this great lady seems boundless—because she was undeniably a master of the art of teaching.

www.delmar.edu

Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence

Award Overview

2009-2010

The purpose of the Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence is to recognize an individual's career teaching accomplishments at Del Mar College.  The award can be presented to an individual in an academic discipline only once in that individual's Del Mar career.  The recipient is selected by committees at both the divisional level and at the college level.  Individuals who are nominated but are not awarded are eligible for re-nomination.

Eligibility:
The nominees must have a minimum of ten years’ teaching experience in a full-time, tenure-track position at Del Mar College.

Criteria:
Given that these criteria are not ordered in any priority fashion, it is assumed that any faculty member considered for the award shall demonstrate superior ability in most, if not all, of these criteria.

The criteria for this award are divided into three categories:  Student Learning and Impact, Instruction and Assessment, and Professional Growth and Development.

Recipient selection will be based on evidence that supports claims illustrating the following criteria:

  I.  Student Learning and Impact
      Successful candidates shall demonstrate:

    • Interest and enthusiasm for teaching and for promoting student learning.
    • An ability to arouse curiosity and to stimulate independent learning and the development of critical thought.
    • Active service to students as an academic, professional and/or personal advisor. Inherent in this advisory role is the assumption that the nominee is readily and willingly available to students for advice and guidance.
    • An ability to assist students from both traditional and non-traditional groups to participate and achieve success in their courses.
    • Sensitivity to and respect for student inquiry and discussion both in and out of the classroom.

  II.  Instruction and Assessment
       Successful candidates shall demonstrate:

    • High standards of ethics in teaching.
    • An ability to organize course material and to present it in a relevant, interesting, imaginative, and scholarly manner.
    • Innovation in the design and delivery of content and course materials.
    • Provision of appropriate assessment including worthwhile feedback to students on their learning.
    • Reinforcement of the relationships between and across related areas of study.

III.  Professional Growth and Development
      Successful candidates shall demonstrate:

    • Command of the subject material including recent developments in the field of study.
    • Participation in professional activities and/or research related to teaching and learning.

Nomination and Selection Process
The nomination and selection process involves three stages:

  1. The nomination of faculty by colleagues or supervisors.
  2. The selection by a Divisional Nomination Selection Committee of no more than two candidates per Academic Division (resulting in a maximum of four candidates.)
  3. The recommendations of the Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence Selection Committee of the final recipient to the President of the College.

A detailing of each of the stages follows:

Stage One—The Nomination Process:

  1. The Vice President of Instruction (VPI) issues a call for nominations.
  2. Nominations may come from a colleague or supervisor who is qualified to comment on the nominee's teaching.  No self-nominations are permitted.

Notice of Commitment:  Preparation of the application materials for the award necessitates a time commitment from both the nominator and the nominee.  As the applicant’s sponsor, the nominator should ensure that the applicant agrees to participate in the preparation of the application and agrees to follow through with the process until its conclusion.

If the nominee is selected by the Divisional Nomination Committee to be a final candidate, the nominator is responsible for assisting the candidate in the preparation of her/his evaluation portfolio.  This portfolio will be used by the Award Selection Committee to determine their final recommendation.  A detailing of the portfolio content is included in the Application Materials section of this document.

  1. Nominations are to be made using the appropriate nomination form.  Nominators are permitted to attach to the nomination form no more than two (2) pages of support addressing the specific award criteria.
  2. Nominations must be submitted to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction by Friday, September 18, 2009.  Once all nominations have been received, they will be distributed to the appropriate Academic Dean.

 

Stage Two—The Divisional Process:

  1. Upon receipt of the nomination forms and letters of support, each Academic Dean   will appoint a committee consisting of one faculty member from each discipline within the division to serve on the Divisional Nomination Selection Committee.
  2. The Divisional Nomination Selection Committee will select no more than two final candidates from the division.  Their selections will be based on the nomination forms and the letter of support.
  3. The names of the final nominees will be submitted to the Office of the VPI.
  4. The VPI will notify, in writing, the final candidates as well as the individuals who nominated the candidates so that they may begin the portfolio assembly process.

 

Reminder:  It is the responsibility of the nominating party, in cooperation with the candidate, to complete the application process upon notification from the VPI.
  1. Final portfolios must be submitted to the Office of the VPI by Friday, November 20, 2009.

Stage Three—The Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence Selection Committee:

  1. The VPI will appoint the members of the Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence Selection Committee.  The six-member committee will consist of:
    • The VPI and the Chair of the committee.
    • One faculty member from each division (two individuals total):  two-year appointment with possibility of reappointment.
    • One individual external from the divisions with expertise in teaching and learning: two-year appointment with possibility of reappointment.
    • One student member:  one-year appointment.
    • The award winner from the previous year:  one-year appointment with possibility of reappointment.

      Note:   The faculty members appointed to the committee may be previous Creighton Award Recipients.

  1. The recommendations of the Selection Committee will be forwarded to the President by Friday, December 4, 2009.
  2. The award will be presented at the Spring Convocation on Monday, January 4, 2010.
Dr. Aileen Creighton

Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence Timeline
2009-2010

September 4 Call for Nominations
September 18 Nominations due to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction
September 25 Nominations forwarded to the Appropriate Academic Dean
October 1 Divisional Nomination Committee Appointed by each Academic Dean
October 15 Divisional Nomination Committee selects two divisional nominees and forwards to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction
October 21 Vice President of Instruction notifies divisional nominees and requests portfolio from divisional nominees
October 26 Award Selection Committee Appointed
November 13

Completed divisional nominees’ portfolios due to Vice President of Instruction
December 4

Award Selection Committee completes review of divisional nominees’ portfolios and makes recommendations to President
January 4 Creighton Award Recipient announced at Convocation

 

 

Dr. Aileen Creighton

Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence

Click here for to Print Nomination Form      PDF

 

Dr. Aileen Creighton
Dr. Aileen Creighton

Nominee Portfolio Materials

The nominee portfolio will be compiled by the individuals named as nominees by the Divisional Selection Committee. (Those who reach stage three of the selection process.)

The portfolios are not required as part of the initial nomination.

Eight copies of the completed portfolio are to be submitted. At least one copy must be gathered in a binder. The remaining copies may be stapled or held together with a binder clip.

The application materials are to be organized in the following sequence. The limitations on the number of pages and items are definite. Excess materials will be disregarded and will not be read.

Required Content and Sequence:

  1. Cover sheet including the name of the nominee, her/his subject area, instructional
    division and the year of nomination.
  2. Table of Contents
  3. The original nomination form and the nomination letter.
  4. Letters of Support (Each Letter of Support is not to exceed 500 words.)
    • No fewer than three and no more than four letters of support from
      colleagues qualified to comment on the nominee’s teaching.
    • No fewer than one and no more than two letters of support from a
      colleague outside the discipline/division.
    • No fewer than three and no more than four letters of support from current
      or former students who have taken course form the nominee. (At least one
      of these letters should be from a student currently enrolled in a course
      taught by the nominee.) The students’ letters should indicate the
      courses(s) taken from the nominee. Student letters are to be solicited by
      the nominator or the Award Committee, not the nominee. The nominee
      may submit names of possible students to contact.
  5. Personal Information
    A one-half page biography on the nominee must be included. This biography
    may be used to introduce the nominee as well as for publication purposes.
  6. A self-report of teaching goals, methods, and philosophy (not to exceed two
    pages).
  7. A condensed curriculum vitae of no more than 3 pages outlining:
    • The educational qualifications
    • Career history
    • Teaching positions
    • Teaching experience
    • Awards and Recognitions for outstanding teaching
  8. A statement (not to exceed 8 pages) addressing each of the evaluation criteria
    areas below. Each section should be addressed independently. The areas are:
    • Student Learning and Impact
    • Instruction and Assessment
    • Professional Growth and Development
  9. Selected material supporting the claims against the selection criteria (not to
    exceed 10 pages). These may include, but are not limited to, evidence of
    contributions to curriculum or program design, assessment instruments, course
    materials and handouts, and study guides.
  10. Student Evaluation Summary
    Include a summary of student evaluations, not to exceed three pages, covering a
    minimum of four courses.
  11. Additional Materials
    (There is a limit of no more than five pages of additional materials .)
Dr. Aileen Creighton

Eligible Faculty for 2009-2010 Nominations

 

AIPPERSPACH, MAC
ALEXANDER, CAROL
ALMENDAREZ, BERTHA
AQUINO, TRANIA
ASUNCION, LOUIE
AYALA‐MAYNARD, NORMA
BELL, DIANA
BERECKA, ALAN
BETSHAHBAZADEH, YOUSSEF
BISSELL, PAUL
BLANKENSHIP, JANIE
BONNETTE, SHAWNEE
BORTZ, MERRY
BROWN, BARRY
CARPENTER, MARK
CASTANEDA JR, ADOLFO
COLEMAN, LEOLA
CONTRERAS, SARAH
CHISHOLM, MARLA
CRAIG‐SCHNIEPP, BARBARA
CRAIG, DON
CRISP, JOHN
CROWL, MARY LOU
DAVID, ANTONIO
DAVIS, PHILLIP
DELAPLAINE, DANA
DELEON, EVANGELINE
DETMER, JOHN
DRUMRIGHT III, ALBERT
DUDICS, KATHLEEN
DUNSON, GEORGE
EHLE, ROBERT TODD
ELLIS, GLEN ALLEN
EUBANK, LINDA
FINNEGAN, BARBARA
FINNEGAN, THOMAS
FLORES, ELIZABETH
FLOWERS, RANDOLPH
FOX, JANIS
FREDERICK, KIM
FREDRICKSON, WAYNE
GANSCHOW, JACKIE
GARCIA, ISMAEL
GARZA, HOMER
GOHLKE, DARCY
 GOODE JR, RICHARD JOSEPH
GUTIERREZ, CONCEPCION
HALL, EXIE
HAMIL, DONNA
HARRIS, MICHAEL
HART, BRIAN
HARVEY, SUSAN
HERRLICH, SYLVIA
HEYMANN, JOANN
HII, PHILIP
HILLEY, GORDON
HINOJOSA, ROBERT
HINTON, RANDALL DAVID
HOY, MARJORIE
HUERTA, DOLORES
HUGHES, DEBRA
IRVING, DAVID
JANKA, MOHAMMAD
JOHNSON, ROBERT
JOHNSTON, TRACY
JONES, MICHAEL
KAIRIES, JOY
KEAS, LENORA
KNOX JR, WARREN
KURZ, DAVID
KUYKENDALL, DANIEL
LEE, LARRY
LIPMAN, WILLIAM
LIVINGSTON, JOE
LONG, RUSSELL
MAREZ, REBECCA
MAUCK, CAROLYN
MCKINNY JR, CHARLES
MORIN, BENJAMIN
MORSE, THERESA
MUNIZ, EVA
NEWPORT, KIRK
OLSON, BRUCE
ORCHARD, RITA
PALACIOS JR, ADELFINO
PARR, LAURA
PFOFF, CHERYL
PHILLIPS, JUDITH
POPLIN, LOYD
 POWER, EUGENE
PRECELLA, ANTHONY
PRECELLA, TIMOTHY
PREZAS, JOHN
RAMIREZ, RENATO
RODRIGUEZ, FERNANDO
ROSIER, KENNETH
RUPP, RICHARD
SAENZ, MONIQUE
SAENZ, RAY
SALINAS, ESTER
SAMO, DUNCAN
SANCHEZ, JORGE
SANSING, GERALD
SHENG, LAIHUA
SHUFELT, PATRICIA
SHURLEY, RICHARD
SMITH, STEVEN WINFIELD
STEWARD, NANCY
STOOPS, SHARI
STURMAN, SUSAN
TETZLAFF‐BELHASEN, CHRIS
THIEME III, WALTER
TOMLINSON, HUGH
VAN WIE III, STONEWALL
VILLARREAL‐RAMOS, YOLANDA
VILLARREAL, ABEL
WEBER, JAMES
WELCH, LISA VICTORIA
WILKERSON, KRISTEN
WILLIAMS, MARY ANN
WOOD, MICHAEL
WOODS, IRMA
YASSIN, NADER
YOWELL, JOEL