U of L honours professor for teaching excellence

By Steffanie Costigan - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on May 31, 2023.

Herald photo by Steffanie Costigan University of Lethbridge art history and museum studies professor Devon Smither has been named winner of the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award.

The University of Lethbridge has named art history and museum studies professor Devon Smither winner of its 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Smither will receive her excellent teaching award at the Spring 2023 Convocation Ceremony Friday at the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

Smither said this is the second time she has been nominated for the Excellence in Teaching award and she is honoured to receive it this year.

“It’s the second time I’ve been nominated. But the first time that I’ve won the award, so I feel really, really honoured to have had my name put forward for the award and to be receiving it this year,” said Smither.

Smither started her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta. She continued her education, receiving her master’s in art history at the University of British Columbia. Once she completed her master’s, she finished her doctorate at the University of Toronto.

Smither said post-secondary educators are not required to take the same training as instructors from Kindergarten to Grade 12. She said although training is not the same for post-secondary instructors, she is proud of the extra measures she took in her pedagogy.

“We’re not required to go through the same training. I think one of the things that I’m really proud of in terms of this recognition and this award is a recognition that I have spent, I’ve put a lot of effort and dedication into my pedagogy into becoming a better teacher. So where that’s not actually required of the job, surprisingly enough, it’s something that I take really seriously.”

Smither started as an instructor at the University of Lethbridge back in 2016. She is currently still a professor and associate dean of Art History and Museum Studies in the Faculty of Fine Arts. She noted varying ways she worked on structuring her classes and teaching methods.

“Whether that’s going to professional development opportunities and training, having colleagues weigh in on some of the decisions that I’m making, as a university instructor, getting student feedback, trying new and different and innovative assignments, or grading techniques, or ways to structure my classes at the university level, I’ve had to work really hard kind of on my own to do that to develop as an instructor. So I see this award is a recognition of some of that dedication.”

Smither shared her collaboration with some of her colleagues in writing and publishing CanadARThistories (Canada Art Histories) and what the co-written book details.

“Through that network of colleagues, we, through COVID, ran a number of workshops about teaching online and teaching our history in different ways. So, I also learned a lot through that process creating that network. Together, we co-wrote an open-access textbook on Canadian and indigenous art history in Canada called Canada, Canada art histories.”

The Excellence in Teaching Award, previously known as the Distinguished Teaching Award, was first established at the university in 1987.

Smither expressed her gratitude to her colleague and students for nominating her and supporting her.

“Immense gratitude to my colleagues and students who nominated and supported the application for the award, gratitude to them, but just I guess, a pretty amazing sense of accomplishment and pride again in that recognition for some of the hard work that I’ve put into becoming a better teacher at the university.”