Trent Part-Time Faculty Union Selects Melanie Buddle
    for 2006 CUPE Teaching Award

Trent University's union for part-time faculty, CUPE 3908 Unit 1, is pleased to announce that it has unanimously chosen Professor Melanie Buddle, Tutorial Leader for History 150, as the winner of its Award for Excellence in Part-Time Teaching. The award will be presented at the CUPE 3908 Annual General Meeting this fall.
Professor Buddle has been teaching courses and leading tutorials at Trent since January 2003. She holds a B.A. from the University of Guelph, a Master's degree from the University of Northern British Columbia, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Victoria.
After growing up in Lakefield, Professor Buddle says "teaching at Trent is like coming home, for me." In response to being selected for the award, she commented, "I love teaching at Trent and I am thrilled and honoured by this acknowledgement. To be nominated by students, who are the reason we do what we do, makes this a really special award."
Professor Buddle's nomination letters consistently referred to her as "caring", "humble" and "helpful". Students described the impacts of her teaching as seminal to their positive experience at the University and praised her for the inclusive, yet academically rigorous, environment she has created in the classroom. They also described the tutorial experience with Professor Buddle as one that has given them an appreciation for the study of history and the humanities. Again and
again students expressed that they can't wait to come Buddle's tutorials. In fact, one student wrote, "I cannot think of a better way to wake up on Monday morning. You do not wake up in the morning
thinking 'I have class,' you wake up shouting 'Yes! I have class with Melanie today!'"
The quality of nomination letters for Professor Buddle, as well as for many other CUPE 3908-1 members, speaks to the important role that part-time faculty are increasingly playing in the academic lives of Trent students.
The Award for Excellence in Part-Time Teaching was established to honour the work of part-time faculty within the Trent community, providing students and colleagues with an avenue to express their appreciation and respect for the high quality of teaching provided by part-time faculty.