Professor Van Vechten Named to Receive 2008 Roman & Littlefield Award

Professor Renée Van Vechten, of the University of Redlands, Department of Government, has been awarded the 2008 Rowman & Littlefield Award for Innovative Teaching in Political Science. 

The Rowman and Littlefield Award recognizes political scientists who have developed effective new approaches to teaching in the discipline. The award seeks to honor a wide range of new directions in teaching, not one particular new direction. The winner was chosen from among a large number of deserving nominees whose teaching techniques have moved our pedagogy forward.

Dr. Van Vechten received the award for the work that she has done on collaborative simulations. In particular, Van Vechten created and facilitated three simultaneous and interactive simulations in her Congress course and two Introduction to American Governments Courses. Students in the congress course represented congressional members, while students in the two American Government courses played the part of lobbyists and constituents with direct ties to particular congresspersons. In a citation awarded to Dr. Van Vechten, L. Sandy Maisel, the chairperson of the Award selection committee states that “teaching like yours represents the best use of our professional knowledge, our personal skills and energy, and our willingness to experiment in the classroom all for the benefit of political science students.” 

Additionally, Dr. Van Vechten was a 2008 Teaching and Learning Conference participant in the Teaching Across the Disciplines Track. She presented a research paper entitled: “Collaborative Learning in Course Simulation: Congress and American Politics.”

Learn more about the Rowman and Littlefield Award at: www.apsanet.org/section_481.cfm.