Durham College (DC) is proud to share that Shane Jones, faculty member in the School of Hospitality & Horticultural Science and program co-ordinator for the Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician programs, has been honoured with a Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Silver Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty at the association’s virtual annual conference on April 26.

Shane is a mainstay at DC’s W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre). Whether teaching and mentoring students in class, during labs or out in the centre’s urban farm, he has played a vital role in shaping the college’s horticulture and food and farming programs, as well as developing its living landscape where lessons come to life.

He has been the driving force behind the complete integration of the farm and horticulture production with curriculum, resulting in an immersive learning experience for students and thousands of pounds of food from the fields per year. Shane takes great pride in his work and is always willing to lead where needed to ensure the success of his students and colleagues.

Passionate about teaching and constantly looking to support and enhance the student experience, Shane incorporates hands-on learning in everything he does. Whether mentoring participants or volunteering as a judge in Skills Ontario competitions or guiding teams through installations at trade shows, he generously gives his time and energy.

Winners of the Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty are selected based on the following criteria:

• Commitment – The nominee or team has shown a consistent commitment to student success and to developing methodologies, materials, and processes which have contributed to student success.
• Leadership in teaching – The nominee or team has provided a leadership role model for teaching colleagues and students.
• Impact – The nominee’s or team’s work has had a recognized and substantial impact on students (employment, success rate), colleagues (through professional development and example) and the institution (reputation in the subject area).
• Sustainability – The nominee’s or team’s commitment has been broadly evident over their career to date.
• Adaptability – One of the nominee’s or team’s strengths is the ability to adapt teaching styles, methodologies, or materials to fit student needs and available resources.

Shane, congratulations on your Silver Leadership Excellence Award. The CICan Awards of Excellence recognize best practices from more than 135 colleges and institutes across the country, as well as individual leadership and achievements, for more information on this year’s awards, please visit the CICan website.