College instructor William Breen receives 2016 Award of Excellence

Anoka-Ramsey Community College English instructor William Breen was recently recognized with an Excellence in Teaching award by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees.

April 20, 2016

William Breen, instructor of English at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, was recognized with an Excellence in Teaching award by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees.

Breen was cited for earning the respect and admiration of his students and colleagues at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and for the passion, commitment and joy he brings to his work as a writing instructor. Breen’s expertise is built upon earned academic degrees including a master of fine arts degree in Creative Writing, but it is also based in staying connected to writing and writers. It was also noted that he is actively engaged in professional organizations, networks through social media and conferences, has served as a visiting writer to a community school in Minneapolis, and has ongoing commitments to the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop where he has served as an instructor at the Lino Lakes and Moose Lake facilities.

“It is you, our faculty, who make our colleges and universities great,” Steven Rosenstone, MnSCU chancellor said at the Awards for Excellence for Administrative Service Faculty and the Awards for Excellence in Teaching presentation event April 20. “When we talk about ensuring access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans, we’re really talking about access to you. When we talk about our quality academic programs, we’re really talking about the work you do, both inside and outside of the classroom. When we talk about preparing students for life and careers, we’re really talking about the education you provide. And when we talk about changing lives, you are the women and men who help our students create a better future for themselves, for their families, and for their communities.”

The Awards for Excellence in Teaching acknowledge and reward exceptional professional accomplishment in teaching. Evaluation criteria include teaching strategies and materials; content expertise and professional growth; assessment of student learning and performance; and service to students, the profession, the institution, and the system. This is the tenth year of the awards. Along with Breen, awards were presented to Dr. Justin Berry at Northland Community and Technical College, Adam Marcotte at Central Lakes College and Dr. Shannon Peak Fiene at Minnesota West Community and Technical College.

“Outstanding faculty at all our colleges and universities make it possible for us to provide an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans,” said Mike Vekich, chair of the Board of Trustees. “The programs our faculty deliver – academic programs, advising, financial aid, registration, residential life, and student affairs, just to name a few – are vital to our ability to serve students and communities in every corner of the state.”

For more information about the outstanding instructors at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit: AnokaRamsey.edu.