Local academic named as Lecturer of Year

Dr Ian Richards

A Hervey Bay academic has been named among the top university lecturers in Australia.

Dr Ian Richards, who teaches community development and sustainability at USQ Fraser Coast, was one of 38 winners of the 2009 UniJobs Lecturer of the Year competition.

The competition selects a winner from each university, and one overall winner, which went to Dr Ross Odell, from the University of New South Wales.

Dr Richards, 54, was one of 10 finalists from USQ in 2008, but took out the top stop for 2009. USQ employs 600 lecturers across its three campuses.

Students nominate their favourite lecturer and votes are collected on the UniJobs website.

'The interesting thing about this competition is that it has nothing to do with academic qualifications or research profiles,' Dr Richards said.

'It is purely about how you deal with the students.

'The USQ brand is built around our relationship with students. We show our respect for them and we understand that they have a life.

'The vast majority of students have jobs and family commitments and we understand that and support them.'

Dr Richards taught four courses last year. About three-quarters of his students were taught on-line.

'Many are not taught face-to-face,' he said.

'I put a lot of effort into making sure those students feel like they are a part of the group and the whole learning journey.

'It’s about getting them engaged and involved. It’s about being flexible while still demanding high academic standards.

'I love the feeling you get when students say ‘I didn’t know that’, particularly when it’s in relation to sustainability or social justice.'

Dr Richards also volunteers his time as a lecturer for the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Hervey Bay.

Contact Details:
Media Contact: Katrina Corcoran, USQ Media, +61 7 4194 3167