SUNY Canton Instructor Receives Prestigious Chancellor's Award for Excellence

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SUNY Canton English Adjunct Instructor Jill L. Martin has been chosen to receive the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. She is pictured here with her husband Terry L. Martin.

CANTON, NY (03/10/2015)(readMedia)-- A SUNY Canton English adjunct instructor is being recognized for her dedication to her students, colleagues and community.

Jill L. Martin has been selected as a recipient of the 2014-15 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. The award honors consistent superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Martin began teaching at SUNY Canton in 2000 and has had many notable successes, particularly an initiative to incorporate volunteer service components into her courses, giving students the opportunity to learn through community engagement.

"Jill works hard to connect course material to current events and life experiences her students have outside of the classroom, keeping them engaged," said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. "It's wonderful to see faculty sending our exemplary students into the community to offer much-needed help to nonprofit organizations."

Her 34 years of teaching experience at the high school level before joining SUNY Canton has allowed her to understand the unique needs of students who are transitioning from high school to college.

"Jill makes every student feel welcome and helps them build the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in future courses," said Jondavid S. DeLong, dean of the School of Business and Liberal Arts. "She is always there to instruct, assist and support students, while maintaining high standards."

Martin also serves as a trusted adviser to her peers. She created an Adjunct Mentorship Program and authored the college's first adjunct faculty handbook to acclimate new part-time instructors to the campus.

"When I first came to SUNY Canton in the fall of 2012, Jill helped me every step of the way by sharing her experiences and teaching techniques, as well as walking me through administrative procedures I wasn't familiar with," said colleague Emily Hamilton-Honey, assistant professor of English and Humanities. "She is an incredible friend and mentor, and I continue to seek her advice when I am faced with challenges in the classroom."

Martin earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from SUNY Potsdam and holds a New York State permanent teaching certification. She began her secondary education teaching career in 1965 and retired in 1999.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses, as well as ten exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-