Campus News

Olsen Selected for Teaching Excellence

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities' Board of Trustees will honor a faculty member with the Award for Excellence in Teaching. This honor acknowledges and rewards exceptional individual professional accomplishment and encourages ongoing excellence in teaching.

Minnesota West Community & Technical College has recently undergone an extensive process (using input from faculty and students from each campus) to identify candidates to serve as the Minnesota West nominee for the Award for Excellence in Teaching.  Gary Olsen, Electrical Instructor on the Minnesota West, Canby campus has been chosen to represent for the Statewide Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Olsen will now compete with approximately 40 other nominees from fellow Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institutions from across the State of Minnesota. Nominations were based on criteria such as: innovative classroom delivery and/or programming, cooperation and partnerships within and outside of the college, campus involvement/leadership, and community involvement/leadership.

“Gary Olsen is the essence of what a true educator exemplifies.  Anyone who has seen Gary teach or been a student in his class can testify that he is dedicated to his students, the College, and industry partners,” notes, Rebecca Weber, Dean of Canby and Granite Falls campuses.

Honorable mention to the other Minnesota West Community & Technical College instructors whom were also nominated for the award:

Granite Falls  – Laine Rieger
Jackson – Terri Pelzel
Pipestone/Luverne  – Tonya Koepsell
Worthington – Kathy Janssen
Management  - Deb Munsterman