Debra Smith, associate professor of Africana studies, is among the five finalists for one of UNC Charlotte’s top honors – the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. The recipient of this award will be revealed at a special ceremony on Friday, Sept. 5; Inside UNC Charlotte has profiled the other finalists - Anita Blowers, Jonathan Crane, Fumie Kato and Tracy Rock.
Smith learned in the eighth grade that teaching should be inspirational, relevant, challenging, creative, respectful, collaborative, interesting, exciting and irresistible. Teaching should help one grow.
“My philosophy is to teach in a way that respects every student and confirms their experiences as valuable to the learning environment,” Smith said.
She is the first to acknowledge that the courses she teaches are successful because of the relationships she builds with the students. She wants her students to feel a connection to the content and be able to discern why this content is relevant. She works to guide students to critical consciousness, to a sense of ethical action, and to a conscious engagement with their educational endeavors.
Since joining UNC Charlotte in 1997, Smith has developed and taught a diverse suite of courses that bridge disciplinary boundaries across the University, including critical film, global Africa, African-American culture, health and environment, journalism, folklore and women’s studies.
Teaching and classroom peer evaluations may demonstrate her proficiency in the classroom, but they cannot begin to measure the absolute satisfaction she gets from teaching and learning. Her students recognize and thrive under this dedication. A senior Africana studies major wrote that Smith “works at every level of student ability by participation and reinforcement. She has a very special way of covering sensitive race issues within the boundaries of mutual respect, which allows the class to operate within a framework of social comfort.”
Following her eighth grade teacher’s example, Smith has embraced the word “challenging” as it relates to teaching practices, and she has been a facilitator of best practices in teaching and learning. She was the first to teach an online class in the department before instructional technology became a widely adopted tool in the University. She led the efforts to convert the department’s gateway course to an online class and coached colleagues transitioning to Moodle-supported classes. Akin Ogundiran, chair of the Africana Studies Department, stated that Debra is an inspiring leader to students and colleagues alike.
Throughout her UNC Charlotte career, Smith has demonstrated a commitment to student success, including serving as an instructor in the University Transitional Opportunities Program (UTOP), as a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Intercollegiate Athletics, as a faculty mentor for the McNair Summer Research Program and as an advisor to a number of student organizations. She initiated the Africana Studies Summer Scholars Academy, a one-week summer program for rising high school juniors that offers opportunities for students to sample college-level courses, navigate college campus life and meet college professors.
For her dedication to teaching and student achievement, Smith has won honors from Student Support Services in three categories: Professor of the Year, Inspiration Award and Magical Mentor Award. In 2008, she received the Building Educational Strengths and Talents (BEST) Award for Teaching. Inspired by her teacher in the 8th grade, Smith has become the inspiration to so many.