Faculty Appreciation Week is halfway over, but students can still show appreciation to their professors. 

Hosted by UT Senate of College Councils, Faculty Appreciation Week is a good time for students to foster relationships with professors, said Yaneli Rubio, marketing sophomore and co-chair of faculty affairs. During the week, the Senate encourages students to write thank-you notes to their teachers.

“This year we have 5,000 [thank-you cards], and we’ve been going at a good pace to use them all, so I think we’re going to reach our goal,” said Becky Pickert, BHP accounting sophomore and co-chair of faculty affairs.

“During Faculty Appreciation Week the University honors a different group of professors in the President’s Reception each year,” Pickert said. “Last year, the reception focused on tenured woman professors, while this year it honored new professors.”

On Tuesday, the Senate awarded George Pollak, UT neurobiology professor, $1,000 and declared him professor of the year.

Rubio said when visiting professors during office hours, she noticed the cards displayed on the bulletin boards.

Chemistry professor David Vanden Bout said it is always nice to receive feedback from students and he appreciated the random notes from students.

When asked about the challenges of connecting with and impacting students, Vanden Bout said faculty members face both an opportunity and a challenge caused by constant technological changes.

“I think one of the things that we are working on all the time is useful ways to incorporate technology into teaching, because I think we can incorporate online services,” Vanden Bout said.

An example of this is Piazza, an online service students and professors can use for homework help. “This allows students to do things at their own pace and on their own time, and it allows professors to answer questions outside of scheduled office hours,” Vanden Bout said.

Published on March 7, 2013 as "Students appreaciate top-notch professors".