Hutchings Named Carl Sandburg College Faculty Member of the Year
Aaron Frey
Thursday, May 17, 2018 8:19 PM
Campus News
Galesburg, IL
James Hutchings has been named the 2018 Carl Sandburg College Faculty Member of the Year after students and fellow faculty members nominated Hutchings for his outstanding work in the classroom. Hutchings was introduced as the winner during the 50th annual Carl Sandburg College Commencement on Thursday night at Galesburg High School.
Hutchings, who serves as associate dean of humanities and fine arts, has been an instructor at Sandburg for nine years. Though this is the first time he’s been named Faculty Member of the Year, students have nominated him for the award eight times. By being selected as Sandburg’s Faculty Member of the Year, Hutchings also is a nominee for the Illinois Community College Trustees Association Outstanding Faculty Member Award.
Hutchings, also coordinator of the College’s study abroad program, credited three of his college professors with helping him become the teacher he is today.
“I learned communication, perseverance and patience, but most of all, I learned that I had an unlimited potential as a student, as a teacher, as a person,” Hutchings said. “Upon completion of my Master of Music degree, my only desire was to be that kind of professor for another generation of students.”
Hutchings was one of the first instructors at Sandburg to begin teaching in collaborative learning classrooms, which use a relaxed setting of living room furniture and café tables instead of the traditional desks and chairs and encourage discussion and interaction among students. He also is involved with the College’s honors program, and he has seen student participation in study abroad increase 400 percent since taking over that program.
Hutchings has served on the Instructional Technology, Curriculum and Student Services committees at Sandburg as well as having served as chair of the Faculty Council and as faculty representative to the College’s Board of Trustees. He also has been involved with the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs and has been a presenter at Illinois Community College Faculty Association conferences. In 2017, Hutchings received the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College.
Carl Sandburg College Faculty Member of the Year Recipients
2018 — James Hutchings
2017 — Christina Stone
2016 — Kylie Price
2015 — Michael Crandell
2014 — Lara Roemer
2013 — Dia McKillip
2012 — Shanon Dickerson
2011 — David Kellogg
2010 — Vickie Culbertson
2009 — Lisa Walker
2008 — Dave Burns
2007 — Keith Williams
2006 — Linda Lee
2005 — Wendel Hunigan
2004 — James Craig Sanford
2003 — Carol Petersen
2002 — Larry Schroeder
2001 — Dave Wujek
2000 — Norm Burdick
1999 — Michael Crandell
1998 — Cathy White
1997 — Julie Gibb
1996 — Jack Daddona
1995 — Carlene Woodside
1994 — Marilou Schisler
1993 — Cynthia Thompson
1992 — Janet LaDage
1991 — Carol Eiten
1990 — Jim MacDonald
1989 — Jim Graham
1988 — Jim Graham
1987 — Judy Helm
1986 — Gen Yaw
1985 — Jim Graham