Franklin College Professor Recognized with Teaching Awards

 FRANKLIN, Ind. – Franklin College professor Dr. Sara Colburn-Alsop of New Whiteland has been recognized by the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA) as the Spanish Professor of the Year in Indiana. She was also recognized by the Indiana Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) as the Outstanding College Professor of Spanish in Indiana.

 ”I am truly honored and humbled to have been chosen out of the many great professorial nominees for these awards. Frankly, I feel that the awards are a reflection of the fact that I have found a vocation for which I have a great passion, a place to work that espouses the idea of teaching excellence, and a congenial community of administrators, faculty, staff, and students with whom to work and collaborate,” said Colburn-Alsop.

 Each year the IFLTA chooses an outstanding Master teacher (eight or more years of experience) in varying education levels. Colburn-Alsop was nominated for and won the post-secondary level award. Criteria for the award include professional involvement, teaching accomplishments and awards and student mentoring work. Considerations are based on the nomination forms and the professional portfolio submission. The portfolio included an updated resume, a narrative statement covering professional philosophy, teaching effectiveness, professional development and contribution to profession, and letters of recommendation.

 The IFLTA works to promote global perspective in Indiana citizens through teaching and learning world languages and cultures in the state of Indiana. IFLTA provides professional development for language instructors and works in coordination with the Indiana Department of Education.

 The AATSP recognizes one member of the Indiana Chapter from the college or university level who has demonstrated professional excellence as a professor of Spanish or Portuguese. To be considered for the award, the nominee must have been a member of the organization for at least five consecutive years, teaching Spanish and/or Portuguese for at least five consecutive years, submit a curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation and evidence of professional excellence in teaching.

 Dean of Academic Affairs, David Brailow said, “We know that we have an outstanding faculty at Franklin College, but it’s still gratifying to see them recognized by others, particularly for their teaching.  Professor Colburn-Alsop is a fine teacher because she keeps her focus on the best ways to facilitate student learning inside and outside the classroom.”

 Colburn-Alsop joined the Franklin College faculty in 2001. She earned her B.A. in Spanish and English in 1993 from Ripon College in Wisconsin. She completed her M.A. in Hispanic Language and Literature in 1994 through Middlebury College. In 2002 she also completed her doctorate in Peninsular Literature at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

 Currently she serves numerous roles at Franklin College including associate professor of Spanish, chair of the modern languages department and humanities division head. Additionally, she is a member of the Intercultural Honors Experience team and co-created and co-taught the first seminar course, Encounter, Conflict & Cultural Survival: The Indigenous Peoples of Latin America. Colburn-Alsop also travels with students to Guadalajara for the Spanish immersion trip during winter term every other year.

Founded 175 years ago in 1834, Franklin College is a residential four-year undergraduate liberal arts institution with a scenic, wooded campus located 20 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis.  The college prepares men and women for significant careers through the liberal arts, offering its 1,047 students 29 majors, including biology, business, education and journalism.  In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation.  Franklin College maintains a voluntary association with the American Baptist Churches USA.  For more information, visit www.franklincollege.edu.

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