Cumberlands honors Dr. Jason Creekmore with 2015 Excellence in Teaching Award

Williamsburg – On Thursday, April 23rd, University of the Cumberlands (UC) honored Dr. Jason Creekmore, Professor of Education, with the 2015 Teaching in Excellence Award at the 23rd Annual Faculty-Staff Dinner.

Each year, based on recommendations by students, faculty and staff members, UC honors one faculty member with the award. In more recent years this award was given to someone who has demonstrated excellence over time, this year we are honoring Dr. Creekmore, who contributed exceedingly in a relatively shorter time.  He had to be considered as an exceptional candidate among all the very deserving nominees.

Creekmore spent hours designing, reimagining and implementing new program requirements, processes, procedures, and faculty training.  He coordinated and implemented curricular and lesson design to meet imposing new regulations. Not only changing the standard of operation and elevating expectation, but to improving teaching and learning within the program to become one of distinction. Creekmore consistently contributed not only long hours, but under penetrating pressure to forge change, met improbable timelines, demonstrated courage under pressure, and like Theodore Roosevelt chose to dare greatly. He brought out the best in all who had the opportunity to serve with him.

Even with the added hours each day, Creekmore managed to teach and lead an entire cohort of student teachers to excellence, as demonstrated by the New Teacher Survey documentation provided by the Education Professional Standards Board.  These survey results show that under Creekmore, teaching and leadership…our student teachers soared to top ratings in the state. Students described Creekmore as: “extremely friendly”, “was quick to respond with great examples” and “treated them with trust and respect”.

The department’s confidence in Creekmore as a professor was so strong, that when evaluators asked for an example of the department’s teaching, he was chosen as the professor that they wanted to observe.

A colleague described him as having a, “servant heart and a humble spirit.”

With all these responsibilities one might forgive him for taking some time off, but instead, he participated in numerous UC committees, mentored new faculty, and wrote numerous program reviews for the Educational Professional Standards Board. Creekmore stayed active in his scholarly development with several presentations, conducted a research initiative with primary students in Eastern Kentucky during the summer and provided faculty training on bringing technology into the classroom.

Located in Williamsburg, Ky., University of the Cumberlands is an institution of regional distinction, which currently offers four undergraduate degrees in more than 40 major fields of study; 10 pre-professional programs; ten graduate degrees distributed over eight areas, including two doctorates and seven master’s degrees; certifications in education; and online programs. For more information visit www.ucumberlands.edu.