SMC's Williams Receives 2010 SCICU Excellence In Teaching Award

04/13/10 — Professor's Plans For Award Include Folklore/Oral History Project At SMC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Spartanburg Methodist College professor Dr. Jack Williams is among the recipients of Excellence in Teaching awards being presented Tuesday evening in Columbia, SC, by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Inc.

Williams has served as an English professor at Spartanburg Methodist College for 26 years. He currently instructs freshmen composition classes and British literature. A specialist in medieval and Renaissance literature, he can read "Beowulf" in the original Old English and Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" in Middle English. He is also a Shakespearean scholar.

With his SCICU award, he plans to develop a course in "Introduction to Folklore" and begin an oral history archives at SMC.

"As Spartanburg Methodist College celebrates its first 100 years and is poised to enter a second century of service to our region, Dr. Williams' vision of a Folklore/Oral History Project is exciting and will offer our students a renewed appreciation of our college's heritage and an appreciation of Dr. Williams' talents," says Dr. Colleen Perry Keith, president of SMC.

Williams is a 1969 graduate of Centre College of Kentucky, with a bachelor's degree in English. He received a master's degree in English in 1973 from the University of Kentucky and his Ph.D. in folklore in 1985 from Indiana University.

Williams is a widely published scholar on Appalachian folklore, with publications in numerous academic journals and other publications, and is a member of the American Folklore Society and the Appalachian Studies Association.

During his tenure at SMC, Williams has received numerous academic and service awards, including the A.V. Huff Faculty Prize; the Governor's Distinguished Professor Award; a certificate of appreciation issued by the United States Department of Agriculture for a lecture on Middle Eastern folk beliefs of Iran; and the Outstanding Chapter Sponsor Award, from the Beta Beta Chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta, the honor society for two-year colleges.

Williams received a James Still Fellowship at the University of Kentucky's Appalachian Center as well as a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship for full tuition and expenses toward a Ph.D. in folklore at Indiana University, the most prestigious institution for the study of folklore and ethnomusicology in the world.

He is a member Central United Methodist Church and serves on the South Carolina Humanities Council Speaker's Bureau.

"His unique interests in folklore and storytelling enhance his instruction of English and literature courses and delight audiences who hear his presentations through the S.C. Humanities Council programs," adds Dr. Ann Bowles, SMC vice president for academic affairs

Also being recognized Tuesday evening from other Spartanburg/Cherokee County SCICU-member institutions are Dr. Caroline Cunningham, from Wofford College; Dr. Mirko Hall, from Converse College; and Gabriel Stoeppler, from Limestone College..

Each of the 20 member institutions of the SCICU consortium selects one faculty member each year to receive the award, which includes a professional development stipend for the professor. Each recipient is chosen by his or her institution according to rigorous criteria. The most important characteristic of the nominees is their demonstration of the highest standards in teaching methods that encourage students to strive for excellence in their studies and pursuits.

SCICU was established in 1953 with the primary mission of promoting independent higher education in South Carolina. SCICU seeks to advance independent higher education through fundraising, scholarships, research, and by facilitating collaborative activities among the 20 member institutions, which educate nearly 33,000 students each year. For additional information about SCICU, contact Mike LeFever or Brenda Torrence at 803-799-7122, or visit www.scicu.org.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 99th year of providing quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning

For more information, please contact director of public information Brian Fulkerson at (864) 587-4254 or fulkersonb@smcsc.edu