Dr. Sanjay Jeram receives the 2024 Cormack Teaching Award

Undergraduate Program Chair, Sanjay Jeram, will be receiving the 2024 Cormack Teaching Award at the upcoming FASS Fall Reception. His dedication to pedagogical innovation is reflected in his recent publications on active learning in research methods classes and the importance of group-based learning in high-enrollment courses. 

Sanjay Jeram is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science. His dissertation examined why regional nationalist parties followed different pathways in their responses to immigration. Emerging Canadian and European scholars continue to cite the spinoff publications. Dr. Jeram has also co-authored articles on how Canadians' multifaceted identities influence their interactions with the political system and its outputs, such as universal healthcare, federalism, and the party system. He is currently researching the evolution of right-wing ideology across Canadian provinces.

Dr. Jeram is well-regarded by students for his enthusiasm and inclusive approach to teaching foundational lecture courses in political science. He believes that a student-centered approach, which involves approaching students as human beings with diverse concerns, stressors, challenging personal lives, and anxieties about their university experience, grounds his strong commitment to teaching.

Dr. Jeram says, “Before launching into the course content, I share aspects of my personal life to connect with students on a personal level to make them feel like they belong in this environment. Demonstrating vulnerability in front of 200+ students is not easy, but I believe it is worthwhile because of the positive feedback I have received from students.”

Professor Jeram’s major focus is on the lower-division undergraduate courses i.e. Introduction to Politics and Government (POL 100) and Investigating Politics (POL 200W). In the near future, he is looking forward to delivering lectures on Canadian Government and Politics (POL 221/222) and Canadian Federalism (POL 321). Currently, he is implementing new strategies to teach practical writing skills through engagement with political science research.