Recognition for Co-op Staff Member

Print |Ian Schwartz recently received a Donald F. Morgenson Award for Teaching Excellence. Schwartz, who works as a cooperative education curriculum coordinator in Laurier’s Experiential Learning and Career Development unit, is one of ten instructors at Laurier who received recognition in 2020 for engaging and innovative approaches to teaching and learning that elevate the educational experience of students.

Since 2013, Schwartz has helped students build the skills and confidence needed to succeed in co-op and beyond. He designed an eight-module course to teach students how to prepare for their job search and their work terms. Schwartz delivers the course to about 700 new co-op students each year, and engages them with his enthusiastic and interactive approach. After attending each module, students complete online quizzes or submit assignments such as draft resumes and cover letters.

Schwartz coordinates a speaker series, getting employers and senior students to speak about topics as diverse as investment banking, working for non-profits, and building Excel skills. The speaker series was recognized as a best practice nationally by Co-operative Education & Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) in 2019.

Students rate the fundamentals of co-operative education course very highly in the anonymous survey. Here are just a few of the positive comments participants have made about Schwartz, and the course: “His way of teaching co-op modules made for an engaging experience, and you can see he truly cares that students have the required knowledge going into their job search and their first job.” “I very much enjoyed all aspects of the fundamentals course. It consistently gave me small ideas at a time on how to improve my personal brand and find better employment, and over the duration of the last six months, has made me a much better job candidate for positions of interest.” “Ian is knowledgeable, encouraging and inspiring.” “The course set some good foundations for starting our exploration of the workforce, and taught me a lot of things regarding the job search process that I think will set me up for greater success in the future.” Overall, students enjoy learning from Schwartz, both in the classroom and individually.

“It is an incredible honour to be the inaugural recipient of the staff award bearing Dr. Morgenson's name,” said Schwartz. “We are fortunate in co-op to have support from our on-campus partners, faculty and employment community. My hope is that this collaborative approach shows that student development is a collective responsibility where we can support each other in our objectives.”