Lecturers win national award for excellence in teaching criminology

Two criminology academics from the University of Derby have won the National Award for Excellence in Teaching Criminology 2017 from the British Society of Criminology (BSC) Learning and Teaching Network.  

Charlotte Fletcher-Morgan, Head of Criminology, and Dr Michael Teague, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, were presented with the award at the annual BSC conference hosted at Cutler’s Hall in Sheffield.

The BSC is an internationally renowned organisation which aims to further the knowledge of academics who engage in teaching and research about crime and criminal behaviour in the United Kingdom. The award, made in conjunction with the Higher Education Academy, celebrates outstanding teaching in Criminology across Higher Education Institutions across the UK.

Speaking about the award, Charlotte said: “I'm delighted that we have won this national teaching award which stands testament to the hard work and commitment of our team to offering our students a world class educational experience through internationalising our curriculum and providing opportunity for all of our students to participate in 'real world criminology'.”

“I have witnessed first-hand the impact our visits have had on our students, from serving in soup kitchens in inner city San Francisco, to going on patrol with Miami Police Department and how these have broken down perceptions, fed into dissertations and shaped future careers.  

“Our partnership with San Quentin arts project, which led to an art installation in the Law and Criminology building created by inmates at San Quentin Prison in California, has been recently featured in the New York Times and we have now risen to 16th place in the Guardian League table for Criminology.  There has never been a better time to study Criminology at the University of Derby.” 

Commenting at the event, BSC Learning and Teaching Network prize co-ordinator Katie Strudwick, said: “This prestigious award reflects the excellent outstanding practice and innovation from the University of Derby in teaching Criminology.  

“Their submission was truly innovative by acknowledging ‘excellence’ in relation to learning and teaching. Their significant contribution engages its students linking criminological theory to practice in comparative criminal justice - well done!”

Michael Teague added: “Our team has developed a range of international partnerships, including the Netherlands and USA, to enhance our teaching and research. International study trips are a powerful pedagogical tool which offer our students the sort of enriching experiences that are absolutely central to their learning.

“At Derby, we emphasise the application of criminology to real lives, and aim to foster our students’ engagement with rehabilitative and social justice. As staff, it is exhilarating for us to see our students repeatedly make links between complex theories of criminology and the daily lived realities of comparative systems.”

Find out more about studying Criminology at the University of Derby.