Skip to Main Content
Boston University
  • Bostonia
  • BU Today
  • The Brink
  • University Publications

    • Bostonia
    • BU Today
    • The Brink
  • School & College Publications

    • The Record
Other Publications
BU Today
  • Sections
News, Opinion, Community

Learning to share

Metcalf winner Peter Hawkins on teaching as giving

October 13, 2006
  • Art Jahnke
Twitter Facebook

Watch video.

Peter Hawkins believes in the power of seeing. “I need to see every student,” says Hawkins, a professor of religion in the College of Arts and Sciences and winner of a 2006 Metcalf Award. “I get something from their eyes, from their faces.”

Hawkins was nominated for the University’s highest teaching award last fall by students who admired his “eloquence, patience, and palpable love” of teaching, according to one recommendation, and who enjoyed many hours of his company discussing Dante over cappuccinos in a local coffee shop. This year, with a nomination deadline of October 17, students and faculty have already submitted many candidates for the 2007 awards.

The Metcalf Cup and Prize for Excellence in Teaching, the University’s highest teaching honor, and the Metcalf Awards were established in 1973 by a gift from the late Arthur G. B. Metcalf (SED’35, Hon.’74), a longtime trustee and board chairman emeritus, to create “a systematic procedure for the review of the quality of teaching at Boston University and the identification and advancement of those members of the faculty who excel as teachers.”

What does that mean? Excellence in teaching, as defined by the Metcalf Committee, requires mastery of the subject matter, engaging classroom presentations, and thorough, thoughtful evaluation of student work. The selection committee is made up of several past winners of the Metcalf Prize and Awards, two undergraduate students, and a University administrator. 

Over the course of the school year, the committee will take several steps to vet the 2007 candidates. It will solicit statements from candidates for the award, asking them to describe their approach to teaching. It will review student evaluations and grading patterns, examine course syllabi and graded assignments, and solicit additional letters of recommendation from current and former students. Members of the committee will visit the classes of the finalists, and in the spring they will present their recommendations to the University’s president.

To learn more about the workings of the Metcalf Committee, click here. 
To learn how to submit a letter of recommendation, click here.

Explore Related Topics:

  • Awards
  • Faculty
  • Religion
  • Share this story

Share

Learning to share

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Latest from BU Today

  • Watch Now

    BU’s Class of 2025: What Are Your Plans After Graduating?

  • Fitness

    BU Sports Rehab Therapists on Jayson Tatum’s Achilles Injury and Recovery Ahead

  • Commencement 2025

    Sights and Sounds from Boston University’s Class of 2025 Commencement

  • Commencement 2025

    Video: 2025 Graduate Jayde Best: “I Ended Up Exactly Where I Wanted to Be”

  • Commencement 2025

    “Empathy Is Essential,” BU Commencement Speaker Emily Deschanel Tells 2025 Graduates

  • Voices & Opinion

    I’m a Business Professor Who Asked Dozens of Former Students How They Define Success

  • Commencement 2025

    Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Convocations a Joyous Affair

  • COMMENCEMENT 2025

    BU Commencement Student Speaker: Say “Yes” to New Opportunities

  • Athletics

    Women’s Rowing Aiming for Second Consecutive Patriot League Title

  • Infectious Diseases

    Tick-Borne Diseases Risk Increasing Due to Climate Change: What You Need to Know

  • COMMENCEMENT 2025

    This Mother and Daughter Are Both Graduating from Boston University

  • Accolades

    Wheelock’s Tina Durand Wins 2025 Metcalf Cup and Prize, BU’s Highest Teaching Honor

  • Commencement 2025

    Three Standout BU Graduating Master’s Students Share What Drives Them

  • Events

    The Weekender: May 15 to 18

  • Commencement

    Looking for a Place to Take Grad Photos? These Spots Are Perfect

  • Accolades

    COM’s Michelle Sullivan Named 2025 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching Winner

  • Fine Arts

    How I Made This: Raquel Philippe (CFA’26)

  • Student Life

    Conning an Aircraft Carrier. A Storm-Drenched Training Exercise. Graduating ROTC Students Reflect on Last Four Years

  • Commencement 2025

    The Ultimate Senior Bucket List

  • Commencement 2025

    Advice to the Class of 2025: “Make Your Existence Meaningful”

Section navigation

  • Sections
  • Must Reads
  • Videos
  • Series
  • Close-ups
  • Archives
  • About + Contact
Get Our Email

Explore Our Publications

Bostonia

Boston University’s Alumni Magazine

BU Today

News, Opinion, Community

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
  • TikTok
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
© 2025 Trustees of Boston UniversityPrivacy StatementAccessibility
Boston University
Notice of Non-Discrimination: Boston University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex or gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, military service, marital, parental, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in any and all educational programs or activities operated by Boston University. Retaliation is also prohibited. Please refer questions or concerns about Title IX, discrimination based on any other status protected by law or BU policy, or retaliation to Boston University’s Executive Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, at titleix@bu.edu or (617) 358-1796. Read Boston University’s full Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Search
Boston University Masterplate
Learning to share
0
share this
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.