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The Franklyn Liegel Award for Teaching Excellence

Franklyn Liegel, exhibiting fine artist, Otis College Extension instructor and MFA alumnus, passed away in 2012. This award was named in recognition of Franklyn Liegel’s dedication to Otis, commitment to education, and his own extraordinary ability to inspire others.

Franklyn received his MFA in Fine Arts from Otis in 1977 (at the time known as The Otis Art Institute of Los Angeles County). He was a long-term continuing education instructor with a loyal following, beginning in 1979 with courses as Introduction to Painting: Materials and Techniques and Painting Workshop. He also led the College’s Young Artist Studios. Franklyn’s dedication to his students, as well as his ability to inspire others, made him one of the College’s most beloved instructors. He was an accomplished fine artist whose work was exhibited at the Koplin Gallery, Greunbaun Gallery (NYC), Taka Ishii Gallery (Tokyo), Otis, Sam Francis Gallery at Crossroads School, Laguna Art Museum, Palm Springs Desert Museum, Meadows Art Museum (Shreveport, LA), American Embassy (Morocco), Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art (Kyushu, Japan), and Art Forum Berlin. He was also the recipient of the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Artist in Residence fellowship in Taos, New Mexico, and the Julia and David White Fellowship, Costa Rica.

Teaching faculty and instructors are the College’s greatest resource. Accordingly, one outstanding educator from Otis College Extension is recognized each year for their commitment to Otis; clear, effective teaching; and ability to motivate and inspire the success of students. While there is no one way to be an outstanding teacher, the award is defined by a set of criteria meant to govern its nominations and selection. The Franklyn Liegel Award for Teaching Excellence is presented to a longstanding instructor who has demonstrated a sustained ability to:
•    Incite curiosity in, motivate, and enhance the success of students
•    Create a lasting and gratifying impression of an extraordinary educator
•    Challenge students and increase their capacity for independent thought

All Extension instructors who have taught one or more courses over a minimum of three consecutive academic years are eligible. Past recipients of an Otis teaching award (within five years) are not eligible.

Nominations for the Franklyn Liegel Award for Teaching Excellence 2019 opens Tuesday, July 16, 2019 and may be entered, via the link below, through Tuesday, August 6, 2019.

Make a Nomination!

Otis College Extension students may nominate one candidate for the Franklyn Liegel Award for Teaching Excellence. Award criteria as well as student input are considered in the nomination process.

A selection committee is convened by the Dean of Otis College Extension. The Selection Committee considers four primary factors:
•    Award criteria
•    Student evaluations of teaching
•    Number of and reasons for nominations received
•    Overall performance

Such selections are complex, and every effort is made to consider all factors that may assist in achieving equitable results.

The Franklyn Liegel Award for Teaching Excellence recipient receives $1,250 (before taxes) and is featured on the Otis College Extension website. Award recipients may be called upon to contribute their expertise in College forums focused on matters of teaching and related best practices.