Hegarty Award Citation for Professor Christopher Wetzel

The Louise F. Hegarty Award for Excellence in Teaching is given each year to a full-time faculty member whose teaching has had a marked influence on the lives of Stonehill students. The Committee on Excellence in Teaching, representing Students, Faculty, and the Alumni Council, selects the outstanding teacher from those nominated by students and faculty members. The award is named in honor of one of Stonehill’s most accomplished teachers and the recipient stands as a symbol of the entire faculty’s commitment to teaching and academic excellence. At this 2014 Academic Convocation, Stonehill College is proud to bestow the Louise F. Hegarty Award for Excellence in Teaching on Professor Christopher Wetzel.

Professor Wetzel’s commitment to Stonehill’s teaching mission is abundantly clear in the words of those who nominated him. We will let them speak for themselves./

• Chris’ courses represent the epitome of what a college course should be. His students are provided the opportunity to engage in rigorous intellectual exercises and at the end of the semester, I can assure you, his students truly feel they have earned the grade that appears on their transcript. I am so grateful to Chris for fostering tremendous growth in my ability as a writer, presenter and critical thinker. I enjoyed his class because I truly felt as if I was engaged in the very best a liberal arts education had to offer.
• One of Chris’ quotes will always be instilled in my mind: “Change is hard, but not impossible.”…To many others and myself, Chris Wetzel is not only a professor at Stonehill, but also an agent of change, and one that encourages every student to do the same.
• Chris has extremely high expectations of his students, and will push them to do their best. This is what an education is, someone who allows their students to grow organically. I carry a part of Chris with me each day in my studies, and…in my life. I am no longer afraid to ask the big questions or settle for vague responses from anyone.
• As a member of the Democratic Education seminar for the Integrating Democratic Education at Stonehill (IDEAS) program, I have found endless support from Chris as I have worked to construct my own IDEAS course for my peers. Teaching well is no easy feat, and I have appreciated the way he has been willing to go above and beyond to see our visions of what a classroom should look like come true.
• Chris’ working and teaching style is a great illustration of our values as a student-centric institution that believes every student is capable of creating a more just and compassionate world. He has guided me in my vision of social justice and activism by helping me to realize my voice as a student and part of this community. He is not only a faculty member, but also a mentor who I can relentlessly count on. Professor Wetzel inspired me to aspire.

And so with deep pride we today recognize Professor Christopher Wetzel for exemplifying Stonehill’s commitment to provide an education of the highest caliber that fosters critical thinking, free inquiry, and the interchange of ideas.

Given this twenty-sixth day of August,

Two thousand and fourteen