The annual Wig Distinguished Professorship Awards, awarded mainly on the basis of student votes, were bestowed at the end of spring upon five faculty members: Martha Andresen (English), Eleanor Brown (Economics), Paul Hurley (Philosophy), John Seery (Politics), and Shahriar Shahriari (Math). It is the most prestigious award which Pomona College confers on faculty members and consists of a $5000 stipend.

Courtesy of Pomona College 1998-1999 Wig Teaching Award Winners (left to right): John Seery, Paul Hurley, Eleanor Brown, Shahriar Shahriari, Martha Andreson

Dean of Students Ann Quinley remarked that "the Wig Awards capture the respect and importance that teaching has at Pomona." She added that Pomona, versus other liberal arts schools, prides itself foremost on the teaching ability of its professors, rather than their achievements in scholarship.

The Office of the Dean of Faculty polls Pomona juniors and seniors each spring regarding nominations for the Wig Awards. Students are asked to nominate four faculty members. While contemplating each vote, students are asked to consider the quality of the nominee’s teaching, their interest in their students’ scholarly development, their involvement in faculty-student research, and special services the nominee may have rendered to the college.

The nominations are tallied by a local law firm and are then considered by the Wig Fund for Teaching Committee, comprised of seven trustees, two faculty members, two administrators, and two students, usually one junior and one senior. The senior is usually the ASPC president. Normally, up to six winners are selected. Despite the prestigious nature of the awards, only about 30 percent of the eligible students vote each year. Associate Dean of the College Frances Pohl is trying to publicize the awards more this year, so that students will understand their significance and take it upon themselves to get involved. "These are major awards," Pohl said. "They are really important to faculty who get them. It’s the only distinguished teaching award that the school gives out. Sometimes it’s nice to get a little feedback from the people you’re pouring so much time and energy into."

The Office of the Dean of Faculty has been using new tactics to increase voter turnout. Ballots are available on the Internet, and ballots sent to students living off campus include a return stamp. An effort is even made to get responses from juniors abroad. As Pohl put it, a 30 percent return "isn’t a good cross-reference of student opinion." She thought perhaps different faculty members would win if a larger percentage of students voted.

Student committee members have been encouraged by the Office of the Dean of Faculty to urge students to vote, because having faculty members inform students about the awards could prove awkward. This spring, for instance, a student committee member will send out the e-mailed announcement of the awards.

Not every faculty member is eligible for the Wig Award. Professors and Associate Professors who have been on faculty for three years and Assistant Professors who have been on the faculty for two and a half years are eligible for nomination. Also, after a professor has won a Wig Award, he or she is not eligible to win again for five years.