Robert
      Frost
      once
      said,
      “I
     
     
      talk
      in
      order
      to
      understand,
      I
      teach
     
     
      in
      order
      to
      learn.”
     
    

    
     
      Professor
      of
      psychology
     
     
      and
      Dean
      of
      Arts,
      Phillip
      Smith
      has
     
     
      been
      awarded
      the
      Outstanding
     
     
      Canadian
      Professor
      of
      the
      Year
     
     
      award.
     
    

    
     
      The
      awards
      is_
      jointly
     
     
      administered
      by
      the
      Council
      for
     
     
      Advancement
      and
      Support
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Education
      (CASE)
      and
      _
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      Council
      for
     
     
      Advancement
      of
      Education
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (CCAE),
      and
      honours
      undergradu-
     
     
      ate
      faculty
      for
      their
      contributions
      to
     
     
      the
      lives
      and
      careers
      of
      students
     
     
      and
      service
      to
      their
      institutions
      and
     
     
      the
      teaching
      profession.
     
    

    
     
      Smith
      was
      _
      officially
     
     
      appointed
      as
      assistant
      professor
      if
     
     
      psychology
      in
      1989,
      earned
      the
     
     
      university’s
      excellence
      in
      teaching
     
     
      award
      in
      1992/93.
      Before
      teaching
     
     
      at
      UPEI,
      Smith
      had
      a
      clinical
      prac-
     
     
      tice
      in
      Charlottetown.
     
    

    
     
      His
      curriculum
      vitae
      also
     
     
      includes
      an
      outstanding
      array
      of
     
     
      founding
      member,
      chair,
      treasurer,
     
     
      president
      and
      past-president
      posi-
     
     
      tions,
      along
      with
      research
      grants
     
     
      projects,
      and
      reports.
     
    

    
     
      Smith
      is
      proud
      to
      be
      the
     
     
      receipiant
      of
      the
      award,
      but
      is
      also
     
     
      a
      little
      apprehensive.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      is
      certainly
      the
      most
     
     
      meaningful
      professor
      award
      I
      can
     
     
      imagine
      receiving,”
      said
      Smith.
     
     
      “{But]
      I
      am
      very
      aware
      and
      I
      don’t
     
     
      think
      that
      I’ve
      ever
      been
      more
     
     
      aware
      since
      this
      very
      nice
      honour
     
     
      has
      came
      about;
      that
      there
      are
      lots
     
     
      of
      times
      when
      I
      don’t
      meet
      the
     
     
      standard
      of
      what
      we
      should
      always
     
     
      be
      trying
      to
      be.”
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      his
      research
      activi-
     
     
      ty,
      and
      his
      position
      as
      Dean
      of
      Arts,
     
     
      Smith
      maintains
      that
      teaching
     
     
      remains
      the
      most
      exciting
      part
      of
     
     
      his
      job.
     
    

    
     
      “I
      do
      know
      that
      what
      I
      most
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      enjoy
      in
      my
      professional
      life
      is
     
     
      teaching,
      that’s
      what’s
      most
      excit-
     
     
      ing,”
      he
      said,
      adding
      that
      all
      three
     
     
      can
      be
      tied
      together.
      “It’s
      what
     
     
      gives
      me
      the
      most
      satisfaction
      in
     
     
      my
      professional
      life
      and
      I
      hope
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      but
      he
      also
      believes
      he’s
      working
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Professor
      of
      the
      Year
      award.
     
     
      “Phillip
      Smith
      believes
      in
     
     
      connecting
      with
      —
      students,”
     
     
      Boudreau
      said.
      “He’s
      an
      excellent
     
     
      instructor
      and
      an
      excellent
      teacher,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dean
      Smith,
      recipient
      of
      the
      Professor
      of
      the
      Year
      Award
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      comes
      through
      to
      students.”
     
    

    
     
      Smith
      has
      been
      self-con-
     
     
      sciously
      aware
      of
      the
      expectations
     
     
      of
      students
      because
      of
      the
      recogni-
     
     
      tion
      and
      said
      jokingly
      that
      he
      was
     
     
      somewhat
      nervous
      about
      next
     
     
      September.
     
    

    
     
      He
      feel
      especially
      privi-
     
     
      leged
      to
      work
      with
      first
      year
      stu-
     
     
      dents,
      not
      only
      because
      for
      many
     
     
      his
      Introduction
      to
      Psychology
      is
     
     
      their
      first
      exposure
      to
      the
      subject
     
     
      matter,
      but
      also
      because
      it
      is
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      first
      university
      experiences.
     
     
      The
      course,
      attended
      by
      284
      stu-
     
     
      dents,
      was
      also
      taken
      by
      Smith
      in
     
     
      1976/77,
      then
      taught
      by
      Professor
     
     
      Don
      Mazer,
      now
      a
      colleague
      of
     
     
      Smith’s.
     
    

    
     
      Students
      were
      eager
      to
      con-
     
     
      gratulate
      their
      professor,
      and
      col-
     
     
      leagues
      were
      generous
      in
      their
     
     
      comments.
     
    

    
     
      J.
      Paul
      Boudreau,
      a
      col-
     
     
      league
      in
      the
      UPEI
      psychology
     
     
      department,
      coordinated
      Smith’s
     
     
      nomination
      for
      the
      2000
      Canadian
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      heart
      and
      minds
      of
      people
      that
     
     
      he
      can
      have
      a
      direct
      impact
      on.
     
    

    
     
      Boudreau
      asked
      students
     
     
      for
      their
      opinion
      of
      Smith
      as
      a
      fac-
     
     
      ulty
      member.
     
    

    
     
      “One
      of
      the
      common
     
     
      themes
      form
      Phillip’s
      students
      that
     
     
      really
      struck
      me
      was
      the
      mention
     
     
      of
      things
      like
      ‘He
      inspired
      me
      to
     
     
      think
      of
      the
      may
      possibilities
      that
     
     
      were
      open
      to
      me
      and
      believe
      in
      the
     
     
      possibilities.”
      Another
      said,
      ‘He
     
     
      taught
      me
      to
      look
      at
      people
      as
      hav-
     
     
      ing
      the
      ability
      and
      desire
      to
      change
     
     
      and
      help
      themselves.’”
     
    

    
     
      Smith’s
      desire
      to
      reach
      out
     
     
      to
      the
      community
      outside
      the
      uni-
     
     
      versity
      has
      resulted
      in
      several
     
     
      courses
      that
      blend
      the
      instruction
     
     
      of
      psychology
      with
      civic
      responsi-
     
     
      bility.
      In
      his
      course
      Human
     
     
      Services:
      Integrating
      Theory
      and
     
     
      Practice,
      students
      do
      volunteer
     
     
      work
      with
      community
      agencies
     
     
      such
      as
      a
      group
      home,
      a
      day
      care
      or
     
     
      a
      more
      clinical
      mental
      health
      set-
     
     
      ting.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Dr.
      Smith’s
      leadership
      in
     
     
      the
      classroom
      and
      community
     
     
      alone
      are
      commendable
      and
      awe-
     
     
      inspiring,”
      said
      Boudreau.
     
    

    
     
      Smith,
      who
      keeps
      a
      photo-
     
     
      graphic
      record
      of
      his
      students,
     
     
      sends
      end-of-year
      congratulatory
     
     
      letters
      to
      students
      who
      have
      done
     
     
      very
      well,
      and
      organizes
      feedback
     
     
      teams,
      advises
      students
      to
      become
     
     
      as
      actively
      engaged
      during
      their
     
     
      time
      at
      UPEI
      as
      they
      can,
      not
      only
     
     
      in
      their
      study,
      but
      also
      in
      other
     
     
      activities
      on
      campus,
      either
     
     
      through
      campus
      organizations,
     
     
      clubs
      and
      societies,
      athletics,
      and
     
     
      so
      on.
     
    

    
     
      Smith
      not
      only
      had
      advice
     
     
      for
      students,
      but
      also
      for
      young
     
     
      professors
      starting
      out.
     
    

    
     
      “]
      think
      it
      is
      important
      for
      a
     
     
      professor
      starting
      out
      to
      feel
      com-
     
     
      fortable
      that
      there
      is
      a
      wide
      range
     
     
      of
      teaching
      and
      learning
      approach-
     
     
      es,”
      he
      said.
      “They
      must
      adopt
      the
     
     
      teaching
      style
      which
      feels
      most
     
     
      comfortable
      to
      them.
     
    

    
     
      “Your
      teaching
      has
      to
     
     
      match
      you
      own
      passions,
      interests
     
     
      and
      values,”
      Smith
      said.
      “It
      is.
     
     
      never
      bad
      advice
      to
      encourage
     
     
      [professors]
      to
      look
      for
      opportuni-
     
     
      ties
      they
      have
      to
      learn
      with
      their
     
     
      students.
      Students
      do
      not
      expect
     
     
      professors
      to
      know
      everything.”
     
    

    
     
      Teachers
      are
      responsible
     
     
      for
      developing
      their
      student’s
     
     
      skills,
      he
      added,
      to
      encourage
      them
     
     
      to
      ask
      questions,
      to
      become
      critical
     
     
      thinkers,
      and
      to
      address
      the
      context
     
     
      of
      the
      curriculum.
     
    

    
     
      Smith
      sees
      this
      award
      not
     
     
      only
      for
      himself,
      but
      also
      as
      an
     
     
      indicator
      of
      the
      quality
      of
      teaching
     
     
      at
      this
      university.
     
    

    
     
      “I
      think
      it
      is
      important
      to
     
     
      recognize
      that
      things
      like
      this
      can
     
     
      happen
      at
      UPEI,
      there
      is
      a
      large
     
     
      range
      of
      teaching
      styles
      here,
      and
     
     
      UPEI
      provides
      an
      excellent
      experi-
     
     
      ence.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘4
      The
      Cadre