Craig M. Ross, President's award

Craig M. Ross Associate Professor of Recreation and Park Administration School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation University Graduate School IU Bloomington

Interim President Gerald Bepko, Ross, and IU Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm at the Founders Day ceremony

Dedication to students has meant that Ross consistently has carried a teaching load in excess of the usual six credit hours per semester as a faculty member in his department. He also has served as a chair or member of several master’s and doctoral degree committees, been graduate adviser to 45 master’s degree students and four doctoral students, and served as master’s degree project supervisor for 71 students. All of these activities have been in addition to developing and teaching the curricula for all but one of the eight recreational sport management courses offered by his department, serving on the University Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Advisory Board, coordinating the recreational sport management faculty, marketing the program and recruiting new students, and maintaining alumni relations. Ross’ teaching, said Joel Meier, professor and former chair of the IUB Department of Recreation and Park Administration, also provides direction for his research and service activities: “Dr. Ross has attained national recognition as a master teacher and scholar in the recreational sport management field, and he’s been instrumental in bringing recognition to IU as the leading institution in this area of study.”

His students have recognized his teaching excellence by giving Ross consistently high teaching evaluations, which have had an overall mean of 3.6 on a 4.0 scale during the past decade. His department colleagues have awarded this classroom mastery with the Teaching Excellence Recognition Award in 1997, 1998 and 2000; and in 1999, the university awarded him the prestigious Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching award.

A dedication to his students combined with an ambitious teaching schedule has provided direction to Craig Ross’ research and service activities.