Professor Ursula Cheer, an expert in media law and defamation, has been awarded the University’s highest accolade for teaching, a University Teaching Medal in 2015.
Professor Cheer was described by the panel as an exceptional teacher who is clearly committed to making law accessible and enjoyable for her students. Despite teaching large classes, her students talk of her approachability and her passion and enthusiasm for teaching. She actively engages her students in class with innovative teaching strategies which challenge them to achieve their best.
Alongside this, she is a nationally recognised leader in research in law teaching pedagogy and is known within the Law School as a conscientious mentor of junior staff. She is a regular contributor to national television and radio, putting her research and teaching of media law in the spotlight whilst raising the University’s profile.
Dr Chris Gallavin, Dean of Law says: “Professor Cheer is a leader in the field of teaching. Her guidance of the Ako Aotearoa funded research team at UC has also significantly raised the profile and importance of teaching and student interaction in the School. The work of that group in the area of large class engagement has received national praise and has been instrumental in the development of our compulsory courses as well as that of other law schools in New Zealand and has firmly established UC Law as the national leader in teaching pedagogy … Her mentoring of our junior staff has been inspirational - I am very aware of the close support and advice she has provided to staff and her influence in their career development.”
