News
Prof. Walhof Recognized by APSA
June 08, 2016
Professor Darren Walhof, the winner of GVSU's 2015 University Outstanding Teaching Award, was recognized by the American Political Science Association for his excellence in teaching. APSA's Political Science Now interviewed Walhof to learn more about his teaching philosophy and approach.
In the article, Walhof explains, "I describe my teaching style as dialogical, in both its objectives and its methods. I think about my political theory courses in terms of welcoming students to, and equipping them for, an ongoing conversation about the most important normative questions of politics and law: What is justice? What is freedom? What do we owe each other as fellow citizens and fellow humans? What are the best means of collective self-governance? Joining this centuries-old conversation requires the skills of argument and dialogue: listening to other voices (the voice of the text, the voices of scholars who have interpreted the text, my voice as the expert in the room, and the voices of fellow students); critical thinking (evaluating the claims that these voices are making); and responding to these claims (in written or spoken form)."