Criminal law professor Peter Sankoff awarded Tevie Miller Teaching Excellence Award

For his multi-format teaching tools, engaging course design and tireless mentorship, law professor Peter Sankoff is the 2021 winner of the Hon. Tevie H. Miller Teaching Excellence Award.

The award recognizes excellence in teaching by a full-time faculty member at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.

Sankoff, who teaches criminal law, evidence and animal law, is described by students as a passionately supportive instructor whose ever-evolving techniques develop rigorous learning. His dedication to using technology helpfully and ensuring that all students rise to their potential was especially notable during the COVID-19 health crisis, when classes suddenly moved online and students had difficulty with various aspects of the transition.

“By incorporating practice questions through live polls and by an effective use of breakout rooms … (he) helped maintain a sense of collegiality that due to the isolating nature of Covid-era learning would not have existed,” said one student who nominated him for the award.

In the spring of 2020, Sankoff also initiated and successfully executed the #100InternsProject. It funded and secured 100 internships for Canadian law students who saw their opportunities for summer employment evaporating due to pandemic-induced hiring freezes. The initiative is continuing for a second round this spring, with assistance from the Criminal Lawyers’ Association.

“Don’t let Professor Sankoff’s ‘tough outer shell’ fool you,” wrote another nominating student. “He is one of the most caring, committed and supportive people I’ve ever met.”

Sankoff’s mentorship has been both one-on-one, through his supervision of four students annually in a criminal law internship, and via his six years as moot coach, including three as co-coach of award-winning Gale Cup teams.

Throughout his 20 years as a professor Sankoff has embraced innovative teaching methods. He has created more than 100 videos posted on YouTube, on issues ranging from succeeding at law school, on teaching law, and on substantive issues of law. This year, he became the creator and co-host of a podcast called Translating Criminal Law: Rated G, and since 2018 he has co-hosted an animal law podcast called Paw and Order.

He was the first at the Faculty to use interactive clicker responses (for instantly gathering and tabulating a classroom of student responses), and was the first law professor in Canada to adopt the “flipped classroom” model (in which lectures are pre-recorded to create more time for in-class discussion and problem-solving).

“I am thrilled to win this award, especially in light of the accomplished list of nominees — all of whom were equally deserving,” said Sankoff. “It is nice to know that the teaching I do and the efforts I’ve made to help students have not gone unnoticed, and I’m especially grateful to the students who wrote in to support me.”

The Hon. Tevie H. Miller Teaching Excellence Award is named in honour of the late Hon. Tevie H. Miller, who served as associate chief justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. A Faculty of Law alumnus, he was also a great friend and supporter of the University of Alberta, serving as Students' Union president, president of the Alumni Association, as a member of the Senate, member of the Board of Governors and as chancellor.