05/26/92

CONTACT: Stanford University News Service (650) 723-2558

Business School students honor outstanding teaching

STANFORD -- James C. Collins, a lecturer in business described by one student as a teacher who "pours his heart and soul into every class, every case and every student," was named by Stanford Business School students as recipient of the 1992 Distinguished Teaching Award.

Collins drew a standing ovation when the award was announced May 19 during a ceremony at the school.

"We were motivated by the teacher's enthusiasm, challenged by him to defend positions we took, regardless of whether he agreed, . . engaged by his spirit and inspired by his genuine love of teaching and, we felt, of us," wrote one student in nominating Collins.

Wrote another: "Just when we thought we had done it all in class, he would come up with something new. Every class was an adventure."

Collins, who began teaching at the Business School in 1988, had been named runner-up for the award in 1989 and 1991.

Thirty-five Business School faculty members were nominated by MBA, Sloan and doctoral students for the teaching award. The selection was made by a student committee.

Collins, who earned his MBA at Stanford in 1983, recalled that as a student he had nominated Prof. James Van Horne, the first winner of the teaching award.

"I remember looking up to him as a role model and I still do," Collins said. "I didn't imagine that a decade later I'd be up here myself."

In accepting the award, Collins cited Van Horne and a half-dozen other faculty members as having helped him develop as a teacher.

"My course continues to improve because of suggestions I receive both from my colleagues and from students," Collins said.

During winter quarter, Collins taught the course "Entrepreneurship; Small Business Management."

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