Jen Kennedy, an associate professor in the Department of Art History and Art Conservation, is this year’s recipient of the Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award, which recognizes undergraduate, graduate, or professional teaching that has had an outstanding influence on the quality of student learning at Queen’s University. 

In receiving the award, Dr. Kennedy was recognized for her dedication to Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-Racism (I–EDIAA), as well as for being an outstanding teacher who enables transformative learning, and an educational leader who has revolutionized teaching methods and the curriculum at Queen’s and beyond.

“Dr. Kennedy’s contributions to teaching and learning at Queen’s embody the innovation we strive for across the institution. Her leadership through initiatives like the SSHRC-funded Open Art Histories project has created vital spaces for arts educators to engage with critical pedagogical challenges,” says Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning Gavan Watson. “Dr. Kennedy’s commitment to accessibility and diversity is evident in her work. She invites students to be co-creators in projects like authoring and revising Wikipedia articles, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Her development of the open educational resource CanadARThistories with co-authors works to de-centre Western art narratives by highlighting Indigenous artists and makes learning materials accessible to all students by reducing financial barriers. 

“Dr. Kennedy’s approach not only transforms classroom experiences for our learners, but also contributes meaningfully to advancing equity within and beyond Queen’s.”

Transformative experiences

A specialist in global contemporary and transnational feminist art, with a focus on intersections between art, mass media, and politics, Dr. Kennedy was part of a group of faculty members who reimagined the required first-year course for the Art History program, which was a survey of Western art. The result is two innovative courses – ARTH 121 Global Art History and ARTH 122 Curating Art Worlds – that embrace diverse points of view and prepare students for careers in the arts.

As a key member of and then chair of the Art History curriculum committee, Dr. Kennedy worked collaboratively with Yunyi Chen, Educational Developer, Global Learning, Curriculum, and Pedagogy at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, to develop learning outcomes and assignments, as well as identifying and addressing accessibility issues.

The thought, effort, and dedication she puts in to her work is clearly recognized by her students. 

“As a teacher, Dr. Kennedy is able to challenge students and inspire generative question-asking, while also managing to find ways to allow every student to participate regardless of their skill-level or stage in their academic career. Dr. Kennedy also possesses that special quality in a teacher, where each student is made to recognize their unique academic potential through her genuine attention, care, and concern,” says Cicely Haggerty, a student of Dr. Kennedy’s at both the undergraduate and master’s degree levels. “Even as a TA, I felt taken care of and integral to the course – a demonstration of Dr. Kennedy’s attentiveness to every person she engages with in her role.”

Innovation in course design

Dr. Kennedy has also worked to redevelop other courses, including ARTH 228, which focused on Western art, to create Contemporary Art in a Globalizing World, and introduced courses on current issues, such as ARTH 220, Socially Engaged Art, which engages with Black Lives Matter, Third World Feminisms, and other topics. She has also taught courses on such subjects as Art and Queer Culture and Contemporary Art and Curatorial Practice, in which students have curated exhibitions at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and Union Gallery.

At Queen’s, she has also created the course Feminisms and Art, taking an innovative approach, leading her students through a series of scaffolded assignments that culminate in a Wikipedia edit-a-thon, where students apply their research to create or edit Wikipedia entries on women artists. By structuring a course around empowering students to make real change by participating in the worldwide Art+Feminism movement, Dr. Kennedy has inspired others to follow her lead.

“Dr. Kennedy’s innovative teaching strategies have dramatically transformed the educational landscape for our students, while changing their lives. Notably, her incorporation of project-based learning, such as the curation of exhibitions by students in her seminars, serves as a bridge from academic theory to professional practice,” head of the Department of Art History and Art Conservation Norman Vorano says in nominating Dr. Kennedy. “These projects not only empower students but also imbue them with practical skills and real-world experiences that transcend traditional classroom boundaries.”

Dr. Kennedy is also a founding member of Open Art Histories, a Canadian network dedicated to advancing accessibility and inclusion and decolonizing the curriculum through offering open access resources and hosting workshops. 

The award was established in 2003 through gifts from the Toronto Dominion Bank and Chancellor Emeritus Charles Baillie. Recipients are selected by a panel of their peers and the Selection Committee comprises past award recipients, other faculty members, and an educational developer. The Centre for Teaching and Learning is responsible for the administration of the award and the selection of the adjudication panel.