Law Clerk Program Professor | School of Business

Susan Haslip is a Law Clerk Program Professor who enjoys focusing on practical employability skills and teaching in an e-learning environment.

“One of the things that I most enjoy about teaching is taking relatively complex material and breaking it down into bite-size pieces that can be readily digested by students,” explains Susan.

Susan graduated with a Bachelor or Arts from the University of Waterloo on the Dean’s Honour List. She completed a Baccalaureate of Laws (LL.B.) degree at the University of Ottawa where she graduated summa cum laude. She also completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Ottawa where the focus of her research was the state use of force against aboriginal peoples in Canada. Presently, Susan is completing her doctorate of laws thesis (LL.D.) at the University of Ottawa on the subject area of trade-marks and Indigenous people in Canada.

Susan says according to her grandmother she’s wanted to be a lawyer since the age of three. She achieved that goal when she became a lawyer in 2001. Susan counts this as one of her biggest professional accomplishments.

Susan has also been nominated for numerous teaching awards since beginning her teaching career at Algonquin College.  In 2004, she was nominated by students in the Law Clerk Program for exceptional teaching and having a positive effect on their educational experience. For this she received a Certificate of Recognition for exceptional teaching by the Algonquin College Students’ Association.

“In 2005, I was honoured to receive a Students’ Choice Award for Favourite Teacher from graduating students in the Law Clerk Program,” says Susan. “That same graduating class also provided me with a Certificate of Excellence for my commitment to students.” Susan is proud to display certificates detailing such recognition in her office.

Susan’s commitment to her students can be directly linked to some of her teaching philosophies.

“I’m willing to work with any and all students to try and deliver material in a way that is accessible to them,” she says. “I believe that knowledge is power and that when students have a good grasp of the material they can use this knowledge to their advantage in life and in the workplace.”

She believes in presenting the material in a way that further develops skill sets such as preparing students who are leaving the program to have transportable skills that serve them well wherever life takes them.

It’s this positive attitude that led Susan to be nominated for TVOntario’s Best Lecturer Competition in 2005 and again in 2006/2007. Criteria for these nominations include passion for the subject matter being taught, clear explanations of the subject matter, and creative delivery of the material.

“I was very pleased to have been nominated for that competition in 2005 and delighted to learn I was nominated again for 2006/2007,” concludes Susan.