Category: Updates

In clearing out my dad’s home office after he passed away, I came across this note.  The handwriting is his. Clearly, some things never change. This student in one of my dad’s Philosophy classes in the Fall of 1973 had missed class and gotten behind on the readings.  Sound familiar?  It seems that my dad…

I love a good car.  I get my car gene from my dad.  My dad passed away in January of this year and I get a lot of my traits – both good and bad – from him.  He was a Philosophy professor for decades, and I inherited his commitment to and passion for education. …

Are you familiar with the phrase the “lamp of learning” or the “light of knowledge”?  In higher education, you often see this in a college seal or motto, or even as a lapel pin.  As educators, we believe that learning is powerful, that learning is (or should be) constant, that learning sheds light on the…

Do you make resolutions for the new year? I typically don’t. Which is not to say that I don’t respect those who do. I like to believe that new year’s resolutions reflect intentionality and thoughtfulness and self-awareness, so if you make resolutions, I applaud you. And even though I see myself as intentional and thoughtful…

Many of you have heard me “preach the gospel” of the community college mission. You know that I believe in who we are and who we serve. We are an open access institution and we serve all comers. We serve high school students who are getting a jump on college. We serve students who need…

In February I launched this form to allow faculty members to submit their six-word teaching statement. Modeled on Six Word Memoirs, I’m asking any and all faculty to submit their view of teaching in six words. (Keep those submission coming!) Since it’s teacher appreciation week, I thought I would offer a few more of the…

In our break room on the 6th floor of HBC there are a couple of cubbyholes where things are stored – they contain boxes, a small desk, and more boxes. While waiting for my coffee to brew this afternoon, I noticed this on the wall of one of those cubbyholes. I’ve glanced at it dozens…

I know that some of my friends and colleagues get tired of this, but I truly believe in the mission of community colleges – which means I love to tell stories about the impact that we can have. Our mission of open doors and equal access, of equity in student success, and of completion and…

I am so enjoying this experiment. A few weeks ago I created a form through which faculty could submit their “Teaching in Six Words” statements. I love hearing from faculty all over the college and learning more about how they see their role as teachers. To celebrate the beautiful Spring weather, and the return to…

In honor of International Women’s Day, I thought I’d write about some of the women I admire. These are women I know/knew personally, women who have influenced me on my journey. It’s not an exhaustive list – just a few names that popped into my head when I saw today’s Google Doodle “celebrating progress on…