Charles Simic Wins Robert Frost Medal

Bravo. Simic’s posts at the blog of The New York Review of Books are a delight:

http://www.nybooks.com/contributors/charles-simic/#tab-blog

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/mar/17/the-blustering-blast/

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/feb/04/the-buster-keaton-cure/

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2011/jan/04/winter-philosophers/

Good. My PhD students are usually not even willing to apply to community colleges. I can point them to your blog to show them (hopefully) that a community college can be a good career choice. Maybe I’m wrong, as I’ve never attended or worked at a community college, but I don’t understand what’s wrong with them.

I think this is a great idea. As a librarian at a community college, I always find true stories and experiences that challenge who I am as an Instructor and professional. All the best~!

Thanks for dedicating the blog to this topic. Just wondering what the 2-year folks think — I’m just finishing my master’s and have been accepted into a doctoral program. I’ve worked in PR for over a decade. My goal is to teach (with minimal PR consulting) and have some work/life balance. I think I would be perfectly happy with a career in a community college. What kind of long-term career prospects would I have with my master’s as oppposed to the Ph. D. in a community college?

I am very glad that there is a blog presence on The Chronicle for community colleges. I am not so fond of the title, The Two-Year Track. There are many four-year colleges who also offer associate degrees and have “two-year tracks.” The use of the word “track” instead of “degree” may indicate, again, that those in charge feel the predominate two-year college degree (e.g., the associate degree, in some form or fashion–AA, AS, AAS, etc.) lacks validity. However, having another place to communicate about the strengths and challenges of community college life is still a great idea.

Maxcg asks about the job prospects for faculty with master’s degrees as opposed to PhDs at community colleges. I am a Dean, in the health sciences, and I have a M.Ed., plus everything except the dissertation for the PhD. After 21 years as dean, nobody is “making” me finish the PhD, but I would be lying if I said it doesn’t make a difference. PhDs are still preferred, especially in academic leadership positions and in all faculty positions, such as the liberal arts, where there is an abundance of PhD candidates available. In health sciences, we are thrilled to find candidates with both significant work experience and master’s degrees. I do not have any PhD faculty.

I am not sure the PhD is always a bonus in the day-to-day teaching of community college students–sometimes the strong academic background and years of college completed by the faculty member is a silent barrier to someone struggling with entry-level course work. A good teacher, regardless of degree, overcomes such barriers and turns them into positives. A faculty member with a PhD, who is not a good teacher (or scholar, or community servant), is an asset only in the back of the catalog where faculty and pedigrees are listed! Unfortunately, community colleges rarely support pure scholarship, and teaching 4-5 courses each semester leaves little “side” time for those pursuits. Some faculty with PhDs become frustrated when they want to continue their research and writing, and find so little support other than pats-on-the-back.

What’s your degree in, maxcg?

Rob

Margray: Contact me off-line if you’re interested in doing something about the problem you describe.

Rob
rjenkinsgdp@yahoo.com

=================
A Professor’s Story
=================

by Glen W Spielbauer

Member – Community College Humanities Association

CCHA http://www.ccha-assoc.org

—————————————————————————–
The following fictional story is about a prototypical
college professor. — It shows the proud legacy of
two-year community colleges in public service :

- The names are fictional.

Our professor, who believes his great role is “mentoring”
students, is ousted out of a big-name research university
for “lack of scholarship” – that is, not publishing enough and
being “too involved” with teaching.

- He finds redemption at a community college in
the suburb of a large urban metropolitan area -
which becomes his true path and home :
——————————————————————

—————–
The Ouster
—————–

Dr. John Wentworth is an assistant professor at a big name top-tier
nationally ranked research university in Texas.

He is dedicated to teaching undergraduates and readily makes himself
available to his students, a rarity at this institution. He has published a
few short articles in scholarly journals during the past three years, which
he shares with his students.

The other professors are not as engaged with undergraduates or with
professors from the other departments. They are focused on their own
narrow specializations, and consider other departments to be superfluous.
There is general hostility between the faculty and administration.

= While Dr. Wentworth enjoys research, he considers this secondary
to his true passion, teaching.

One day, Dr. Wentworth is summoned to the dean’s office for a conference.
Dean Robert Smith informs him that the faculty committee has voted to
deny him tenure.

“While your excellent teaching has been noted, your scholarship and
publications record is rather weak.” Wentworth is devastated.
His whole world shattered, he leaves the office in a daze.

Wentworth decides he is finished with a career at any four-year university.
“Why can’t the universities value the undergraduate experience as much as
graduate programs and research?” he thinks to himself. He now sees the
university as a great fraud which has betrayed him and his students.

He wonders daily about his future, until he sees an ad in a scholarly
journal for a faculty position at Richdale College, part of a large
urban district.

Could this be a new opportunity to find himself?

————————-
A New Beginning
————————

Wentworth applies for the position as instructor of applied machine
technology, and is called for an interview. As he tours the campus, he
is impressed with the beautiful landscape, innovative architecture, and
especially the enthusiasm of the students on their way to class.

He is also taken in by the city – the vibrant arts community,
historic homes, the local museum, downtown restaurants, and
antique shops. The city festivals held each year give the city
a vibrant life. The county historic society sponsors lectures
about the rich history going back to the Civil War era.

During the interview, the dean explains how the community college is
a major force in the local economy, with several factories and branch
offices of national business located here. The histories of the town and
college are intertwined.

Dr. Wentworth expresses his disappointment at his former university,
the shallow-minded values, and betrayal of the students in the name of
institutional greatness. “I want to engage the students!” he exclaims.
“To MENTOR them!”

Dr. John Wentworth is hired for the next term. When he begins
his term, he is elated and throws himself into the job, devising better
methods of instruction. His devotion to his new home grows, as does
the acclaim and admiration of his students. He also takes time to explore
the attractions of the city and nearby countryside.

Wentworth attends several events held by the Humanities department.
He enjoys the student art exhibits, plays, concerts, and poetry readings
which are open to the public. He introduces himself to the Humanities
faculty and they have lively discussions on integrating the Humanities
into the technical programs.

At the end of the term, several of his graduating students are hired by
local industrial firms. He visits the recruiting offices of these firms to
build on the strong link already established with the college technology
programs. He makes suggestions to the faculty committee on new topics
to be incorporated, and publishes two articles on these topics in a
vocational-technical training journal. He is asked to serve on the town
economic development council.

——————————————–
Summoned by the President
——————————————–

Wentworth is summoned to the office of the college president
Steve Middleton. He is nervous, and does not know what to expect.
“Will I lose this position?” he thinks. “What transgression have I done?
Is there to be a faculty lay-off?” Budgets were always a concern at
the college.

As he approaches the President’s secretary, Miss Nora Jones,
she smiles and gets up from her chair to announce his presence.
Her smile is not reassuring.

“Come in!” shouts the president, smiling broadly motioning him into
his office. “This is a Great Day!” Wentworth wonders what surprise
is being thrown at him.

“I am pleased to announce that you are this year’s recipient of the
Outstanding Teaching Award at Richdale Community
College. Congratulations!”

“You will be honored at our annual Alumni Association Dinner
which will include our alumni in the community, our trustees,
news reporters, and local industry representatives. Miss Jones
will give you all the details on the way out.”

President Middleton again smiles broadly and shouts
“This is a Great day!”

————
Triumph
————

After getting all the info, he slowly walks out of the building
in a complete fog, somewhat shaken but relieved. A great sense
of calm then overtakes him. His self-worth has returned.

Questions race through his mind. What’s college for?
Development of the mind? Strictly vocational training?
Economic development? Service to the public?

Is teaching not more a noble goal than research?
How much research is really of true benefit, rather
than just padding a publications record?

What is a college? Buildings? People? Both? The exchange
of ideas and challenging existing preconceptions is the
REAL college!

It is late afternoon as Dr. Wentworth slowly walks across the
lush green campus, again admiring the architecture. He reflects
on the past year – his ouster, his new beginning, and the thriving
relations between faculty and administration at his new home.

“How Tragic!” he thinks, “Universities exploit the undergraduate
students in the name of esoteric research of little real value -
just for a publications game! The community college is the
REAL college!”

Wentworth is pleased and feels vindicated with his decision to
join the community college faculty and find a new life. He takes pride
that his award proves that his role of engaging and mentoring
students is indeed the most noble mission of any educational
institution.

Wentworth will always cherish being summoned by this campus
with its rich heritage. He continues his slow walk as he thinks to
himself – “This college is my TRUE home!”

End

What do you think is the single most important factor in the success of university’s
expansion?
I think it is its ability to recognise & learn from its and other institutions mistakes.