newsadvancements and initiatives - Faculty Matters
newsadvancements and initiatives - Faculty Matters
newsadvancements and initiatives - Faculty Matters
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
The new F word:<br />
MEET THE FACULTY<br />
The power of potential<br />
10<br />
FORWARD THINKING<br />
The Adaptive Learning<br />
Environment in action<br />
52<br />
<strong>Matters</strong><br />
THE HR COLUMN<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement<br />
Survey<br />
72<br />
Summer 2012
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong><br />
LinkedIn Group<br />
Your connection to<br />
Give <strong>and</strong> get advice.<br />
Enhance your business network.<br />
Promote yourself.<br />
colleagues,<br />
<strong>and</strong> growing.<br />
www.facultymatters.com/linkedin/
Letter from the executive editor<br />
Summer Edition, 2012<br />
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER<br />
Arra Yerganian<br />
VICE PRESIDENT<br />
Kathleen Fern<br />
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR<br />
Jenifer King<br />
SENIOR EDITOR<br />
Tracy Nita Pender<br />
DIRECTOR, FACuLTy RELATIONS<br />
Jason Pochert<br />
COMMuNICATIONS MANAGER<br />
Bridget Gutierrez<br />
SENIOR WRITER<br />
Julie Wilson<br />
LINKEDIN COMMuNITy MANAGER<br />
Amy Wilson<br />
FACuLTy ADVISORy BOARD<br />
Alan Drimmer, Adam Honea,<br />
Russ Paden, Dawn Iwamoto,<br />
Doug Klingenberg, Marla Kelsey,<br />
Barbara Taylor<br />
CONTRIBuTING WRITERS<br />
Lori Baker, Paula Boon, Carlye Malchuk<br />
Dash, Mark Dillon, Keely Grasser,<br />
Heather Holliday, Lee Rasizer<br />
DESIGN<br />
P.S. Studios, Inc.<br />
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
Bruce Racine<br />
CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
Niall David, Marco Garcia, Jenny Gorman<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> is produced quarterly<br />
by the University of Phoenix <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Relations Department<br />
CONTACT<br />
University of Phoenix<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> magazine<br />
4025 S. Riverpoint Parkway, CF-K410<br />
Phoenix, AZ 85040<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>@phoenix.edu<br />
P 877-773-0195<br />
F 480-366-7503<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com<br />
©2012 University of Phoenix, Inc.<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
FpO<br />
Fear of failure<br />
That’s the crux of the problem, isn’t<br />
it? How far are you willing to go?<br />
How bold can you be before you get your<br />
h<strong>and</strong> slapped?<br />
We’ve all been there. We were there just<br />
before this issue went to press. We knew<br />
we wanted to talk about attitudes toward<br />
failure—every parent, teacher, coach<br />
<strong>and</strong> employer can certainly relate. But<br />
suddenly we worried. Was our title going<br />
too far? Was failure too taboo to discuss?<br />
Something I’ve mentioned before is that<br />
I’m surrounded by an amazing group of<br />
people who have strong opinions <strong>and</strong> who<br />
are great at their jobs. We talked about<br />
toning down our title to be more positive.<br />
We thought about saying “success” instead<br />
of “failure.” But then we realized we were<br />
falling prey to the same trend we were<br />
addressing.<br />
So we all agreed to be brave.<br />
Enjoy the issue.<br />
Kathleen M. Fern, MBA<br />
Executive Editor<br />
Kathleen.Fern@phoenix.edu<br />
Kathleen M. Fern<br />
Executive Editor<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
2012 Copper Quill Awards<br />
2012 ADDY Awards<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> magazine has received a Copper Quill<br />
Award in the 2012 Copper Quill Awards competition.<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> has also won a 2012 ADDY award. Visit<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to read more about our award wins.<br />
3
4<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> | Summer 2012<br />
contents<br />
28<br />
34<br />
38<br />
74<br />
6<br />
10<br />
14<br />
18<br />
22<br />
24<br />
64<br />
42<br />
48<br />
50<br />
70<br />
Features<br />
The new F word: failure<br />
Your voice<br />
Turning failure to success<br />
By the numbers<br />
Meet The <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Your opinions<br />
Andre Watson<br />
Radostina peteva<br />
Reynaldo Dinulong<br />
Your space<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> faces<br />
Noteworthy<br />
University News<br />
College news<br />
From the deans<br />
Historic day in African education<br />
You’ve got mail<br />
Cover Story<br />
28<br />
10<br />
When was the last time you failed at something<br />
important? More <strong>and</strong> more, our culture appears<br />
to revere success at all costs, while failure has<br />
become taboo—it’s almost a dirty word, for some.<br />
What are the true lessons of failure? Feature artist:<br />
P.S. Studios.
38<br />
34<br />
50<br />
Scholarship Spotlight<br />
Adversity <strong>and</strong> scholarship<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> honoraria<br />
Event calendar<br />
Columns<br />
Forward thinking<br />
Just ask<br />
The HR column<br />
From The Desk Of<br />
The president<br />
The provost<br />
The SVp of Academic Operations<br />
The Executive Editor<br />
14<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
18<br />
56<br />
58<br />
63<br />
52<br />
68<br />
72<br />
8<br />
26<br />
66<br />
3<br />
5
6<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
your<br />
opinions<br />
“ We’ve launched a<br />
whole new online<br />
experience at<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com.<br />
Be sure to visit!”<br />
— Tracy Nita Pender<br />
Senior Editor,<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong><br />
comments, critiques <strong>and</strong> kudos<br />
I<br />
’m part of the psychology online faculty, teaching<br />
undergrad through Ph.D., <strong>and</strong> have been with<br />
University of Phoenix since 2006. I’m a psychologist<br />
in my own private practice but have also been an<br />
award-winning faculty member previously at another<br />
university. I prefaced my statement with that<br />
information because I wanted you to know that I mean<br />
it when I say thank you for the University’s <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
<strong>Matters</strong> magazine.<br />
Particularly, I’m happy to see my colleagues get the<br />
well-deserved feature profiles showing their hard<br />
work in <strong>and</strong> out of the classroom. I have been a public<br />
person for many years as an author <strong>and</strong> television oncamera<br />
expert, so I get plenty of exposure. But I have<br />
seen so many talented colleagues work <strong>and</strong> toil with no<br />
recognition at so many schools. Many universities give<br />
lip service to words such as “value of faculty, respect<br />
for faculty, etc., etc.,” but no actual follow-through.<br />
University of Phoenix’s magazine, the honoraria<br />
spotlight <strong>and</strong> featuring publications <strong>and</strong> books by<br />
faculty is refreshing <strong>and</strong> inspiring to see.<br />
— Dr. William July, University of Phoenix faculty<br />
Houston, TX<br />
The letters below were received in response to our Spring 2012<br />
edition feature “Can faculty influence right <strong>and</strong> wrong?”<br />
I<br />
believe our behavior, ethical or not, is a function of<br />
our own belief <strong>and</strong> value system. These could be<br />
based on religious beliefs, education in philosophy,<br />
a sense of fair play, or at the simplest level a sense<br />
of what is right or wrong. These factors combine to<br />
produce our observable behaviors which are usually<br />
habitual. Since the behaviors are habitual we will<br />
usually display then if watched or not watched.<br />
— Thomas A. Graham, University of Phoenix faculty<br />
Moore, OK<br />
Iwas disappointed that the discussion of ethics<br />
in the Spring 2012 issue of <strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> was<br />
so shallow <strong>and</strong> uninformed <strong>and</strong> that the article<br />
reporting the recent poll [Your Voice, pages 34-37]<br />
on ethics careened from one fallacy to another.<br />
To start, take the word “ethics”—nobody seems to<br />
have noted that the word does not refer to a pre-set,<br />
prescribed system of guidelines for behavior—“right<br />
<strong>and</strong> wrong”—but rather to any system of concepts,<br />
sometimes explicit rules, about what is “right <strong>and</strong><br />
wrong.” As such, different cultures <strong>and</strong> different people<br />
may have (<strong>and</strong> do have) different ideas about right<br />
<strong>and</strong> wrong—<strong>and</strong> very often conflicting ideas of what<br />
is right or wrong, which is not to say that one person is<br />
ethical <strong>and</strong> another not—simply that their ethics differ.<br />
A gross example (by which I mean exceedingly<br />
unsubtle): honor killings. In the West, to kill a female<br />
relative because she transgressed an ethical code<br />
(perhaps went out on a date with a young man, was<br />
caught holding h<strong>and</strong>s with a boyfriend) is considered<br />
vastly unethical; we in the West can hardly conceive<br />
anything more unethical. Yet, in some parts of the<br />
world, such is the ethical duty of males in a family.<br />
I was just reading this morning about a 16-year-old<br />
Moroccan girl, having been forced by the local court to<br />
marry the man who had raped her, committed suicide.<br />
Again, we in the West consider this a tremendous<br />
travesty <strong>and</strong> the depth of barbarism. Evidently, in<br />
some codes of Moroccan justice, forcing a woman to<br />
marry her rapist is considered the height of ethics.<br />
And, as much as I agree with <strong>and</strong> am imbued in the<br />
Western system, I have to acknowledge that the<br />
other system does constitute a system of ethics.<br />
So, to ask the questions, “Do you feel that ethics are on<br />
the decline in the U.S.?” or “Do you feel that students<br />
today are more or less ethical,” really is to ask the<br />
wrong questions—or to ask questions with mistaken<br />
presuppositions: the presupposition that there is a set<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard of ethics to which everyone agrees <strong>and</strong> by<br />
which all behavior may be judged, <strong>and</strong> by this st<strong>and</strong>ard,<br />
ethics can be said to “rise” or “decline.” This is simply<br />
not true, <strong>and</strong> to ask the question does little more<br />
than to prompt a rousing chorus of the song from<br />
the musical Bye, Bye, Birdie: “Kids! What’s the matter<br />
with kids today?” (Which, I have read, is very similar<br />
to a complaint found on an ancient Egyptian tomb.)<br />
— Dr. Michael McIntyre, University of Phoenix faculty<br />
Crestline, CA<br />
Corrections<br />
In the article “Keeping it real,” in our spring edition, Maryse Nazon was<br />
incorrectly listed as holding her Ph.D. Dr. Nazon holds her Psy.D.<br />
In the same edition, Dr. Barb Turner, DAA of the Asia Military Campus in<br />
Okinawa, Japan, was incorrectly listed as Barbara Taylor. Dr. Turner wrote<br />
the letter alerting us to the need to change our tagline for <strong>Faculty</strong> Faces.<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> apologizes for the errors.
social media<br />
snippets<br />
From the Deans<br />
DISCUSSION pOST: Our deans have scaled<br />
mountains, volunteered with the Peace Corps<br />
<strong>and</strong> raised burros. What would your fellow faculty<br />
be surprised to learn about your life?<br />
—Kathleen Fern, Executive Editor<br />
MEMBER COMMENT: I love these fun facts<br />
about the deans. Life is not all business <strong>and</strong> no<br />
fun. This shows them in a new light. I am not a<br />
dean, but a CCC, <strong>and</strong> I personally rode a camel<br />
from the outskirts of Cairo, the Pyramids of<br />
Giza—an amazing experience. I use that in classes<br />
at the local campus for an introductions activity<br />
of two truths <strong>and</strong> a lie—always a fun way to start<br />
a class.<br />
—Dr. Shari Muench<br />
MEMBER COMMENT: I am not a dean, either,<br />
but a faculty member. I served in the Peace Corps<br />
in Mpumalanga, South Africa (2002-4), where I<br />
was an educational resource specialist. Leading a<br />
team of faculty there, I started the first library in<br />
the village.<br />
—January Riddle<br />
MEMBER COMMENT: It is a rather interesting<br />
item I will share. Back in 1984 at my days at the<br />
UW-Madison, I was part of a contemporary dance<br />
troupe. It was during this era of my life, I was<br />
offered a job as a Chippendale’s Dancer in Texas. I<br />
turned it down, of course.<br />
Several years later I injured my rotator cuff in a<br />
dancing accident <strong>and</strong> injured my lower back in a<br />
car accident. I had to give up my dancing shoes<br />
<strong>and</strong> get into my professional shoes. In the late<br />
1980’s, I mentioned to Chris Farley, one of my<br />
high school friends, that I should have taken<br />
that job as a Chippendale Dancer because now<br />
I realized no one wanted to see an overweight<br />
Chippendale Dancer.<br />
Our <strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> LinkedIn Group is hosting great<br />
conversations, such as those listed below. Join us at<br />
www.facultymatters.com/linkedin/<br />
Well, I guess I was wrong because shortly<br />
thereafter, Chris made the Chippendale’s skit<br />
one of the most revered skits on SNL (Saturday<br />
Night Live).<br />
—Montgomery Beyer<br />
your classroom emphasis<br />
DISCUSSION pOST: <strong>Faculty</strong> member Maryse<br />
Nazon, Psy.D., emphasizes to her students the<br />
need to be self-aware. What do you emphasize in<br />
your classroom?<br />
—Tracy Nita Pender, Senior Editor<br />
MEMBER COMMENT: View learning as a full<br />
spectrum of observations <strong>and</strong> application.<br />
—Steve Brannon<br />
MEMBER COMMENT: Learning as a process,<br />
critical thinking <strong>and</strong> inquiry, research skills <strong>and</strong><br />
mutual respect <strong>and</strong> appreciation for differing<br />
viewpoints <strong>and</strong> experiences.<br />
—Lindsay Armstrong<br />
MEMBER COMMENT: Use the classroom<br />
learning environment as a laboratory to practice<br />
the skills needed in their workplace.<br />
—Charlotte Johnson<br />
Like an article? Share it!<br />
We’ve improved our sharing capabilities at<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com. Look for these icons to help<br />
you easily share articles with your colleagues <strong>and</strong><br />
social networks.<br />
What was the most-shared article in our<br />
Spring 2012 edition? It was a tie between<br />
“Can faculty influence right <strong>and</strong> wrong” <strong>and</strong><br />
“An ocean of experience.”<br />
your editorial team<br />
Arra yerganian<br />
Chief Marketing<br />
Officer<br />
Jenifer King<br />
Editorial Director<br />
Jason Pochert<br />
Director, <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Relations<br />
Amy Wilson<br />
LinkedIn Community<br />
Manager<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
Kathleen Fern<br />
Executive Editor<br />
Tracy Nita Pender<br />
Senior Editor<br />
Bridget Gutierrez<br />
Communications<br />
Manager<br />
Julie Wilson<br />
Senior Writer<br />
7
BILL TALKS<br />
FAILURE<br />
WHAT IS FAILURE?<br />
A lack of persistence to<br />
succeed.<br />
HAVE YOU EVER<br />
TWEETED OR<br />
SEARCHED #FAIL?<br />
Nope.<br />
WHAT’S YOUR<br />
FAVORITE SAYING<br />
ABOUT SUCCESS?<br />
Success is what you make<br />
happen. Failure is what<br />
you let happen.<br />
IS FAILURE THE<br />
OppOSITE OF SUCCESS?<br />
Not at all. See answer<br />
above.<br />
DO YOU HAVE A<br />
SUBSTITUTE WORD OR<br />
pHRASE FOR FAILURE?<br />
Temporary setback.<br />
Bill Pepicello, Ph.D.<br />
President, University of Phoenix
From the desk of the president<br />
Failure is a choice<br />
S<br />
ome say that failure is not an option,<br />
but I believe failure is a personal choice.<br />
A matter of perspective<br />
Too often, people look at failure as a terminal thing.<br />
They think, “I failed. That’s it. I need to quit.” But failure<br />
is not in my way of thinking. I’ve never failed in the<br />
sense that I’ve never given up, hung my head <strong>and</strong><br />
walked out on something. I’ve experienced criticism<br />
like everyone else, but I never let it define where I go<br />
from there. Instead, I view criticism as constructive<br />
input I can use to get even better at whatever it is<br />
I’m doing.<br />
Learning curve<br />
Dr. John Sperling has embodied this same spirit<br />
since he founded University of Phoenix in 1976. He<br />
didn’t worry about failure. He worried about success.<br />
And when things didn’t work out perfectly, he just<br />
worked harder.<br />
When we first launched our digital library in 1996, it<br />
was highly controversial, <strong>and</strong> even the accrediting<br />
bodies were concerned. But we took every criticism<br />
<strong>and</strong> roadblock as an opportunity to make things<br />
better, <strong>and</strong> we used the things that didn’t work to<br />
make us stronger.<br />
It would have been easy for us to say, “You’re right.<br />
This is too hard.” But we knew we’d figure it out<br />
because we learned something from every setback.<br />
I welcomed our critics then, as I still do today, because<br />
they help us get even better. Now we have a state-ofthe-art<br />
digital library that is an amazing success, <strong>and</strong><br />
it’s being replicated in schools across the country <strong>and</strong><br />
around the world.<br />
A clear path<br />
Today, students want to know what they are going to<br />
get out of their degrees, <strong>and</strong> universities are struggling<br />
with how to provide a path to success for their<br />
students. This is something higher education wasn’t<br />
accountable for previously. At University of Phoenix,<br />
we considered this a high priority from the start. For<br />
the past four decades, we have been on a mission to<br />
reinvigorate the middle class in America by providing<br />
our students with an education that will give them the<br />
skills <strong>and</strong> knowledge they need to succeed.<br />
Along the way, many will experience setbacks <strong>and</strong><br />
roadblocks, just as the University has. As faculty<br />
members, you’re in a unique position to help instill in<br />
our students a sense of the excitement of risk-taking<br />
<strong>and</strong> innovation, despite the occasional obstacles.<br />
With your guidance, students set their focus not on<br />
failure, but rather on progress <strong>and</strong> achievement,<br />
which is something we can all be proud of, whatever<br />
the outcome.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
“ I welcome our<br />
critics because<br />
they help us make<br />
ourselves better.”<br />
9
10<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
meet the faculty<br />
By Carlye Malchuk Dash<br />
Photography by Jenny Gorman<br />
Andre Watson, Psy.D.<br />
Andre Watson has always been a good listener.<br />
In fact, the 35-year-old clinical psychologist<br />
has built his career on conversations. “I am<br />
from the school of thought that believes that<br />
talking about everything helps people heal,”<br />
he explains.<br />
Born, raised <strong>and</strong> living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Watson<br />
counsels patients at his private practice in the Philadelphia<br />
Consultation Center. He also brings his unique world view to the<br />
local University of Phoenix campus where he teaches for the<br />
College of Humanities.<br />
The spider web of life<br />
For Watson, teaching is about making learning authentic—<br />
bringing theories to life by allowing students to make<br />
connections to themselves <strong>and</strong> to the lives <strong>and</strong> ideas of their<br />
classmates. “As a psychologist, I am able to apply scientific <strong>and</strong><br />
psychological theory to everyday life that students can identify<br />
with <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>,” he says. “As a result, they are given not<br />
only an intellectual education, but also an emotional one while<br />
in my class. I use therapeutic principles to help students pull the<br />
most out of themselves.”<br />
Watson, who recently taught Psychology of Personality to<br />
undergraduate students, feels his skills as a group therapist<br />
best serve him as a teacher. “The goal in group therapy is not to<br />
have people giving monologues … but instead to be interacting<br />
with each other. That’s how our brain works—we make so many<br />
different connections—<strong>and</strong> that’s how I like to run my class. It’s<br />
like a spider web.”<br />
A new reality<br />
Born with full vision, Watson lost his sight before entering his<br />
teens. “We really don’t totally underst<strong>and</strong> how things happened,”<br />
he explains of the multiple retina detachments that started in<br />
his right eye at age six. By age 11 he was completely blind.<br />
“After I lost my eyesight I received a different response from<br />
the world,” he says. Watson recalls a change in comments from<br />
family, neighbors <strong>and</strong> playmates; they were now hesitant to<br />
include him in games, to let him help around the house, or to<br />
walk around alone.<br />
continued on page 12
facultymatters.com<br />
The power<br />
of potential<br />
Born with full vision, by age 11 Andre Watson was completely blind. Throughout<br />
his life, he has worked hard to exceed the expectations of those who saw his full<br />
potential—<strong>and</strong> to change the opinions of those who saw him only as disabled.<br />
11
12<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
meet the faculty<br />
Andre Watson, Psy.D.<br />
continued from page 10<br />
“I heard people talk differently to me, <strong>and</strong> that’s stayed<br />
with me all these years,” he explains. “I was free to be<br />
anything <strong>and</strong> then after I lost my sight I felt people<br />
putting constraints on me—<strong>and</strong> I resent that, I really<br />
do. It’s like having privileges <strong>and</strong> then having them<br />
taken away.”<br />
An active student<br />
With encouragement—<strong>and</strong> with his own high<br />
expectations—Watson began to move forward. He<br />
notes he was fortunate to have the support of his<br />
mother, a teacher, but also to be enrolled at Overbrook<br />
Education Center from grades four to eight. The<br />
school was hugely supportive of blind students,<br />
allowing them to join mainstream classes.<br />
In high school, Watson joined the wrestling team <strong>and</strong><br />
pursued the sport through college. He later played<br />
goalball—a sport for blind athletes—<strong>and</strong> was on the<br />
national team. In goalball, teams of three maneuver<br />
similar to a soccer or hockey goalie, trying to prevent<br />
the opposing team from scoring a ball embedded<br />
with bells. Players with partial vision are blindfolded<br />
to create a level playing field. Also a martial arts<br />
practitioner, Watson was selected to the Paralympic<br />
Judo Team <strong>and</strong> represented the U.S. at the Beijing<br />
2008 Paralympic Games.<br />
Research based on experience<br />
Watson earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology,<br />
with a minor in Spanish <strong>and</strong> Africana Studies, at the<br />
University of Pittsburgh. His master’s <strong>and</strong> doctorate<br />
degree, both in Clinical Psychology, were completed<br />
at Widener University. For his doctorate, Watson’s<br />
dissertation focused on the development of blind<br />
adolescents—a topic inspired by his own youth.<br />
In social situations, fear of the unknown can result in a<br />
person with a disability being totally excluded. “When<br />
you’re disabled, people aren’t always sure what to do<br />
so sometimes you’re sat in a corner, you’re forgotten<br />
about or you’re not included,” explains Watson. “It can<br />
create people who are stuck <strong>and</strong> unsure of themselves.”<br />
One unique social tool Watson credits with helping<br />
him elude such a fate: learning the electric slide. It’s a<br />
move his eighth grade teacher taught him. “You don’t<br />
know how much mileage I have gotten out of doing that<br />
[dance],” he says with a laugh. Weddings, dances <strong>and</strong><br />
parties, Watson is on the dance floor.<br />
“ I think one thing students enjoy<br />
about my class is that I implicitly<br />
st<strong>and</strong> for overcoming adversity.”<br />
Combating discrimination<br />
“I think one thing students enjoy about my class is that I implicitly<br />
st<strong>and</strong> for overcoming adversity,” he explains. “Many times,<br />
students are shocked to see a disabled man teaching the class.”<br />
He’s actually been mistaken as a student a number of times.<br />
“When they hear my story about how I underst<strong>and</strong> difficulty, they<br />
are given hope … I underst<strong>and</strong> the power of encouragement,<br />
motivation <strong>and</strong> expectation.”<br />
Awareness of what the blind <strong>and</strong> visually impaired are capable of<br />
needs more focus, says Watson. “Eighty percent of people who are<br />
visually impaired are unemployed or underemployed,” he explains.<br />
“Discrimination runs rampant <strong>and</strong> the [overall] conditions for the<br />
visually impaired needs to be improved.”<br />
A life-long learner<br />
Today, along with actively counselling children, adults, families <strong>and</strong><br />
couples, Watson stays current in his area of study via professional
associations <strong>and</strong> his own research. He is a member of Division 51—The Society of the<br />
Psychological Study of Men <strong>and</strong> Masculinity, of the American Psychological Association<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. President of a new audio dart club—a<br />
special interest group of the Pennsylvania Council for the Blind—he is also working on an<br />
article on masculinity <strong>and</strong> disability.<br />
Inspired <strong>and</strong> inspiring<br />
While those at the Philadelphia Campus point to Watson as inspiring for his use of<br />
adaptive technology to prepare for class, evaluate assignments <strong>and</strong> post feedback,<br />
he is quick to turn the attention to his students. “They inspire me because so many of<br />
them deal with real life issues. Many of my students are from the inner-city <strong>and</strong> want<br />
desperately to learn <strong>and</strong> make a better life for themselves,” he explains. “They are<br />
parents, professionals, soldiers, health care workers, business people… They have so<br />
much talent, <strong>and</strong> all they need is a chance.”<br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to see a slideshow of images taken of Dr. Andre Watson at<br />
our April photoshoot in Pennsylvania.<br />
FACULTY<br />
FACTS<br />
ANDRE WATSON<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> since 2007<br />
FACILITATES FOR<br />
College of Humanities<br />
HIGHEST DEGREE<br />
Doctorate of Clinical<br />
psychology, Widener<br />
University<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
BEST TEACHING<br />
pRACTICES<br />
Help students to<br />
underst<strong>and</strong> that<br />
mistakes are great<br />
learning opportunities.<br />
See the bigger picture<br />
– life is more than<br />
passing one class. It’s<br />
about seeing the best<br />
in one’s self <strong>and</strong> never<br />
giving up.<br />
ADVICE<br />
Expect the best out of<br />
students. Students<br />
thrive when they know<br />
that someone believes<br />
in them.<br />
13
meet the faculty<br />
Radostina Peteva<br />
Overwhelmed<br />
<strong>and</strong> loving it<br />
By Lee Rasizer<br />
Photography by Niall David<br />
Radostina Peteva believes that if you’re not overwhelmed,<br />
you’re wasting your time. And she practices what she<br />
preaches. A faculty member with the School of Business<br />
at University of Phoenix, Peteva is also Head of Business<br />
Development at Greenhouse Studios—the latest stop on a<br />
career path that has included powerhouse entertainment<br />
companies <strong>and</strong> an internship at the United Nations.<br />
continued on page 16
facultymatters.com<br />
15
16<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
meet the faculty<br />
Radostina Peteva<br />
continued from page 15<br />
Mix a can-do spirit with a can’t-stop work ethic<br />
<strong>and</strong> you’ll have a small window into what makes<br />
Radostina peteva tick. She’s part philosopher,<br />
part inspirational speaker <strong>and</strong> an unabashed<br />
straight-talker. She’s also boardroom savvy<br />
<strong>and</strong> has an international flair borne from a life<br />
spent as a world-traveling diplomat’s daughter.<br />
At the same time, she’s the type of person<br />
who brazenly asks for an extra set of crayons<br />
when dining with friends <strong>and</strong> their children<br />
at restaurants. It’s a request that satisfies her<br />
newest passion: painting.<br />
“I’m living my happiest life now,” says Peteva, based in Sherman<br />
Oaks, California. A faculty member with University of Phoenix, she<br />
teaches Business 210: Foundations of Business, <strong>and</strong> has since 2010.<br />
For Peteva, teaching is a personal calling—something she embraces<br />
amidst the chaos of her own busy life.<br />
“In my class, I explain to students that if you’re not overwhelmed<br />
<strong>and</strong> don’t have a lot on your plate, you’re wasting your time,” she<br />
explains. “You have to feel a little bit uncomfortable to know<br />
that you’re growing. At the same time, everything is within [our<br />
students’] power, so I empower them by talking to them.”<br />
The big screen<br />
A successful movie executive for nearly a decade, Peteva has worked<br />
for Disney Media, ABC Family <strong>and</strong> 20th Century Fox. She oversaw<br />
negotiations with Miramax, Marvel <strong>and</strong> the Academy of Motion<br />
Picture Arts <strong>and</strong> Sciences—better known as the Oscars—while part<br />
of Disney Media Networks Business Strategy <strong>and</strong> Development.<br />
But Peteva wasn’t satisfied with being a cog in the wheel of the<br />
big-studio system <strong>and</strong> desired ownership. She took the position<br />
of Head of Business Development at Greenhouse Studios earlier<br />
this year. At Greenhouse she became involved with projects such<br />
as “Fatherhood 101,” a feature documentary exploring the various<br />
child-rearing philosophies of men across diverse socio-economic<br />
backgrounds. The project includes celebrity fathers such as actor<br />
Alan Thicke <strong>and</strong> basketball player Grant Hill.<br />
Most recently, Peteva helped secure a seven-figure contract with<br />
Shoreline Entertainment to develop a film entitled “Dead Recon.”<br />
From Bulgaria to the United Nations<br />
Her students couldn’t have a better role model for the “anything’spossible”<br />
mantra fostered by Peteva.<br />
She was born in Bulgaria—her father Petio’s m<strong>and</strong>ate as the<br />
Bulgarian ambassador to Estonia ended two months ago. During<br />
her youth her mother, Yoana, a doctor, <strong>and</strong> father were stationed<br />
in exotic places like Vienna, Berlin <strong>and</strong> Albania. At age 14, Peteva was<br />
attending middle school in Germany when the family relocated to<br />
the U.S. She didn’t speak the language when she arrived <strong>and</strong> had to<br />
enroll in English as a Second Language courses at her high school<br />
in Washington, D.C.<br />
Seven months later, she had already worked her way into<br />
mainstream courses. Remarkably, at age 16—two years after<br />
her arrival in America—Peteva earned a financially necessary<br />
scholarship to Whittier College, a liberal arts institution in<br />
Los Angeles.
“The way I look at it is, <strong>and</strong> this is<br />
my personal philosophy, I have<br />
no competition. My competition<br />
is my dream.”<br />
Her first university English grade wasn’t up to snuff, so<br />
Peteva began writing day <strong>and</strong> night <strong>and</strong> proofreading<br />
other people’s papers on the side to improve her<br />
communications skills. While on the path to a doublemajor<br />
in Political Science <strong>and</strong> Business Administration,<br />
Peteva earned enough money to pay for an internship<br />
with the United Nations in Geneva. Her work centered<br />
on the difficult topic of female genital mutilation,<br />
which helped further shape her world view.<br />
By 23, when most students are just graduating college,<br />
Peteva not only had her bachelor’s degree in h<strong>and</strong><br />
but had earned a master’s degree from Pepperdine.<br />
She was already on the fast track to her career in the<br />
entertainment industry.<br />
The educator’s role<br />
Peteva admits somewhat sheepishly that even now,<br />
she’s never taken a day off. Believe it. “I have no year<br />
unaccounted for, that I didn’t say, ‘You know what?<br />
I was able to complete this milestone.’ And they are<br />
not all the same. Some are personal. Some have to do<br />
with citizenship. I love that. I think that’s why I have no<br />
regrets … And that’s what I want for my students,” she<br />
adds. “I want my students to look at everything they<br />
want to do, <strong>and</strong> just do it—believe in their ability <strong>and</strong><br />
have no regrets.”<br />
Teaching at University of Phoenix serves as the calm<br />
in a relative storm of activity that marks her busy life.<br />
It keeps her “balanced” <strong>and</strong> in many ways fulfilled.<br />
“It’s such a rewarding feeling to feel like you have the<br />
ability to make somebody see themselves as better; to<br />
make somebody see themselves as valuable.”<br />
Imagination to reality<br />
Peteva’s University of Phoenix course includes<br />
weekly wrap-ups that are sprinkled with inspirational<br />
quotations. Her teaching methodology encompasses<br />
real-world headlines transferred into business<br />
applications. Supply-<strong>and</strong>-dem<strong>and</strong> discussions touch<br />
upon rising gas prices. Br<strong>and</strong>ing discussions reference<br />
Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry. Profitability lectures cite<br />
billionaire Warren Buffett. “Everybody wants to talk<br />
about current events, but what I’m allowing them to<br />
do is see them in a different light,” she says.<br />
Each of Peteva’s students creates a business plan by<br />
the end of class. That process begins with an inquiry<br />
on broad-based entrepreneurial ideas that are limited<br />
only by the imagination. By semester’s end the ideas<br />
are transformed into presentations that could be,<br />
<strong>and</strong> sometimes are, put forth to financial investors or<br />
venture capitalists.<br />
“All of a sudden you see this beautiful piece that’s also<br />
accurate <strong>and</strong> business savvy from a person who might<br />
have started out telling you, ‘I hate business classes,’”<br />
she says. “It’s inspiring.”<br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to see a<br />
slideshow of images taken of Radostina Peteva at our April<br />
photoshoot in California.<br />
FACULTY<br />
FACTS<br />
RADOSTINA<br />
pETEVA<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> since 2010<br />
FACILITATES FOR<br />
School of Business<br />
HIGHEST DEGREE<br />
Master’s in Business,<br />
pepperdine University<br />
Graziadio Graduate<br />
School of Business<br />
<strong>and</strong> Management<br />
CAREER<br />
HIGHLIGHTS<br />
Daily I am able to<br />
fuse my dreams or<br />
the dreams of others<br />
with my work.<br />
BEST TEACHING<br />
pRACTICES<br />
Utilize the ABC<br />
method/s<strong>and</strong>wich<br />
approach for<br />
feedback.<br />
Use recent media<br />
events to facilitate<br />
lessons as it helps<br />
students learn<br />
quickly <strong>and</strong> memorize<br />
contextually.<br />
ADVICE<br />
Motivate, believe<br />
<strong>and</strong> inspire!
meet the faculty<br />
Reynaldo Dinulong<br />
A Navy man,<br />
a nurse’s heart<br />
By Keely Grasser<br />
Photography by Marco Garcia<br />
As a child growing up in the Philippines, Reynaldo Dinulong dreamt of the<br />
world of opportunity the U.S. Navy could provide. That aspiration launched<br />
a journey through the Navy, nursing <strong>and</strong> education.
facultymatters.com<br />
Reynaldo Dinulong used to<br />
look through his schoolroom<br />
window where he would often<br />
see the sailors working at<br />
the nearby U.S. Navy base.<br />
Daydreaming of his future, he<br />
told himself that someday he<br />
would be in their place. Born<br />
<strong>and</strong> raised in the philippines—<br />
the tenth of 12 children—he’s<br />
a firm believer that anything<br />
is possible. “You just have to<br />
examine your heart <strong>and</strong> know<br />
what you need in life,” he<br />
explains.<br />
A faculty member with the University<br />
of Phoenix’s Hawaii Campus, Dinulong<br />
teaches for the College of Nursing. He is<br />
also pursuing his Doctor of Nursing Practice<br />
degree with Walden University. His goal,<br />
he says, is to continue to raise his level<br />
of expertise <strong>and</strong> thus, his impact on the<br />
nursing field. A model of perseverance <strong>and</strong><br />
motivation, he approaches everything in his<br />
life methodologically <strong>and</strong> with purpose:<br />
“My mantra is that I take one step at a<br />
time <strong>and</strong> make it a masterpiece.”<br />
A Navy man<br />
Dinulong applied to the U.S. Navy while he<br />
was still in high school. The Navy had a nowdefunct<br />
agreement with the Philippines<br />
that allowed Filipino citizens to join. They<br />
had to apply, <strong>and</strong> then pass entrance<br />
tests before being accepted. Dinulong<br />
earned his high school diploma <strong>and</strong> was<br />
studying at college in the Philippines—both<br />
via scholarships—when he was called to<br />
write the tests. He aced them. “Out of 300<br />
applicants, there were only two of us who<br />
made it,” he recalls.<br />
And that, he explains, is when “my dreams<br />
really started to come true.”<br />
continued on page 20<br />
19
20<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
meet the faculty<br />
Reynaldo Dinulong<br />
continued from page 19<br />
Dinulong decided to focus his Navy career on medicine.<br />
“I like to help people,” he explains. The Navy provided<br />
him extensive nursing training which he then used<br />
to provide primary medical care to patients on Navy<br />
ships. “I was afraid at first,” says Dinulong, recalling his<br />
first patient, who came to him with abdominal pain. “I<br />
thought, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ It was a scary<br />
moment.” He correctly diagnosed the patient with<br />
appendicitis—<strong>and</strong> his confidence began to grow.<br />
Dinulong’s core nursing skills were honed during his<br />
accomplished 25-year Navy career. One of his proudest<br />
moments was making the senior ranking of Chief Petty<br />
Officer while deployed in the Gulf. When the captain<br />
pinned the anchor—Navy-speak for the insignia of the<br />
rank—on his shoulder, “I actually cried,” he remembers.<br />
Helping veterans transition<br />
Dinulong retired from active duty in 2007 <strong>and</strong> he, his<br />
wife <strong>and</strong> their two children now live in Hawaii, which he<br />
calls “paradise.” He works as a nurse case manager for<br />
the Tripler Army Medical Center’s Warrior Transition<br />
Unit in Schofield Barracks. In this role, he ensures<br />
that injured soldiers have all the support <strong>and</strong> care<br />
they require to return to active duty or to civilian life.<br />
From medical care to career counseling, it’s Dinulong’s<br />
responsibility to put all of the soldiers’ post-service<br />
care together, he explains. “You are in charge of the<br />
overall health of the soldier.”<br />
He says he wants to ensure the soldiers’ sacrifices are<br />
paid back to them. Dinulong explains that because of<br />
his Navy career, which saw him serve in the Gulf <strong>and</strong><br />
Iraq wars, he underst<strong>and</strong>s what his Tripler patients are<br />
going through. He’s been deployed with soldiers who<br />
have been injured. “I’ve been there. I’ve done that. And<br />
it’s a way for me to make sure they’ll be OK,” he says.<br />
Education’s impact<br />
Dinulong recently taught Ethics: Health Care <strong>and</strong><br />
Social Responsibility at University of Phoenix’s Hawaii<br />
Campus. He developed a passion for teaching while<br />
in the Navy, where he was an instructor <strong>and</strong> master<br />
training specialist. Dinulong enjoys teaching. It’s a<br />
break in his normal routine, plus he likes being able<br />
to share his knowledge with students, he explains.<br />
“Hopefully they’ll learn from my experiences.”<br />
“ If teaching is your passion, give<br />
your heart <strong>and</strong> soul to that passion<br />
<strong>and</strong> think of your students as your<br />
replacement. What would you like<br />
them to be?”<br />
Dinulong’s time in the Navy not only taught him the basics of<br />
changing dressings <strong>and</strong> closing wounds, but showed him that<br />
communication with patients is key, he says. The ability to listen<br />
<strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong> is also paramount to his work at Tripler. Building<br />
trust <strong>and</strong> working with honor <strong>and</strong> integrity is pivotal to nursing, he<br />
explains, <strong>and</strong> he imparts these important values to his students.<br />
Inspiring the next generation<br />
Overall, Dinulong encourages his students to look beyond earning<br />
a diploma or a degree <strong>and</strong> to strive to be the best they can be.<br />
It’s important to challenge the students to be critical thinkers, he<br />
says, adding that it is no longer enough to memorize textbooks.<br />
Dinulong is a key part of the University’s state-of-the-art nursing<br />
simulation lab program. The program uses mock hospital rooms
<strong>and</strong> high tech manikins to provide students<br />
realistic, hard-hitting nursing lessons. He<br />
provides the voice for the life-size manikins,<br />
which not only speak, but breathe, cry<br />
<strong>and</strong> bleed during simulated medical<br />
situations that the nursing students work<br />
through. The simulation labs provide a safe<br />
environment for the students to learn in<br />
without the fear of mistakes, he says.<br />
“It is a place to challenge them,” he adds,<br />
noting the exercises help them develop<br />
not only nursing skills, but that critical<br />
thinking ability that is so important to the<br />
profession.<br />
Dinulong looks at his students as future leaders. He<br />
says it’s so rewarding to have a student, on graduation<br />
day, thank him for his motivation <strong>and</strong> encouragement.<br />
The best way to pay tribute to those people that<br />
helped you succeed is to help your own students<br />
succeed, he says. “If teaching is your passion, give<br />
your heart <strong>and</strong> soul to that passion <strong>and</strong> think of your<br />
students as your replacement. What would you like<br />
them to be?”<br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to see a<br />
slideshow of images taken of Reynaldo Dinulong at our<br />
March photoshoot in Hawaii.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
FACULTY<br />
FACTS<br />
REYNALDO<br />
DINULONG<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> since 2008<br />
FACILITATES FOR<br />
College of Nursing<br />
HIGHEST DEGREE<br />
MSN/ED, University<br />
of phoenix<br />
CAREER<br />
HIGHLIGHTS<br />
Receiving the senior<br />
rank of Chief petty<br />
Officer while deployed<br />
in the Gulf.<br />
Helping with the<br />
establishment of the<br />
Hawaii Campus Nursing<br />
Simulation Lab.<br />
BEST TEACHING<br />
pRACTICES<br />
Know your students.<br />
Be creative in the<br />
classroom <strong>and</strong> use<br />
teaching techniques<br />
that will maximize<br />
learning based on the<br />
students’ strengths.<br />
21<br />
ADVICE<br />
Be fair in evaluating<br />
students <strong>and</strong> provide<br />
constructive feedback<br />
that will help students<br />
succeed, not just<br />
academically but also<br />
professionally.
22<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
your<br />
spacewhere you teach, learn <strong>and</strong> connect<br />
Photos continue to pour in to our office, submitted by faculty members willing<br />
to share what makes their home workspace so special. Enjoy!<br />
LYN SHELA HECK, faculty since May 2008, is based in Acton, California. A member of the College of<br />
Humanities at University of Phoenix, Heck says her peaceful space, created with green <strong>and</strong> blue pastels,<br />
reflects her love of nature. “It’s a place where I can grade my papers, conduct classes <strong>and</strong> study for my Ph.D.,”<br />
says Heck, a doctoral learner. Between her picture window on the upper right <strong>and</strong> the left wall are pictures<br />
she took in Paris, France. “The right picture is Michelangelo’s marble sculpture of David,” she explains. “The<br />
left one is a photo of the Eiffel Tower, taken from our boat on the River Seine. When I graduate from the<br />
Ph.D. program, I am returning to Paris to see more of its history.”
CURTIS M. LYNCH, faculty<br />
since 2009, is based in<br />
Bradenton, Florida. A<br />
member of the College<br />
of Natural Sciences at<br />
University of Phoenix, Lynch<br />
says his space offers him room to reflect on his<br />
soccer background—the soccer field has been<br />
a sanctuary for him. “Throughout the most<br />
difficult times in my life, I have often felt most<br />
comfortable <strong>and</strong> grounded on a soccer pitch,”<br />
explains Lynch. A collegiate soccer player <strong>and</strong> a<br />
high school soccer coach for 22 years, on the wall<br />
of his office is a plaque signifying his induction<br />
into Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Sports Hall<br />
of Fame in November 2001. Lynch’s office also<br />
holds his certificate from the National Soccer<br />
Coaches Association of America award, given to<br />
him in 2010 for achieving 200 career victories as a<br />
high school boys coach.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
23<br />
GERALD WHILTON OLIVAS, ED.D, faculty since<br />
2001, is based in Carlsbad, California. A member<br />
of the School of Advanced Studies at University<br />
of Phoenix, Olivas describes his space as bright<br />
<strong>and</strong> refreshing—<strong>and</strong> a space where he can do<br />
some creative daydreaming. “The travel poster<br />
on the wall of the Duomo in Florence, Italy, reminds me of the<br />
need for everyone, like Brunelleschi in 1400s, to push their own<br />
intellectual <strong>and</strong> creative limits,” he says. “Also, Italy is my retirement<br />
destination.” On his wall are awards that remind him of his<br />
professional achievements, including a letter from the Dean at the<br />
school where he earned his doctorate. The little wood sculpture on<br />
his desk was a gift from a young artist on a Kibbutz in Israel where<br />
Olivas was a volunteer. “The time I spent on the Kibbutz was one of<br />
the most enlightening times in my life.”<br />
To be considered for an upcoming edition of<br />
Your Space, email a photo of your office area<br />
to Tracy.Pender@phoenix.edu.<br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to view a slideshow of<br />
additional Your Space profiles.
24<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
faculty<br />
facesevents<br />
around the world<br />
A red carpet event at the<br />
Southern California Campus<br />
On Saturday, April 28, 2012, approximately 550 University of Phoenix faculty<br />
members, along with academic leadership <strong>and</strong> guests, gathered in Long Beach,<br />
California, for the Southern California Campus General <strong>Faculty</strong> Meeting (GFM)<br />
<strong>and</strong> Red Carpet <strong>Faculty</strong> Appreciation Luncheon.<br />
District Academic Advisor (DAA) Mike Geraghty,<br />
Ph.D., Associate DAA Jim Ghormley, DM, <strong>and</strong><br />
Campus Vice President Kendra Angier, MBA,<br />
welcomed faculty at a brunch at the Westin. Guests<br />
included Vice President of Emerging Leaders<br />
Development, Dianne Pusch; Senior Vice President<br />
of Academic Operations, Dr. Russ Paden; Associate<br />
Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Robert<br />
Johnson; Associate Vice President of Academic<br />
Affairs, Doug Klingenberg; <strong>and</strong> several Regional<br />
Directors of Academic Affairs for Online.<br />
Positive experiences<br />
Following the meet <strong>and</strong> greet brunch, Dr. Paden<br />
spoke about the recent <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement<br />
Survey results, which were extremely positive.<br />
GFM attendees participated in breakout sessions<br />
separated by college <strong>and</strong>—a first this year for SoCal<br />
Campus—a session dedicated to online faculty.<br />
Following the sessions, a red carpet reception was<br />
held <strong>and</strong> all guests enjoyed a lovely meal together.<br />
Guest speaker Jim Gray, a multiple Emmy Award<br />
winning sportscaster famous for leaving political<br />
correctness at the door <strong>and</strong> a firm believer in higher<br />
education, recounted tales from his decades spent<br />
interviewing the likes of Pete Rose, Tiger Woods<br />
<strong>and</strong> Michael Jordan.<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> awards<br />
Later in the afternoon, each Campus College<br />
Chair h<strong>and</strong>ed out a <strong>Faculty</strong> of the Year <strong>and</strong><br />
a <strong>Faculty</strong> Scholar of the Year award to their<br />
respective college. A true highlight of the evening<br />
was when special guest Dianne Pusch presented<br />
a 30-year Lifetime Achievement Award to faculty<br />
member Jack Abbott. Pusch noted that it took<br />
her only a second to RSVP, as she was thrilled to<br />
be part of the celebration for such a dedicated<br />
faculty member.<br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to read inspirational stories shared by faculty members<br />
during the April 2012 National General <strong>Faculty</strong> Meeting.
Guest speaker Jim Gray recounted tales from his<br />
decades spent interviewing the likes of Pete Rose,<br />
Tiger Woods <strong>and</strong> Michael Jordan.<br />
On page 24, far left, Emmy Award<br />
winning sportscaster Jim Gray delivers<br />
his speech. Also on page 24, faculty<br />
member Jack Abbott receives his<br />
30-year Lifetime Achievement Award<br />
from special guest Dianne Pusch. On<br />
page 25, University of Phoenix campus<br />
<strong>and</strong> academic leadership mingle with<br />
Southern California Campus faculty<br />
members. Photos by Vickie Bennett.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
25<br />
Send us photos of you <strong>and</strong> your faculty colleagues engaged in<br />
community work, taking part in a campus event or doing something fun.<br />
Email your photos to <strong>Faculty</strong>Relations@phoenix.edu for possible<br />
inclusion in an upcoming edition.
ALAN TALKS<br />
FAILURE<br />
WHAT IS FAILURE?<br />
The worst failure is<br />
disappointing one’s self.<br />
HAVE YOU EVER<br />
TWEETED OR<br />
SEARCHED #FAIL?<br />
No, but I have visited<br />
EpicFail.com.<br />
WHAT’S YOUR<br />
FAVORITE SAYING<br />
ABOUT SUCCESS?<br />
“Success has a thous<strong>and</strong><br />
fathers but failure is an<br />
orphan,” John F. Kennedy.<br />
WHAT TREND DO YOU<br />
WISH HAD FAILED?<br />
Karaoke.<br />
DO YOU HAVE A<br />
SUBSTITUTE WORD OR<br />
pHRASE FOR FAILURE?<br />
Opportunity for<br />
improvement.<br />
Alan Drimmer, Ph.D.<br />
Provost <strong>and</strong> Senior Vice President<br />
of Academic Affairs, University of Phoenix
From the desk of the provost<br />
Setting the stage<br />
for success<br />
A<br />
t University of Phoenix, we take<br />
a student-centric approach to<br />
helping learners achieve their<br />
academic <strong>and</strong> career goals. We<br />
focus on each student’s unique<br />
needs—needs that change depending on where they<br />
are in their academic lifecycle. As faculty members,<br />
you’re our vital partners in this undertaking.<br />
A firm foundation<br />
While we’ve always been committed to the success of<br />
our students, in the past few years we have renewed<br />
our focus in this area. In late 2010, we implemented<br />
our New Student Orientation program, which helps set<br />
the stage—<strong>and</strong> expectations—in regards to what it’s<br />
like to be a student. This program gives prospective<br />
students an inside look at what is required for them<br />
to be successful at University of Phoenix—<strong>and</strong> this<br />
experience happens before they enroll in a single class.<br />
In turn, this helps them make informed decisions about<br />
whether or not they’re ready for college <strong>and</strong> if our<br />
University is the right choice for them.<br />
We built on this foundation for student success with<br />
our First-Year Sequence (FYS) program. The First-Year<br />
Sequence uses a laddering approach where skills <strong>and</strong><br />
concepts introduced in early classes are reinforced<br />
with assignments in later classes. This series of<br />
interdisciplinary courses is designed to engage our<br />
students <strong>and</strong> show them the real-world, practical<br />
application of their learning. We are always looking at<br />
ways to improve upon FYS, <strong>and</strong> I welcome your feedback.<br />
Second Year Experience<br />
Serving students based on their differing needs is the<br />
right thing to focus on, <strong>and</strong> our next step in this area<br />
Tweets from your provost<br />
is the development of the Second Year Experience.<br />
Associate Provost Hinrich Eylers is leading this<br />
program’s development. The Second Year Experience is<br />
aimed at encouraging our students to take ownership<br />
of their individual degree programs <strong>and</strong> to focus on<br />
deliberately selecting the courses they need to stay on<br />
track to graduate. Where New Student Orientation <strong>and</strong><br />
First-Year Sequence help our students get ready for<br />
their education, Second Year Experience helps them dig<br />
deeper into their major field of study.<br />
The sequence of success<br />
In the spirit of good news, I am very pleased to let you<br />
know about the success of our First-Year Sequence<br />
initiative. The First-Year Sequence has helped<br />
contribute to increased retention at the University,<br />
which in turn helps our students get that much closer<br />
to achieving their dreams of earning a college degree.<br />
I want to acknowledge <strong>and</strong> honor the leadership of<br />
those who worked so hard to bring these programs<br />
to bear, including Senior Vice President of Academic<br />
Research Adam Honea <strong>and</strong> Executive Creative Director<br />
of Curriculum Innovation Doug Beckwith. I would also<br />
like to thank you, our faculty, for the key role you play<br />
in supporting our students at all the different stages of<br />
their unique academic journeys.<br />
As faculty, you’re an integral part of making sure these<br />
<strong>initiatives</strong> meet their intended goals of helping to<br />
properly prepare our students for their studies. You<br />
are the link between the University <strong>and</strong> our students,<br />
<strong>and</strong>, as such, you are in an ideal position to help them<br />
lay a solid groundwork so they are poised to thrive<br />
in all their endeavors. I want to thank you for your<br />
unflagging commitment to our students <strong>and</strong> their<br />
pursuit of success.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
27<br />
“ Where New<br />
Student<br />
Orientation<br />
<strong>and</strong> First-Year<br />
Sequence help<br />
our students<br />
get ready for<br />
their education,<br />
Second Year<br />
Experience<br />
helps them dig<br />
deeper into<br />
their major<br />
field of study.”<br />
@ALANDRIMMER<br />
The case for prior learning <strong>and</strong> the completion agenda. Bit.ly/JXavKu #higher ed #edu #4profit #in May 7 via TweetDeck | RT @Harvard: Pres.Faust:<br />
“We will not only make knowledge more available, we will learn more about learning” hvrd.me/JTOlqV #in #fb May 7 via TweetDeck | Teacher<br />
licensing plan under fire. The “corporatization” of teacher prep? Nyti.ms/lymFJT #highered #edu #4profit #in May 7 via TweetDeck | Article by<br />
@davidbrooks about @harvard @mit. Thanks for the shout out to @UOPX. Nyti.ms/J7oRu8 #highered #4profit #edu #in #fb May 4 via web | Open source<br />
online #education for #Harvard <strong>and</strong> #MIT. Will students take interest? Bit.ly/lE6bke #highered #edu #4profit #in #fb May 3 via TweetDeck
The new F word:
By Heather Holliday<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
29<br />
ast year there was a firestorm around<br />
Yale professor Amy Chua’s book “Battle Hymn of the<br />
Tiger Mother.” In it, she details how she raised successful<br />
children. Among her rules: Her children never attended<br />
a sleepover, had a play date, performed in a school play,<br />
watched TV, or received a grade less than an ‘A.’ She also<br />
criticized her children if they didn’t achieve.<br />
Response to Battle Hymn ranged from venomous to<br />
awestruck. And an emotional debate erupted about<br />
what the best way is to achieve academic, professional<br />
<strong>and</strong> social success. In addition to this battle, Chua’s book<br />
stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks.<br />
Controversial parenting methods aside, it seems people<br />
were fascinated with the book—<strong>and</strong> the idea of achieving<br />
success at all costs.<br />
After all, our culture appears to revere success, while failure<br />
has become taboo—it’s almost a dirty word, for some.<br />
continued on page 30
30<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
“ OF COURSE,<br />
EVERYONE<br />
FEARS FAILURE.<br />
BUT THIS<br />
GENERATION<br />
FEARS FAILURE<br />
MORE. THEY<br />
SEE THINGS<br />
AS MORE HIGH<br />
STAKES. THEY<br />
OFTEN TELL ME<br />
THAT THINGS<br />
ARE MORE<br />
COMPETITIVE<br />
THAN FOR<br />
THEIR PARENTS’<br />
GENERATION.”<br />
— Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology,<br />
San Diego State University<br />
continued from page 29<br />
Failure in today’s context<br />
“I think our culture fears failure,” says University of Phoenix faculty<br />
member Jean Coleman. Coleman teaches for the College of Social<br />
Sciences <strong>and</strong> is the subject matter expert for the University’s<br />
Positive Psychology workshop. “[Adults] swoop in before [kids]<br />
can make a mistake. [Kids] are being taught that a mistake is<br />
something to be avoided at all costs. Failure is not an option.”<br />
Joseph Cuseo, professor Emeritus of Psychology at Marymount<br />
College, agrees that many in the younger generation have lived a<br />
life with safety nets, which does not allow room for failure. In such<br />
cases, the parents tend to make everything better for the kids. “So<br />
success is almost guaranteed,” he says. “The struggle is not there.”<br />
While this may feel good in the moment, it’s obviously not what life<br />
will deliver over the long haul. Which is why Cuseo says, “this group<br />
may need a wake-up call.”<br />
Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State<br />
University, also believes that the younger generation has a harder<br />
time with failure than previous generations did. “Of course,<br />
everyone fears failure,” Twenge explains. “But this generation fears<br />
failure more. They see things as more high stakes. They often<br />
tell me that things are more competitive than for their parents’<br />
generation.” Twenge is also the author of “Generation Me: Why<br />
Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—<br />
<strong>and</strong> More Miserable Than Ever Before.”<br />
The consequences of abundant praise<br />
But where did this increased fear of failure come from? According<br />
to Twenge, at least some of it can be traced back to our culture’s<br />
increased focus on individualism in the 1970s. This cultural shift led<br />
to a ubiquitous effort to bolster people’s self-esteem in order to<br />
achieve greater success. So parents, teachers <strong>and</strong> coaches started<br />
to praise rather than criticize. And youth started being praised for<br />
nearly everything. Head to the local playground today <strong>and</strong> you’ll<br />
hear this cultural phenomenon at work. Johnny slid down the<br />
slide? “Good job, Johnny.” Emma swung the bat at a ball? “Good job,<br />
Emma.” Aiden ran in a circle? “Good job, Aiden.” In the workplace,<br />
managers are now coached to use a “criticism s<strong>and</strong>wich,” which<br />
cushions criticism between praise.<br />
Abundant praise does seem like it would be helpful <strong>and</strong><br />
encouraging—<strong>and</strong> would lead to greater success. But evidence<br />
shows the opposite may be true: It may actually discourage<br />
people from working <strong>and</strong> achieving. Children often stop trying<br />
because they’re so used to praise that they learn to not want to<br />
make mistakes or to fail. This research, conducted by Stanford<br />
Psychology Professor Carol Dweck <strong>and</strong> published in 2007, shows<br />
that praise can actually discourage motivation. Once this belief<br />
is learned, it can follow a person into adulthood, continuing to
discourage motivation <strong>and</strong> work in a professional<br />
setting. According to Dweck, ever-present praise<br />
doesn’t work because it’s not specific <strong>and</strong> it focuses on<br />
the end result rather than on effort.<br />
Does high self-esteem equal better grades?<br />
If all this praise hasn’t led to the desired results, at least<br />
people’s self-esteem is bolstered, right? Not so fast.<br />
Self-esteem boosting also may not have achieved the<br />
intended consequences.<br />
Roy F. Baumeister, psychology professor at Florida<br />
State University, retracted many assumed benefits<br />
of nurturing self-esteem in a 2005 Los Angeles<br />
Times commentary. He explains that the American<br />
Psychological Society commissioned him <strong>and</strong> other<br />
experts to review published self-esteem research.<br />
“Here are some of our disappointing findings,” he<br />
writes. “High self-esteem in schoolchildren does<br />
not produce better grades. … In fact, according to a<br />
study by Donald Forsyth at Virginia Commonwealth<br />
University, college students with mediocre grades who<br />
got regular self-esteem strokes from their professors<br />
ended up doing worse on final exams than students<br />
who were told to suck it up <strong>and</strong> try harder.”<br />
Does high self-esteem equal<br />
better job performance?<br />
Self-esteem also doesn’t make adults perform better<br />
at their jobs. Baumeister notes that people with high<br />
self-esteem report that their performance is better.<br />
They even say that they are smarter <strong>and</strong> better looking<br />
than those who have low self-esteem do. “[B]ut neither<br />
objective tests nor impartial raters can detect any<br />
difference in the quality of work,” he writes.<br />
Neither does self-esteem predict who will make a good<br />
leader. According to an article by Robert Hogan <strong>and</strong><br />
Robert B. Kaiser published in the Review of General<br />
Psychology in 2005, incompetent managers have a<br />
variety of personality characteristics, including that<br />
they are overly self-confident. Such a trait does make<br />
a good impression in the short run, according to<br />
the authors. For instance, those who score highly in<br />
narcissism initially seem confident <strong>and</strong> charismatic.<br />
“Over time, however, these features turn into a sense<br />
of entitlement <strong>and</strong> an inability to learn from mistakes,”<br />
write the authors. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, the authors<br />
found that humility rather than self-esteem seems to<br />
be a key trait of successful leaders.<br />
continued on page 32<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
31
32<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
continued from page 31<br />
This brings us back to the heart of the matter. Why all the talk<br />
about kids <strong>and</strong> children who were praised <strong>and</strong> stroked their whole<br />
life? They become your students, your colleagues <strong>and</strong> sometimes<br />
even the boss.<br />
Consequences of fearing failure<br />
While focusing on praise <strong>and</strong> self-esteem has not increased<br />
academic or professional success, it has bolster the idea that we<br />
should feel good about ourselves all the time—for no particular<br />
reason, says San Diego State’s Twenge.<br />
But when the goal is simply to feel good about yourself, the<br />
costs are high, according to an article published by University<br />
of Michigan’s Jennifer Crocker in Psychological Inquiry An<br />
International Journal for the Advancement of Psychological Theory<br />
in 2003. When a person’s motivation is simply to feel good <strong>and</strong><br />
prove one’s worth, that person starts to fear becoming a failure.<br />
Driven by these fears, she writes, “people will go to many lengths<br />
to succeed, including arguing, scheming <strong>and</strong> cheating,” even if<br />
these behaviors stop you from accomplishing another goal, such<br />
as making a contribution to the workplace.<br />
In short, protecting self-esteem becomes the primary goal. And<br />
when faced with failure, rather than “realistically confronting our<br />
shortcomings <strong>and</strong> mistakes” they may find excuses for it, they may<br />
blame others, or they may dismiss the task’s importance.<br />
So, while abundant praise isn’t something we encounter in higher<br />
education or in boardrooms—we are not praised for stapling<br />
well or for doing lackluster work—the ramifications<br />
live on. On the one h<strong>and</strong>, innovation can suffer in the<br />
workplace. After all, if people don’t want to fail, there is<br />
the risk that they won’t put forward unique ideas.<br />
This doesn’t mean that low self-esteem is the answer,<br />
though. We need to have enough self-esteem so that<br />
we can work toward goals despite having self-doubt,<br />
fears of failure or feelings of worthlessness, Crocker<br />
writes. She adds that if self-esteem is bolstered as a<br />
result, that is an added bonus.<br />
Failure is essential to success<br />
Another problematic issue of mainly pursuing selfesteem<br />
is that the learning process itself is put at<br />
risk. “When our goal is self-esteem, we are focused<br />
on what we are now, not what we need to become,”<br />
Crocker writes. “And because we want to feel<br />
worthy, we are not realistic about our strengths <strong>and</strong><br />
weaknesses, where we need to improve, what we have<br />
accomplished <strong>and</strong> what we still need to accomplish.”<br />
High or low self-esteem aside, failure, it turns out, is<br />
central to the possibility of true learning.<br />
Marymount College’s Cuseo points out, “you never<br />
develop resilience if you don’t have a setback. You<br />
never have the opportunity to develop that skill. Failure<br />
gives anyone the ability to say, ‘What if I tried harder,<br />
smarter, or used other resources?’”<br />
University of Phoenix faculty member Coleman agrees.<br />
“Failure is essential to success. I don’t think there are<br />
very many people who succeed who haven’t failed first.”<br />
Helping students better define failure<br />
Of course, failure for different people means different<br />
things. Some consider getting a ‘B’ to be a failure.<br />
For others, getting a ‘D’ or ‘F’ means failure. While<br />
the definition varies, as a faculty member, h<strong>and</strong>ling<br />
perceived failure is almost always sticky.<br />
One of the best ways for faculty to h<strong>and</strong>le student<br />
failure is to help students get over their fear of it.<br />
Rather than stressing the need to succeed at all<br />
costs, students may do better in school if they are<br />
taught that failure is just part of learning, according to<br />
research by Frederique Autin <strong>and</strong> Jean-Claude Croizet,<br />
with the University of Poitiers <strong>and</strong> the National Center<br />
for Scientific Research in France.
“ YOU NEVER DEVELOP RESILIENCE IF<br />
YOU DON’T HAVE A SETBACK. YOU<br />
NEVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO<br />
DEVELOP THAT SKILL. FAILURE GIVES<br />
ANYONE THE ABILITY TO SAY,‘WHAT<br />
IF I TRIED HARDER, SMARTER, OR<br />
USED OTHER RESOURCES?’”<br />
When students are fixated on success, they become afraid to<br />
fail <strong>and</strong> don’t want the challenge of mastering new material.<br />
The authors, then, suggest that rather than focusing on grades<br />
<strong>and</strong> test scores, focus on progress—rewarding each step in the<br />
learning process.<br />
Richard Ryan, Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, & Education<br />
at the University of Rochester agrees that grades <strong>and</strong> test<br />
scores are not motivating. “[Being grade-focused] can take away<br />
from the interest <strong>and</strong> excitement <strong>and</strong> growth that comes from<br />
learning itself,” Ryan says. “Our job is to inspire <strong>and</strong> instill the joy of<br />
discovery, not just weigh, assess <strong>and</strong> evaluate.”<br />
When people run into challenges, they need support, not labels,<br />
he adds. “The semantics of the term failure are so absolute,”<br />
says Ryan. “But looking at the ways that you can improve your<br />
performance is very different than whether you have failed or not.”<br />
Likewise, he says, a good manager isn’t one who wields rewards<br />
<strong>and</strong> punishments, but is one who finds out what the issue is <strong>and</strong><br />
how they can help with that. He says that assessment both in<br />
schools <strong>and</strong> in the workplace should be used to gather information<br />
<strong>and</strong> learn where there is room for growth.<br />
A safe place to fail<br />
In addition to shifting to assessment rather than focusing on<br />
failure versus success, another tool for dealing with failure is to<br />
create a safe learning environment. “I try to give the students a<br />
safe place to fail,” Coleman says. “I let them know that you are<br />
not going to be judged on your failures. We are going to look at<br />
mistakes or failures as, ‘How are we going to equip you to be more<br />
successful next time?’”<br />
— Joseph Cuseo, professor Emeritus of Psychology, Marymount College<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
33<br />
For Cuseo, feedback is essential. “Feedback has<br />
to come early <strong>and</strong> students need to know how to<br />
improve,” he says. “That’s often lacking where there<br />
is [only] a midterm <strong>and</strong> a final. You need to give<br />
opportunities to improve.” This way, students learn<br />
how to work harder <strong>and</strong> smarter to turn a failure<br />
into a success.<br />
Twenge agrees. It is important to emphasize that this<br />
is an opportunity to do better next to time <strong>and</strong> to<br />
learn from it, she says.<br />
Of course, no matter how she h<strong>and</strong>les a student’s<br />
perceived failure, there are the occasional requests<br />
for a grade change or a second chance. Her answer<br />
is almost always ‘No.’ “I ask myself, in five years, when<br />
they are in a job, what would a manager think of that<br />
request?” If missing an exam is comparable to missing<br />
a presentation, asking for an exception is “not going<br />
to go over well,” she says.<br />
Better equipped to fail<br />
And that is why it matters whether our culture is<br />
increasingly inexperienced with h<strong>and</strong>ling failure. If it<br />
is true that many a person has been protected from<br />
setbacks, disappointments <strong>and</strong> failures, then there are<br />
real concerns about how that person is going to adjust<br />
to juggling the everyday complications of jobs <strong>and</strong><br />
families. We learn from mistakes—at least we can if we<br />
acknowledge them.
34<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
your voice<br />
we asked, you answered<br />
The path to success?<br />
In April of 2012, <strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> sent an electronic survey to all active University of Phoenix faculty<br />
members asking for opinions on the topic of failure. Much thanks to everyone who completed the survey—<br />
<strong>and</strong> to all who found one of our questions flawed, we heard you <strong>and</strong> appreciate the feedback. Read on for<br />
some intriguing statistics, offered as food for thought. For a glimpse at the 2,397 responses we received,<br />
turn to page 36.<br />
Is failure the opposite of success?<br />
To what extent does a fear of failure exist in society today?<br />
2%<br />
NO FEAR OF FAILuRE<br />
yES<br />
11%<br />
20%<br />
NO MORE OR LESS than<br />
in previous generations<br />
19%<br />
People SLIGHTLy<br />
FEAR FAILuRE in<br />
today’s society<br />
NO<br />
89%<br />
59%<br />
People GREATLy<br />
FEAR FAILuRE in<br />
today’s society
3.<br />
Do you think people who<br />
try new things <strong>and</strong> fail are<br />
viewed negatively?<br />
yES<br />
31%<br />
NO<br />
69%<br />
continued on page 36<br />
Which of the following<br />
would concern you most?<br />
* A number of faculty responded that this question<br />
was flawed, as it did not offer a ‘None of the above’<br />
option. We have published the results in respect of<br />
the respondents who answered the question, but<br />
we appreciate these results would have been greatly<br />
different had there been an option e: other.<br />
FAILING<br />
in front of<br />
friends<br />
4%<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
35<br />
colleagues<br />
family 35%<br />
32% students<br />
29%<br />
“ I just finished the survey <strong>and</strong> find a major flaw in one<br />
of the questions. You give only four choices that<br />
are evaluated in our failure. You leave out the most<br />
important. Failure of our personal st<strong>and</strong>ards. I am<br />
far more concerned about failing myself than any of<br />
the four options your survey provides. The question<br />
implies that we are doing this for surface rewards<br />
<strong>and</strong> not self gratification. I could not do my best if my<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards did not dem<strong>and</strong> that of me. My primary<br />
concern is about my personal failure.”<br />
—Roger pae, School of Business<br />
“The ‘forced choice’ answer in number 5 is silly. None of<br />
them concern me.”<br />
—Charles Lawson, College of Education<br />
“ I would put NONE as my answer to who I would least<br />
want to fail in front of because I do not believe in<br />
‘failure.’ However, that option was not given <strong>and</strong> I had<br />
to answer something. Should have a ‘none’ option.”<br />
—Joanna Bauer, College of Humanities
36<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
continued from page 35<br />
Is failure an option?<br />
“ yes. Failure is the nucleus of accomplishment.<br />
The opposite of failure is discovery. Success is<br />
derived from managing failure.”<br />
—Carl Mendoza, College of Humanities<br />
“ yes. This question is for cheerleaders.”<br />
—Anonymous<br />
no<br />
38%<br />
“ No. When failure is an option, then<br />
there is no need to try. Trying leads to<br />
new beginnings <strong>and</strong> success.”<br />
—Theron Simpson Jr., School of Business<br />
yes<br />
62%
“ No. Failure is NOT an option for the student<br />
or the teacher. It is important for the faculty to<br />
remember that if the student hasn’t learned the<br />
faculty has not taught.”<br />
—pamela Alex<strong>and</strong>er, College of Humanities<br />
“ yes. Failure to me means the traditional meaning; one tries<br />
something, <strong>and</strong> can’t accomplish it. That happens to me often,<br />
perhaps because I set my goals high. However, even smaller<br />
goals, such as practicing my instrument daily, can be difficult<br />
to accomplish every time. Thus, honestly, failure happens. It<br />
is one option that might occur. A better question might be,<br />
What can I learn from failing to accomplish this goal?”<br />
—Ann Wehrman, College of Humanities<br />
“ yes. If failure isn’t a possibility<br />
then the bar isn’t high enough.”<br />
—Grant Sisk, School of Advanced Studies<br />
“ Yes. Sometimes we learn from our<br />
failures better than our successes.”<br />
— S<strong>and</strong>ra Lavallee, College of Information Systems<br />
& Technology<br />
“ Yes. Absolutely! Students who do<br />
not meet course requirements<br />
must fail the course.”<br />
—Anonymous<br />
“Yes. Failure is a mindset.”<br />
—Lisa La Rocque, College of Natural Sciences<br />
“ yes. If you can’t accept losing, you can’t win.”<br />
—Joe Kronewitter, School of Business<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
37<br />
Statistics appearing on pages 34 to 37 are aggregates of the 2,397 survey responses submitted by University of Phoenix faculty members. The survey closed April 22, 2012.
38<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
Turning<br />
failure<br />
into<br />
success<br />
By Lori Baker<br />
For almost all innovators, success follows a discouraging string<br />
of defeats that would make most of us want to call it quits.<br />
Think Walt Disney—fired by a newspaper editor for lacking<br />
imagination <strong>and</strong> having no good ideas—whose early venture<br />
The Laugh-O-Gram Studio went bankrupt. Disneyl<strong>and</strong> would later become<br />
the world’s favorite magic kingdom. Or think J.K. Rowling, who was rejected<br />
by 12 different publishers over the course of a year before her book was<br />
accepted—ever since she’s been working her own magic with readers of the<br />
phenomenally successful Harry Potter series. Setbacks like these bring to<br />
mind Thomas Edison’s famous quote, “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t<br />
work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt<br />
discarded is just one more step forward.”<br />
While most of us don’t accept failure quite so readily as Edison, it’s key to<br />
sparking true innovation, says Tim Harford, author of Adapt: Why Success<br />
Always Starts with Failure. “Failure is like car crashes—it’s going to happen,”<br />
he says. “It’s all a question of how do you learn from it when it does.”<br />
And it’s not easy being the brains behind revolutionary innovations in<br />
education, either. Oftentimes, radical higher education ideas—including<br />
higher education without textbooks, libraries or even college campuses—<br />
spark outrage as much as support.<br />
Beyond bricks <strong>and</strong> mortar<br />
Flash back to 1976, when University of Phoenix gained accreditation by the<br />
North Central Association of Colleges <strong>and</strong> Schools. The University then began<br />
to actively meet the educational needs of working adults in a revolutionary<br />
new way. Instead of expecting working adults to drive to a large university<br />
campus after work to earn their degree, “we held classes in nontraditional<br />
continued on page 40
facultymatters.com<br />
39<br />
“ If I find 10,000<br />
ways something<br />
won’t work, I<br />
haven’t failed.<br />
I am not<br />
discouraged,<br />
because every<br />
wrong attempt<br />
discarded is just<br />
one more step<br />
forward.”<br />
—Thomas Edison
40<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
“ The idea is to create a library of<br />
completely free, open source turnkey<br />
textbooks for the highest<br />
impact college courses.”<br />
—Tim Baraniuk, Professor, Rice University<br />
continued from page 38<br />
spaces near where students worked,” says Terri Bishop, Executive<br />
Vice President of Academic Strategy <strong>and</strong> Senior Advisor to the CEO<br />
at University of Phoenix’s parent company, Apollo Group. Thirteen<br />
years later, University of Phoenix brought MBA classes even<br />
closer to students by offering them online, a move that sparked<br />
controversy within the organization. Back in 1989 a few universities<br />
offered an online class or two, but “no one else was offering widescale<br />
online degree programs,” Bishop says. “It struck huge internal<br />
resistance, but it was the next chapter of University of Phoenix’s<br />
development.” It also marked a new era in education, with an<br />
increasing number of students flocking to online courses. Today<br />
more than 6.1 million students are enrolled in online education<br />
programs across the country, according to the Sloan Consortium.<br />
Life as an open book<br />
Richard Baraniuk, professor of electrical engineering at Rice<br />
University <strong>and</strong> founder <strong>and</strong> director of Connexions, an open<br />
source website for college textbooks, remembers teaching a<br />
junior-level electrical engineering course in 1999—<strong>and</strong> remembers<br />
coming to the realization that the textbook just wasn’t doing the<br />
job. In the rapidly changing industry of electrical engineering, “the<br />
textbooks were either out of date or out of context,” Baraniuk<br />
says. “I was also bothered by the fact that the books only offered<br />
off-the-rack learning materials. It’s like going to buy a suit without<br />
any custom tailoring. I would find I’d have students in my class who<br />
wouldn’t get really jazzed up about the material. I could also see<br />
the pressures mounting even way back then regarding costs <strong>and</strong><br />
access to learning materials.”<br />
His solution? Connexions, an initiative at Rice University in<br />
Houston to produce textbooks using open-source materials, that<br />
later evolved to become the Open Stax College. “The idea is to<br />
create a library of completely free, open source turnkey textbooks<br />
for the highest impact college courses [in physics, sociology,<br />
biology <strong>and</strong> anatomy <strong>and</strong> physiology],” Baraniuk says. The physics<br />
<strong>and</strong> sociology books have already been published <strong>and</strong> are free<br />
online via computers, tablets <strong>and</strong> smartphones. The remaining will<br />
be published in the fall.<br />
Like any groundbreaking innovation, Open Stax College<br />
faces advocates <strong>and</strong> detractors. “There are some people who<br />
don’t underst<strong>and</strong> at all,” Baraniuk says. “There are others who<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>, but discount the power of open source development.<br />
And there’s a third <strong>and</strong> growing class of people who underst<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> are seeking to participate.”<br />
Books without shelves<br />
David Bickford, Vice President of Academic Affairs at University of<br />
Phoenix, was an advocate for the creation of a digital library nearly<br />
two decades ago, back when the phrase was nearly an oxymoron<br />
in higher education.
“University of Phoenix, because of its distributed<br />
population of learners, moved toward a full embrace of<br />
digital content in terms of library <strong>and</strong> textbooks earlier<br />
than many other institutions <strong>and</strong> more aggressively,”<br />
says Bickford, who admits going paperless wasn’t<br />
popular. “The main resistance to the digital library at<br />
times has been external, from regulatory authorities or<br />
other organizations that judge universities by a rubric<br />
that calls for a certain number of volumes on a shelf.<br />
In order to open campuses in various states we’ve had<br />
to make a very strong case about the equivalence of<br />
digital library content.”<br />
At first, digital textbooks weren’t a welcome change<br />
for University of Phoenix students, who’ve spent their<br />
academic years highlighting passages of physical<br />
text <strong>and</strong> making notes in the margins of pages. “We<br />
had to make it clear that our digital textbooks for<br />
the most part allowed annotation, note-taking <strong>and</strong><br />
highlighting,” Bickford says. “We worked to improve<br />
those capabilities <strong>and</strong> better publicize them.”<br />
Unraveling the web of deceit<br />
Christian Storm, co-founder <strong>and</strong> Chief Technical Officer<br />
of Turnitin.com, struck upon an idea he thought would<br />
be a hit with educators: a web-based service that could<br />
detect plagiarism in students’ papers by comparing<br />
them against an internal database <strong>and</strong> other sources.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
“ The main resistance to the digital<br />
library at times has been external,<br />
from regulatory authorities or other<br />
organizations that judge universities by<br />
a rubric that calls for a certain number<br />
of volumes on a shelf.”<br />
— David Bickford, Vice President of Academic Affairs,<br />
University of Phoenix<br />
After Turnitin.com launched in 1998, Storm expected<br />
prestigious universities like Harvard <strong>and</strong> Stanford to be<br />
the first to subscribe. But Storm says the reverse was<br />
true, leaving him with a sinking realization that some<br />
educational institutions might not want to blow the<br />
cover off their plagiarism troubles because “you have to<br />
deal with the problem once you expose it.” “It’s a kind of<br />
a Catch-22,” Storm says.<br />
Meanwhile, Turnitin.com sparked so much animosity<br />
among students that several high school students sued<br />
the company, claiming it violated their rights under U.S.<br />
copyright law. (The judge ruled in favor of Turnitin.com.)<br />
Once the controversy died down, the company rapidly<br />
grew <strong>and</strong> its services are now used in more than 100<br />
countries <strong>and</strong> by more than 5,000 institutions.<br />
Risky business<br />
The experiences of trailblazers hold important life<br />
lessons. “Experimenting can be a frightening process.<br />
We are constantly making mistakes, not knowing<br />
whether we are on the right lines,” Harford writes in his<br />
book, Adapt. “The ability to adapt requires [a] sense of<br />
security, an inner confidence that the cost of failure is a<br />
cost we will be able to bear. Sometimes that takes real<br />
courage; at other times all that is needed is the happy<br />
self-delusion of a lost three-year-old. Whatever its<br />
source, we need that willingness to risk failure. Without<br />
it, we will never truly succeed.”<br />
41
42<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
college<br />
Dawn Iwamoto, Ed.D.<br />
Vice Provost, university of Phoenix<br />
<strong>newsadvancements</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>initiatives</strong><br />
Brian Lindquist, Ph.D.<br />
Associate Provost<br />
Marla Kelsey, Ed.D.<br />
Associate Provost<br />
Hinrich Eylers, Ph.D.<br />
Associate Provost<br />
Accreditation visit<br />
continues through<br />
the summer<br />
A<br />
s you may know, we completed<br />
our initial visit for reaffirmation of<br />
our accreditation with The Higher<br />
Learning Commission (HLC) in March.<br />
A team of Peer Reviewers visited with our central<br />
administration team to confirm the contents<br />
of the Self Study, which we submitted to HLC<br />
earlier this year. The team visited the Phoenix<br />
Campus <strong>and</strong> three local learning centers. This<br />
summer, we are on the road visiting campuses <strong>and</strong><br />
learning centers across the country with HLC Peer<br />
Reviewers. On these visits, the Peer Reviewers are<br />
meeting with staff, students <strong>and</strong> faculty to learn<br />
more about University of Phoenix. Many of the<br />
Deans have been traveling to provide support <strong>and</strong><br />
answer questions during these visits. I want to<br />
thank them personally for their commitment to<br />
this process. It is also important to recognize all of<br />
the work our campus personnel have completed<br />
in advance to prepare for the visits. A special note<br />
of appreciation to you, our faculty, since many of<br />
you have participated in HLC meetings. We want<br />
to thank you for your time <strong>and</strong> dedication to the<br />
University.<br />
* University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning<br />
Commission <strong>and</strong> is a member of the North Central Association<br />
(ncahlc.org).
School of Business<br />
Dean: Bill Berry, Ph.D.<br />
Success Story:<br />
Big congratulations to the faculty <strong>and</strong> staff at<br />
the West Michigan campus for their support <strong>and</strong><br />
work with the Project Management Institute. “The<br />
Project 2012,” a Project Management Institute<br />
collegiate completion involving six Michigan<br />
colleges <strong>and</strong> universities, took place in April 2012<br />
focusing on a competition for planning the process<br />
of applying for a benefit corporation certification.<br />
University of Phoenix had a student team that<br />
placed third out of a total of eight teams in the<br />
competition. The student team consisted of:<br />
Alicia Webb, Troy Grove, Michael Keifer <strong>and</strong> Wayne<br />
Johnson; <strong>and</strong> was championed by Judd Freeman,<br />
CCC for the School of Business; John Globensky,<br />
lead faculty; <strong>and</strong> Marybeth Rardin, DAA for West<br />
Michigan. Again, congratulations!<br />
Dean’s Reminder:<br />
A challenge these days is balancing the need<br />
to provide effective quality feedback <strong>and</strong> the<br />
timeliness of that feedback. It is easy to feel<br />
that more is somehow better feedback. It is also<br />
tempting to work to turn feedback around in shorter<br />
periods than our own schedules allow. In order<br />
to help both students <strong>and</strong> faculty manage these<br />
expectations <strong>and</strong> receive the best guidance possible,<br />
the School of Business is working on creating more<br />
assignments using tools such as My Math Lab or<br />
Wiley Plus. Stay tuned; we want to develop more<br />
tools for immediate <strong>and</strong> concrete feedback with less<br />
pressure on faculty to meet that need.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
43<br />
College of Criminal Justice<br />
<strong>and</strong> Security<br />
Dean: James Ness, Ph.D.<br />
New This Quarter:<br />
Coming for the new calendar year are two new<br />
concentrations in the BSCJA—Cyber Crimes <strong>and</strong><br />
Security <strong>and</strong> two new concentrations in the MSAJS–<br />
Law Enforcement <strong>and</strong> Global Security Issues.<br />
Success Story:<br />
Our Southern California Campus has led the way<br />
again with innovative events including hosting a<br />
Research Symposium, sponsoring the NOBLE local<br />
chapter conference <strong>and</strong> hosting a lecture by General<br />
Stanley McChrystal. The lecture was attended by the<br />
public <strong>and</strong> numerous ranking officials from Southern<br />
California’s criminal justice agencies.<br />
Tip or Best Practice:<br />
Being faculty is more than a job. It is one of the greatest<br />
responsibilities in civilized society. You lay bare the<br />
mysteries of the world <strong>and</strong> train students’ minds to<br />
explore, to question, to investigate <strong>and</strong> to discover.<br />
Dean’s Activity:<br />
I had the pleasure to present with two CJ&S faculty<br />
members at the ACJS Conference in March. We<br />
presented on the topic of how to get published. Also,<br />
the Des Moines Campus, in conjunction with the<br />
College, initiated The First Annual Iowa Criminal Justice<br />
Thought Leader Forum. This forum was a great success<br />
with more than 32 leaders from Iowa’s criminal justice<br />
agencies attending.<br />
continued on page 44
44<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
college<br />
continued from page 43<br />
<strong>newsadvancements</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>initiatives</strong><br />
College of Social Sciences<br />
Dean: Lynn K. Hall, Ed.D.<br />
New This Quarter:<br />
Marketing efforts for the College included our<br />
sponsorship of the Cyber Cafe at this year’s American<br />
Counseling Association annual conference, attended<br />
by almost 4,000 people. In addition, one-sheet<br />
descriptions of our programs—one for each program<br />
<strong>and</strong> an overview of the College—were created <strong>and</strong><br />
made available to the campuses.<br />
Success Story:<br />
The Utah Campus received full-cycle accreditation<br />
from CACREP for their MSC/Mental Health Counseling<br />
program. Kudos go to the work of CCC R<strong>and</strong>y Buckner,<br />
Program Manager Sarah DeHaan, Campus Research<br />
Director Sean Meegan, Campus Administration Darris<br />
Howe <strong>and</strong> Campus Director/DAA Paul Benner. These<br />
folks worked collaboratively to ensure the faculty<br />
scholarship <strong>and</strong> research endeavors met CACREP<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards!<br />
College Trends:<br />
We now have Counseling Skills Centers at six<br />
campuses where our MS/Counseling students gain<br />
skills by offering free counseling to the community.<br />
In the future we hope to build more CSCs to benefit<br />
our students, as well as offer the service to the<br />
communities in which we have counseling programs.<br />
College of Natural Sciences<br />
Dean: Hinrich Eylers, Ph.D.<br />
New This Quarter:<br />
We always seek faculty feedback when we revise<br />
existing courses or design new ones. In the past, CAMs<br />
<strong>and</strong> FEOCS were important feedback mechanisms, <strong>and</strong><br />
will remain so. But we will reach out to you for feedback<br />
even more in the future via surveys <strong>and</strong> invitations to<br />
discussion groups. Please share your thoughts as your<br />
feedback <strong>and</strong> comments are critical to the quality of<br />
our courses.<br />
Success Story:<br />
March was National Nutrition Month, <strong>and</strong> several<br />
of our faculty were interviewed for newspaper <strong>and</strong><br />
television stories exploring the topic of “Just what is<br />
a ‘healthy diet,’” “MyPlate vs. the Food Pyramid: new<br />
recommendations from the USDA,” “How to shop<br />
healthy: tips <strong>and</strong> tricks for the grocery store,” <strong>and</strong><br />
“Organic vs. non-organic: what is the difference <strong>and</strong><br />
which is better?” Thank you for being in the spotlight!<br />
Tip or Best Practice:<br />
The Carnegie Learning-based Step-By-Step Math<br />
Review tool has been available for several months<br />
now <strong>and</strong> will soon receive a facelift. Make sure to<br />
remind your students that this is one of the many<br />
tools available in the Center for Math Excellence.<br />
These tools can help students be better prepared<br />
for their math classes. Many math faculty have even<br />
started using Step-by-Step successfully for their<br />
math tutoring sessions.
School of Advanced Studies<br />
Executive Dean: Jeremy Morel<strong>and</strong>, Ph.D.<br />
Dean’s Quote:<br />
I would like to thank our faculty across the University<br />
for responding so enthusiastically to our calls for<br />
research <strong>and</strong> scholarship in powerful, diverse ways.<br />
I have personally had the pleasure of discussing<br />
research ideas, seeing projects in action <strong>and</strong> learning<br />
from results of scholarly efforts. They illustrate the<br />
wealth of creative intellectual work undertaken here at<br />
University of Phoenix. I feel that the future success of<br />
our institution—<strong>and</strong> likely that of all higher education—<br />
resides in our faculty’s capacity to bring their<br />
knowledge <strong>and</strong> wisdom as critically minded scholars<br />
into their classroom practice, for these capabilities are<br />
the gold st<strong>and</strong>ard of the new economy.<br />
Dean’s Reminder:<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>and</strong> students alike should be aware that via<br />
the University Library, they now have access to Sage<br />
Research Methods Online, a comprehensive suite<br />
of tools, content <strong>and</strong> media created to assist in the<br />
development <strong>and</strong> execution of research. SRMO is an<br />
invaluable technology for faculty looking to broaden<br />
their research knowledge or learn new skills in<br />
conducting a study.<br />
Dean’s Activity:<br />
In October, I was invited to present at the International<br />
Leadership Association’s annual conference. My<br />
sessions addressed scholarship <strong>and</strong> publishing in<br />
the contemporary l<strong>and</strong>scape of leadership inquiry. I<br />
highly recommend this conference (October 2012 in<br />
Denver, Colorado,) for any faculty who are interested<br />
in conversing with an exciting array of emerging <strong>and</strong><br />
experienced leadership scholars.<br />
College of Humanities<br />
Dean: Robert Ridel, Ph.D.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
45<br />
Dean’s Quote:<br />
I have attended more than 25 graduation ceremonies<br />
over my career—<strong>and</strong> have listened to keynote speakers<br />
consistently praise faculty for their educational<br />
efforts. I do not doubt their sincerity; however, I do<br />
sometimes wonder if teachers truly realize the impact<br />
they have on their students. When our students walk<br />
across the stage this year, complete with huge smiles<br />
<strong>and</strong> hopes, I know we as faculty contributed to their<br />
future success. It will be a great feeling. I encourage<br />
you to participate in your local graduation ceremony—<br />
to honor your students <strong>and</strong> to recognize the uniquely<br />
important role you played in their lives.<br />
Dean’s Reminder:<br />
Is your faculty profile current? Have you recently<br />
published an article or presented at a conference?<br />
Have you taught a new course? While faculty should<br />
review their profiles annually, updates can be made<br />
throughout the year. There may be opportunities to<br />
teach, develop curriculum <strong>and</strong>/or become involved in<br />
assessment.<br />
Question For <strong>Faculty</strong>:<br />
As a former lead faculty at the Oregon campus, I<br />
participated in several conversations with colleagues<br />
about issues related to curriculum <strong>and</strong> faculty<br />
development. If you were in my shoes, serving as<br />
Dean of the College of Humanities, what areas would<br />
comm<strong>and</strong> your attention? Be practical—but also bold.<br />
Email your suggestions to infocoh@phoenix.edu.<br />
continued on page 46
46<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
college<br />
continued from page 45<br />
College of Nursing<br />
Dean: Pamela Fuller, Ed.D., MN, RN<br />
<strong>newsadvancements</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>initiatives</strong><br />
Success Story:<br />
A special thank you to the <strong>Faculty</strong> Council members<br />
from CON <strong>and</strong> SAS who worked tirelessly over a fourday<br />
weekend to build the foundation of the upcoming<br />
Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. This<br />
team included Sun Jones, DNP, FNP-BC, RN; Carise<br />
Elizabeth Charles, DNP, FNP-BC OHNP; Ellen Beth<br />
Daroszewski, Ph.D., APRN; Mary DeNicola, DNP, FNP-C,<br />
FNP; Rinda Alex<strong>and</strong>er, Ph.D., RN; <strong>and</strong> Pamela Porter, DNP,<br />
APRN, FNP-BC. Thank you to all who participated.<br />
Tip or Best Practice:<br />
I used a familiar teaching technique recently, reflection.<br />
At the end of the course I asked students to reflect on<br />
what they had learned in the course <strong>and</strong> how it might<br />
help them on their career path.<br />
Dean’s Activity:<br />
I was honored to be a member of a panel of experts<br />
addressing Pathways to Health Care Careers: From<br />
Two-Year to Four-Year Colleges <strong>and</strong> Beyond. This was<br />
sponsored by the Apollo Research Institute <strong>and</strong> The<br />
Chronicle of Higher Education. Six experts from nursing<br />
education, community college <strong>and</strong> health care practice<br />
shared insights on how students can successfully<br />
transition from community college to university—<strong>and</strong><br />
the importance of this pathway.<br />
College of Information<br />
Systems & Technology<br />
Dean: Blair Smith, Ph.D.<br />
New This Quarter:<br />
We’ve been updating a number of BSIT courses in<br />
preparation for the ABET Accreditation Review this<br />
year. The College is also completing preparations for the<br />
July 1 submission of the BSIT Self-Study. The next major<br />
activity will be preparation for the campus site visits in<br />
late 2012 or early 2013.<br />
Dean’s Reminder:<br />
The College has established a website link on the left<br />
frame of the Course Materials page for all College of<br />
IS&T courses. This website provides faculty members<br />
with an update on the activities of the College <strong>and</strong><br />
provides course updates. <strong>Faculty</strong> members can also<br />
submit Course Change Recommendations via this link.<br />
Question For <strong>Faculty</strong>:<br />
The College is interested in hearing from our faculty on<br />
specific content areas that you think we should consider<br />
for future development. What new programs or courses<br />
should the College of IS&T develop next? Please send<br />
recommendations to CISTWM@phoenix.edu.
College of Education<br />
Dean: Meredith Curley, Ed.D.<br />
Dean’s Recommendation:<br />
The College is partnering with NBC to offer students<br />
<strong>and</strong> faculty an exciting electronic resource, NBC Learn<br />
(www.nbclearn.org). This st<strong>and</strong>ards-based repository<br />
of NBC news content provides primary source film<br />
<strong>and</strong> documents.<br />
Dean’s Activity:<br />
Lynn DeMuth, Regional Assistant Dean, participated in<br />
a national research panel addressing educator ethics<br />
sponsored by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Our<br />
supplemental st<strong>and</strong>ards were recognized as a quality<br />
set of expectations for students. We are honored to<br />
be asked to collaborate on research in this field.<br />
Dean’s Reminder:<br />
Thank you for your efforts to refine our state-specific<br />
syllabi! Using these syllabi provides students with a<br />
framework for learning, more clearly demonstrating<br />
course alignment to state <strong>and</strong> national st<strong>and</strong>ards,<br />
as well as our conceptual framework. The syllabi<br />
look great <strong>and</strong> we have received positive comments<br />
from students.<br />
College Extension<br />
Dean: Dallas Harris, Ed.D<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
47<br />
New This Quarter:<br />
Continuing education <strong>and</strong> professional development<br />
courses offered through College Extension are<br />
being revised to include collaborative assignments/<br />
assessments that promote shared learning<br />
experiences, culminating projects that focus on<br />
critical <strong>and</strong> creative thinking <strong>and</strong> assignment options<br />
<strong>and</strong> multimedia enhancements that better meet the<br />
needs of diverse learners.<br />
Dean’s Recommendation:<br />
During the last quarter, 31 continuing teacher<br />
education <strong>and</strong> professional development courses were<br />
developed or revised to foster student engagement,<br />
to promote student achievement associated with the<br />
University <strong>and</strong> College Extension learning outcomes,<br />
<strong>and</strong> to provide an alignment to state <strong>and</strong> national<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards. The dedication, knowledge <strong>and</strong> experience<br />
of our faculty made this possible: Carrie Buck, Phyllis<br />
Carbonaro, Catherine Cisar, Myrtle Combrink, Martine<br />
Fiting, Nancy Fitzgerald, Elsa Giles, Donna Hogard,<br />
Melissa Holmberg, Allison Hoewisch, Angela Kennedy,<br />
Cynthia Kennedy, Kristin Korte, Jo Ann Lynch, Jamie<br />
Mahoney, Jackie Mangieri, Thomas Martin, Danielle<br />
Miller, Suzy Natividad, Ray November, Hildegard Selig,<br />
Mary Sheedy, Calvin Thogersen, Dominique White <strong>and</strong><br />
Kristine V<strong>and</strong>uyne.
48<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
from thedeans<br />
up close <strong>and</strong> personal<br />
When did you really fail, <strong>and</strong> what did you learn?<br />
“ I ran for Sheriff in Jackson County,<br />
Illinois, <strong>and</strong> lost. What I learned is that<br />
not everyone likes you, no matter what<br />
they tell you.”<br />
— James Ness, Dean, College of Criminal<br />
Justice <strong>and</strong> Security<br />
“I enrolled in college immediately<br />
following high school. Although I<br />
wasn’t on a swimming scholarship,<br />
I did manage to make the college’s<br />
varsity swim team. As I experienced<br />
more freedom in a college setting away from my<br />
parents’ guidance, my grades suffered <strong>and</strong> I was<br />
provided a quarter break from the school to think<br />
about the importance of education. Given a good<br />
chance I might be drafted, I joined the Navy. As soon<br />
as I experienced boot camp, I fully realized the benefits<br />
of an education <strong>and</strong> planned my future education as<br />
soon as possible after my enlistment.”<br />
— Blair Smith, Dean, College of Information<br />
Systems <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
“Lots of people love to go snow skiing; the beauty of the<br />
mountains, the snow, the fire burning in the lodge, people<br />
having fun enjoying the outdoors. I love the outdoors <strong>and</strong><br />
have all my life. So it was natural for me to try skiing in my<br />
mid-twenties. Little did I know about the brutality of the<br />
sport on one’s knees <strong>and</strong> lower back, the humiliating falls, <strong>and</strong> the muscle<br />
coordination needed to get back up on my skis. After falling flat on my face<br />
several times, killing my knees <strong>and</strong> wrecking my pelvis, I finally called for the<br />
ski patrol to come get me. I couldn’t even make it down the hill. Needless to<br />
say, that was my first <strong>and</strong> only skiing experience. Complete failure. What I<br />
learned: being a weekend athlete is a great way to get injured.”<br />
— Pamela Fuller, Dean, College of Nursing<br />
“The first journal manuscript I submitted for<br />
peer-review consideration was rejected. In fact,<br />
the editorial comments that I received—each<br />
pointing to a shortcoming—were nearly as long<br />
as my manuscript. While faculty had warned me<br />
that often multiple submissions are necessary before acceptance<br />
by an editor, I was truly deflated. However, an experienced<br />
colleague brought me to a key realization: such extensive<br />
comments represented acknowledgement from the scholarly<br />
community—my peers—that my work was worthy of their<br />
consideration. In fact, the comments represented real insight into<br />
how I could improve my work <strong>and</strong>, eventually, get it published.”<br />
— Jeremy Morel<strong>and</strong>, Executive Dean, School of Advanced Studies<br />
“While attending elementary<br />
school in the 1960s, I<br />
befriended Connie. She had<br />
been diagnosed as mentally<br />
retarded, which, at the time,<br />
was a catch-all for learning disabilities. In<br />
middle school, I stopped being Connie’s friend<br />
because of peer pressure. Because I valued<br />
what my classmates thought of me above my<br />
friendship with Connie, I failed Connie <strong>and</strong><br />
myself. This decision made me miserable. I<br />
vowed to never let anyone influence me to<br />
act in a manner that would intentionally hurt<br />
another individual. As a middle school teacher,<br />
I assigned my students to create a Code of<br />
Conduct including treating fellow classmates<br />
with respect.”<br />
—Dallas L. Harris, Dean, College Extension
“All final exams for my physics diploma in Germany were oral.<br />
Generally, the professors examining the students were not the same<br />
ones who were giving the lectures the students were attending, so<br />
preparation for the exam required being familiar with a wide range of<br />
topics—<strong>and</strong> not only the ones that were taught in the student’s class.<br />
My one exception was thermodynamics. Elated, I thought sticking to just the material<br />
from that class would allow me to limit the study effort necessary in this subject. Not a<br />
good idea. The professor asked all kinds of questions from topics he hadn’t addressed in<br />
class. I didn’t do well at all <strong>and</strong> was offered the choice between barely passing or coming<br />
back six months later. (I took the poor grade—my only one—because I had already been<br />
admitted to my doctoral program <strong>and</strong> I didn’t have the six months). But the lesson was<br />
valuable—shortcuts don’t work. Being prepared means considering all aspects of a<br />
topic, not only what one thinks will be asked.”<br />
— Hinrich Eylers, Dean, College of Natural Sciences<br />
“Not merely a failure, my incident was more like<br />
a colossal catastrophe. I was once retained by<br />
a company, with the job of defusing tensions<br />
between divisional units. Overconfident (<strong>and</strong><br />
naïve), I was convinced I would ‘pull it off’ <strong>and</strong><br />
would have both sides soon playing Parcheesi, sharing jokes <strong>and</strong><br />
singing Kumbaya around the campfire. No way. Not a chance. The<br />
environment turned out to be the ‘civilized’ equivalent of the war<br />
zones I experienced when I was with the United Nations. And the<br />
lesson learned: some battles (no pun intended) are better left<br />
alone, or engaged only when one is fully prepared to be effective.”<br />
—Robert Ridel, Dean, College of Humanities<br />
“I failed in a spectacular fashion when I created a training<br />
guide for the evaluation of student writing at the St.<br />
Louis campus. It took a lot of work <strong>and</strong> time to go from<br />
initial creation through to dissemination <strong>and</strong> training.<br />
While it was accomplished in a timely manner, <strong>and</strong><br />
faculty embraced it, the guide did not solve the basic problem. Even with<br />
a common tool, the faculty had varied personal backgrounds. In that<br />
respect, grading will always be flavored by the individual’s background, as<br />
it should. I did not meet my goal of solving what is an incredibly complex<br />
problem; I did succeed quite well at learning to find the real issue.”<br />
— Bill Berry, Dean, School of Business<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
49<br />
“I failed my doctoral oral<br />
exams! I have never said<br />
this publicly, even though<br />
I have shared it with select<br />
people. It was a huge<br />
failure for me <strong>and</strong> it led to a period where<br />
I questioned my future <strong>and</strong> myself. After a<br />
significant period of time, I went back <strong>and</strong><br />
completed a different doctoral program<br />
<strong>and</strong> earned my Ed.D. What I learned was<br />
to persevere—to never give up something<br />
that I believed was not only possible but<br />
was necessary in order to achieve the goals<br />
I had set for myself. I made it—that’s the<br />
important thing!”<br />
—Lynn K. Hall, Dean, College of Social Sciences<br />
“ I see myself as an optimist<br />
<strong>and</strong> found this question<br />
challenging. I honestly cannot<br />
think of a time when I have<br />
truly failed at something. I have<br />
certainly encountered obstacles but choose to<br />
focus on the opportunity to reflect <strong>and</strong> improve<br />
practice. Treating a defeat as a leverage point for<br />
improvement is a better use of energy. One of<br />
my favorite sayings, “it takes too much energy to<br />
have a bad day!” Face your challenges head on <strong>and</strong><br />
choose to learn <strong>and</strong> move on.”<br />
—Meredith Curley, Dean, College of Education
50<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
Historic day in African education<br />
By Mark Dillon<br />
I n January, Gregory Cappelli, Joe D’Amico <strong>and</strong> Jeff<br />
Langenbach were guests at the first graduation<br />
ceremony hosted by the Oprah Winfrey<br />
Leadership Academy for Girls. The men, each of whom<br />
holds an executive leadership position with University<br />
of Phoenix’s parent company, Apollo Group, were<br />
inspired by the students <strong>and</strong> the faculty at the Henley<br />
on Klip, South Africa school.<br />
Media mogul Winfrey is founder <strong>and</strong> benefactor of<br />
the school, which welcomed its first class in 2007.<br />
The school’s mission: provide a first-rate high school<br />
experience for gifted local girls from disadvantaged<br />
backgrounds. Langenbach spoke to <strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong><br />
about his impressions of the institution <strong>and</strong> of that<br />
memorable, historic January day.<br />
FM How did the opportunity to attend the South Africa<br />
commencement arise?<br />
JL Greg knows Stedman Graham [Oprah’s long-time<br />
friend] very well. The purpose of the trip was to meet<br />
with businesses, colleges <strong>and</strong> government officials in<br />
South Africa to look for potential opportunities for<br />
exp<strong>and</strong>ing Apollo, <strong>and</strong> Africa is a pretty attractive<br />
market. Stedman had earlier suggested we plan a<br />
business development trip around the same time of<br />
the graduation, so we could see the event in-person.<br />
In education, there’s probably no bigger story in Africa<br />
right now than Oprah’s school, <strong>and</strong> we are excited at<br />
exploring opportunities to be involved.<br />
FM What is the campus like in Henley on Klip?<br />
JL It’s a beautiful school [Winfrey’s] built for these<br />
girls, all with her own money. The majority of the girls<br />
are originally from townships or villages that have<br />
no electricity or running water. At the school they<br />
have a gorgeous campus with a lot of space for ball<br />
fields, dormitories <strong>and</strong> a state-of-the-art library.<br />
It’s spectacular.<br />
FM Can you describe the ceremony?<br />
JL Before we went in, the girls <strong>and</strong> their parents were<br />
together outside having spontaneous celebrations—<br />
there was a lot of singing <strong>and</strong> dancing. The current<br />
students wore bright green uniforms, <strong>and</strong> the 72
Upper photo, page 50: Oprah Winfrey st<strong>and</strong>s amid graduates <strong>and</strong> guests at the first graduation ceremony<br />
hosted by Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Current students of the school<br />
wore white shirts with green blazers while graduates wore white dresses. In the second row are Stedman<br />
Graham, Jeff Langenbach, Gregory Cappelli <strong>and</strong> Joe D’Amico. Lower photo, page 50: Banners proclaiming<br />
Oprah’s school’s values decorate the commencement venue. Photo page 51: Current students play music<br />
<strong>and</strong> celebrate with the graduates. Photographs provided by Jeff Langenbach.<br />
graduates wore white dresses. The parents<br />
were generally wearing very colorful South<br />
African tribal outfits. During the ceremony,<br />
Oprah introduced the girls <strong>and</strong> they all filed<br />
in one at a time.<br />
The parents in the audience have a custom<br />
where, instead of clapping, they made<br />
yelling or clicking sounds when their<br />
daughter’s name was announced. For the<br />
most part, these girls would be the first in<br />
their family to go through 12th Grade <strong>and</strong><br />
move on to college. There were some very<br />
emotional parents as they all know what<br />
this means for their future. The faculty<br />
spoke openly about how, every week on<br />
average, at least one girl in the school would<br />
lose a relative to AIDS, it’s such an epidemic<br />
right now.<br />
FM What is the makeup of the faculty at<br />
Oprah’s school?<br />
JL Some of the teachers come from the<br />
U.S. <strong>and</strong> some from the U.K. There are quite<br />
a few South African faculty members who<br />
previously taught in other schools. They<br />
also have some South Africans who were<br />
teaching in the U.S. <strong>and</strong> Oprah convinced<br />
them to come back. The faculty role is<br />
their full-time job <strong>and</strong> they live on the<br />
grounds. It’s a great opportunity to teach in<br />
a state-of-the-art facility, whereas most of<br />
the other schools in the area are pretty lowtech.<br />
This is the best of the best of faculty.<br />
She’s able to get some good people.<br />
FM Were the faculty asking about<br />
University of Phoenix?<br />
JL They were all very curious. Most of<br />
Oprah’s faculty are aware of University of<br />
Phoenix <strong>and</strong> they were anxious to hear<br />
about ways we might exp<strong>and</strong> into South<br />
Africa, most likely through online learning.<br />
They know online learning is the wave of<br />
the future <strong>and</strong> they’d love to see us do it<br />
over there.<br />
FM How would you characterize the<br />
teaching model at Oprah’s school?<br />
JL It’s very robust <strong>and</strong> rigorous. The<br />
students are living there full-time <strong>and</strong> are<br />
involved in a very strenuous education<br />
program. It’s why these girls can get into<br />
great schools here in the U.S. Six of the<br />
graduates are coming to the U.S. <strong>and</strong><br />
will attend colleges including Stanford<br />
University <strong>and</strong> Wellesley College. The rest<br />
of the graduates are moving on to colleges<br />
in South Africa.<br />
“ The real story of this<br />
school has yet to be<br />
written. It will be written<br />
ten to twenty years<br />
from now, when you<br />
see these girls are the<br />
leading politicians. They’re<br />
going to be doctors <strong>and</strong><br />
scientists. It’s going to be<br />
very interesting.”<br />
— Jeff Langenbach<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
FM Do you have a sense of how these girls’<br />
accomplishments are viewed back in their<br />
communities?<br />
JL In their society, there are still a lot of<br />
tribal views that women are second-class<br />
citizens. The girls are returning to their<br />
villages <strong>and</strong> their mothers are very proud,<br />
but they still aren’t getting a lot of respect<br />
in some cases from the men in these rural<br />
areas or townships. A lot of them expressed<br />
interest in leaving the country because of<br />
that, but the vast majority are staying to<br />
pursue college.<br />
The graduates view their mission in life<br />
as helping other girls like themselves,<br />
<strong>and</strong> they want to have a h<strong>and</strong> in changing<br />
the political system. A number of these<br />
girls said, “We’re going into government.<br />
We’re going to be Prime Minister. We’re<br />
going to change our culture.” The real<br />
story of this school has yet to be written.<br />
It will be written ten to twenty years from<br />
now, when you see these girls are the<br />
leading politicians. They’re going to be<br />
doctors <strong>and</strong> scientists. It’s going to be<br />
very interesting.<br />
51
52<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
forwardthinking<br />
ideas, research <strong>and</strong> innovation at UOpX<br />
“ Thanks to ALE,<br />
we can target<br />
individuals with<br />
gaps in learning <strong>and</strong><br />
skills with additional<br />
materials. But<br />
ALE will also offer<br />
enrichment to<br />
students who come<br />
to the University<br />
well prepared,<br />
ensuring we keep<br />
them engaged <strong>and</strong><br />
motivated.”<br />
— Gailene Nelson, ALE<br />
team lead<br />
The Adaptive Learning<br />
Environment in action<br />
Imagine receiving a snapshot of how well your students underst<strong>and</strong> specific<br />
concepts in the courses you teach. Now imagine having access to a simple tool for<br />
providing appropriate, timely intervention to those who are struggling. In this<br />
issue of Forward Thinking, University of phoenix Vice provost Dawn Iwamoto, Ed.D.,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Associate provost Marla Kelsey, Ed.D., sit down with Gailene Nelson to discuss<br />
the exciting advances the University’s Adaptive Learning Environment (ALE)<br />
workgroup has made. ALE is aiming to make scenarios like those mentioned above<br />
a reality. Nelson has led the initiative for the Adaptive Learning Environment team<br />
since October 2011.<br />
Marla Let’s begin with a little background, Gailene.<br />
What is adaptive learning, <strong>and</strong> what does it mean to<br />
University of Phoenix faculty <strong>and</strong> students?<br />
Gailene Adaptive learning uses science to derive<br />
insights from students’ activity. These insights enable<br />
faculty to not only see where their students need<br />
guidance or enrichment, but also where they can<br />
provide individualized recommendations to guide those<br />
students.<br />
When I ask faculty where their students need the most<br />
guidance, they often reply that they don’t have a clear<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing, but would really like to. We are creating<br />
tools that can assist faculty with providing formative<br />
assessments <strong>and</strong> developing interventions to maximize<br />
student learning.<br />
Dawn I assume the goal is to provide a more<br />
individualized learning experience for students <strong>and</strong><br />
advance toward improved retention, performance <strong>and</strong><br />
motivation, correct?<br />
Gailene That’s right. Thanks to the tools we are<br />
creating in the classroom, we can track how students<br />
are performing <strong>and</strong> combine that information with<br />
our knowledge about their educational experience,<br />
personal preferences <strong>and</strong> styles, <strong>and</strong> activities to<br />
determine the optimal learning path for them.<br />
Marla I believe there’s a misconception that adaptive<br />
learning will only assist those students seen to be<br />
struggling. Can you touch on how the University’s ALE<br />
will benefit all learners?<br />
Gailene Adaptive learning enables us to target<br />
individuals with gaps in learning <strong>and</strong> skills with<br />
additional materials. But ALE will also offer enrichment<br />
to students who come to the University well prepared,<br />
ensuring we keep them engaged <strong>and</strong> motivated. Our<br />
ALE is about using science to augment the learning<br />
experience for all students—<strong>and</strong> it’s not completely<br />
a machine-driven experience. It’s designed to work<br />
h<strong>and</strong>-in-h<strong>and</strong> with our faculty, our staff, our academic<br />
counselors, the deans <strong>and</strong> all the teams who create<br />
the curriculum for students. ALE offers a continuous<br />
feedback loop throughout that entire education<br />
ecosystem.
Dawn This sounds terrific in theory, but<br />
I know our faculty will want more details.<br />
Can you explain what this technology will<br />
actually look like?<br />
Gailene The tool we are introducing<br />
is called a Knowledge Check. It’s a<br />
combination of three things: a lowstakes<br />
formative assessment delivered<br />
in the form of a weekly quiz with some<br />
enhancements; a personal study guide,<br />
which is a summary of the student’s<br />
performance on that knowledge check;<br />
<strong>and</strong> a faculty dashboard, which is a view<br />
of the student’s performance with built-in<br />
recommendations for intervention.<br />
Marla Let’s imagine I’m a student in an<br />
Economics class <strong>and</strong> I don’t underst<strong>and</strong> the<br />
concept of supply <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong>. How will a<br />
Knowledge Check help me?<br />
Gailene In the middle of the week<br />
all students are assigned a Knowledge<br />
Check. When you answer a question on the<br />
Knowledge Check <strong>and</strong> get it wrong, you, the<br />
student, will receive immediate feedback<br />
letting you know the answer wasn’t correct.<br />
You’ll also be offered a hint that may help<br />
you grasp the concept better. You can<br />
answer the question again <strong>and</strong> receive an<br />
immediate explanation of why the answer<br />
was correct or incorrect. This allows<br />
students to learn as they’re being assessed.<br />
Dawn How do faculty use the Knowledge<br />
Check?<br />
Above are Vice Provost Dawn Iwamoto, Ed.D., (left) <strong>and</strong> Associate Provost Marla Kelsey, Ed.D.<br />
Gailene A student’s Knowledge Check<br />
results are posted to the faculty dashboard.<br />
Not only can faculty see that a student<br />
answered all three questions related to, for<br />
example, supply <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> incorrectly,<br />
but also can see if they clicked on the<br />
hints <strong>and</strong> looked at some of the additional<br />
materials within the quiz. At that point, the<br />
faculty member can send that student a<br />
personalized message with some additional<br />
materials around supply <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
say, “Maybe these will help.” <strong>Faculty</strong> have<br />
the option of choosing materials suggested<br />
by the college <strong>and</strong> the instructional<br />
design team, or they can send their own<br />
recommendation if there’s something else<br />
they feel may resonate better.<br />
Marla Have we tested the Knowledge<br />
Check with students <strong>and</strong> faculty? If so,<br />
what were the reactions?<br />
Gailene Yes, we have completed three<br />
pilots, <strong>and</strong> feedback from both students<br />
<strong>and</strong> faculty has been very positive. The first<br />
pilot started about six months ago <strong>and</strong> it<br />
was conducted with 16 students <strong>and</strong> one<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
53<br />
instructor in the ECO 561 course. The other<br />
two pilots were conducted with a larger<br />
number of students <strong>and</strong> faculty based in<br />
the same course. The feedback from all<br />
three pilot groups was extremely positive<br />
<strong>and</strong> optimistic in terms of the potential<br />
this tool actually has in the classroom.<br />
Student reactions ranged from “It was<br />
helpful to know where I st<strong>and</strong>, what I know<br />
<strong>and</strong> what I don’t know,” to very enthusiastic<br />
responses about how much feedback they<br />
had received <strong>and</strong> how their instructor<br />
really seemed to care about their progress.<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> noted how helpful it was to actually<br />
see where students needed the most<br />
guidance—<strong>and</strong> felt reassured that they had<br />
done their best to address their students’<br />
needs.<br />
Dawn What is the ALE workgroup’s<br />
vision for the future?<br />
Gailene Students come to University<br />
of Phoenix to improve on their skills <strong>and</strong><br />
education, things that can help them have<br />
continued on page 54
54<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
forwardthinking<br />
ideas, research <strong>and</strong> innovation at UOpX<br />
Gailene Nelson, ALE team lead<br />
continued from page 53<br />
a better life. They enroll to get credentials<br />
so they can get a job, a better job, or a<br />
raise. What we want to do with ALE is to<br />
provide the opportunity for each student<br />
to be successful at his or her goals at his<br />
or her own skill level. The ALE is a GPS of<br />
sorts, keeping the students guided <strong>and</strong><br />
on track to reach their end goal. Being<br />
able to guide <strong>and</strong> track every student that<br />
comes in the door is our aim.<br />
Marla I know you welcome input<br />
from faculty. Where should they send<br />
comments <strong>and</strong> questions?<br />
Gailene We have many ideas about<br />
how we can help improve learning<br />
outcomes for students, but if there are<br />
other ways we can make processes <strong>and</strong><br />
workflows more efficient for faculty, I’m<br />
very interested in hearing those as well.<br />
You can send questions, comments <strong>and</strong><br />
feedback to me at Gailene.Nelson@<br />
phoenix.edu.<br />
Viewing questions from<br />
weekly Knowledge Checks
Above are early images of the Knowledge Check, referenced by Gailene Nelson. The Knowledge Check is a<br />
combination of three things: a low stakes formative assessment delivered in the form of a weekly quiz<br />
with some enhancements; a personal study guide, which is a summary of the student’s performance on<br />
that Knowledge Check; <strong>and</strong> a faculty dashboard, which is a view of the student’s performance with built-in<br />
recommendations for intervention.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
55<br />
What students <strong>and</strong><br />
faculty are saying<br />
saying about the<br />
Knowledge Check<br />
“ I love the Knowledge Check. It helps<br />
to make sure that I am on track with<br />
my underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the concepts in<br />
the class.“<br />
— Student<br />
“ I use the personalized study guide when<br />
I’m doing discussion questions, weekly<br />
summaries <strong>and</strong> writing papers. It’s really<br />
helpful in identifying where I need to<br />
look more deeply at the text.”<br />
— Student<br />
“ The personalized study guide is really<br />
helpful so that I can quickly see what<br />
areas I need to study more.”<br />
— Student<br />
“ The Knowledge Check is an assessment<br />
<strong>and</strong> a teaching tool. Explaining WHY<br />
an answer is correct. It assesses my<br />
knowledge so I know how much I<br />
actually know about the objectives.<br />
Could be a tool to determine where I<br />
need to read in more depth.”<br />
— Student<br />
“I no longer have to question whether<br />
I’ve thoroughly taught a concept or<br />
given students enough opportunities<br />
to master a skill. If students receive a<br />
poor grade on a paper, I can be confident<br />
that I did my best to prepare them.”<br />
—<strong>Faculty</strong><br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com<br />
to read an exclusive article about the<br />
University’s Carnegie Learning Step-By-Step<br />
Math Review program.
56<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
scholarshipspotlight<br />
a message from Executive Dean Jeremy Morel<strong>and</strong><br />
Adversity <strong>and</strong><br />
scholarship:<br />
Choosing to benefit<br />
from criticism<br />
By Julie Wilson<br />
In this edition of <strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong>, Executive Dean<br />
Jeremy Morel<strong>and</strong> explores how peer review <strong>and</strong><br />
persistence are essential to producing quality<br />
scholarship.<br />
FM It seems that scholarship <strong>and</strong> rejection go h<strong>and</strong><br />
in h<strong>and</strong>. After all, not every paper can be accepted<br />
by every journal nor to every conference. Is this<br />
considered failure on the part of the individual<br />
producing the scholarship?<br />
JM Many people experienced at scholarship would<br />
argue that if you are receiving good, critical feedback<br />
on your work, then ultimately that effort has not been<br />
a failure, even if it isn’t accepted by a publication.<br />
Rejection <strong>and</strong> feedback are part of the process of<br />
strengthening the quality of one’s research <strong>and</strong><br />
writing. In fact, most people who are published in a<br />
peer-reviewed journal likely weren’t successful on<br />
their first try.<br />
FM Does that same logic apply if a faculty member<br />
has submitted for an award through University<br />
of Phoenix’s Office of Scholarship Support grants<br />
program <strong>and</strong> isn’t successful?<br />
JM Yes, I would argue that they were still successful.<br />
The fact that the faculty member was engaged,<br />
formulated ideas, put those ideas down on paper, <strong>and</strong><br />
shared them for peer review is a success. Maybe he<br />
or she didn’t receive an award on the first attempt,<br />
but many do not.<br />
FM It sounds like it’s a matter of perspective.<br />
JM A lot depends upon how effectively an individual<br />
can integrate feedback into their efforts. Our Vice<br />
Provost Dawn Iwamoto famously tells her doctoral<br />
students that feedback is a gift. Successful scholars<br />
ultimately are not thwarted by rejection. They don’t<br />
perceive it as failure but rather as an opportunity to<br />
extend their thinking via the feedback of others.<br />
FM From our students’ perspective, why is faculty<br />
scholarship important?<br />
JM I’d assume a lot of students would say we would<br />
be failing at our scholarship efforts if we couldn’t<br />
use the results to help them in the classroom.<br />
When faculty engage in scholarship that furthers<br />
either their discipline or their teaching practice,<br />
they create the occasion for an amazing teaching<br />
<strong>and</strong> learning experience, as well. Our students are<br />
consistently excited about their ability to apply<br />
what they are learning in the classroom to their<br />
workplace. The same should be true of our faculty<br />
applying their scholarship in the classroom.
FM How do students reconcile the abstract concept of scholarship <strong>and</strong> the<br />
h<strong>and</strong>s-on role our faculty members play in their learning?<br />
JM A classic critique of academe is that there is a huge chasm between what<br />
we do as scholars <strong>and</strong> what we do as instructors. In many institutions, there’s a<br />
long hallway that separates the laboratory where faculty do research <strong>and</strong> the<br />
classroom where they lecture. It’s reasonable for our students to expect us to<br />
be able to link the ways we discover, innovate <strong>and</strong> apply scholarship.<br />
What we are telling our students is that they should care about a given topic.<br />
Even if the work I am engaged in is highly theoretical, I should still be able to<br />
explain it to students in a way that leads them to ask questions about it. Our<br />
“Successful scholars ultimately<br />
are not thwarted by rejection.<br />
They don’t perceive it as failure<br />
but rather as an opportunity<br />
to extend their thinking via the<br />
feedback of others.”<br />
— Jeremy Morel<strong>and</strong>, Executive Dean, School of<br />
Advanced Studies, University of Phoenix<br />
students shouldn’t be perplexed when we tell them<br />
about our work. The way our research connects to the<br />
curriculum should make perfect sense.<br />
FM Beyond sharing scholarship outcomes <strong>and</strong><br />
knowledge with our students, why is it important for<br />
our faculty members to share their scholarship efforts<br />
with each other?<br />
JM The practice of peer review among scholars creates<br />
a safe place for them to experiment in terms of the<br />
expression of their ideas <strong>and</strong> research. We, as faculty,<br />
can take the spirit of this model from the scholarly<br />
community <strong>and</strong> bring it into our conversations, where<br />
we can foster the spirit of enthusiastic collaboration<br />
toward each other’s work. Peer review is collaborative<br />
at the summative phases. I have found that our<br />
faculty <strong>and</strong> students seem to have some of their most<br />
rewarding experiences when they work closely with one<br />
another. After all, scholarship is inherently communal.<br />
FM It’s relatively easy for our faculty who teach on<br />
campus to collaborate with one another. How can our<br />
online faculty do the same?<br />
JM PhoenixConnect® offers all our faculty members a<br />
powerful way to collaborate with one another virtually<br />
<strong>and</strong> to benefit from each other’s research. This summer,<br />
we are launching a new <strong>Faculty</strong> Scholarship Group on<br />
PhoenixConnect® as a means for our faculty members<br />
to share their scholarship with one another. I encourage<br />
all our faculty members to join the conversation <strong>and</strong><br />
engage in the communal spirit of scholarship.
58<br />
Achieving excellence, furthering knowledge<br />
The University of Phoenix <strong>Faculty</strong> Honorarium Program recognizes faculty work that aligns with the<br />
University’s definition of scholarship, which is based within the context of the Boyer Scholarship Model’s<br />
four dimensions: discovery, integration, application <strong>and</strong> teaching. <strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> sends congratulations<br />
to the honoraria recipients listed on the following pages.<br />
University<br />
of Phoenix<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Presentation<br />
Honoraria<br />
awarded from<br />
January to<br />
March 2012<br />
Tra Ahia<br />
Surprise, AZ<br />
Stuart Gold<br />
Hollywood, FL<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
scholarshipspotlight<br />
honoraria recipients<br />
PRESENTATION<br />
Honoraria Recipients<br />
Sherna Armstrong<br />
Dallas, TX<br />
Susan Kessler<br />
Nashville, TN<br />
Tra Ahia of Surprise, Arizona, for Effective Parenting<br />
Styles with Differing Levels of Attention Deficit<br />
Hyperactivity Disorder Symptomatology. Presented at<br />
the First Annual College of Social Sciences Research<br />
<strong>and</strong> Scholarship Symposium.<br />
Richard A. Alex<strong>and</strong>er of Tampa, Florida, for H<strong>and</strong>ling<br />
the First DUI Case. Presented at LawReviewCLE.<br />
Sherna Armstrong of Dallas, Texas, for Grammar: To Be<br />
or Not Two Bee. Presented at the Community College<br />
Humanities Association National Conference.<br />
Noreen N. Astin, Ph.D., of American Fork, Utah, for<br />
Feminism in ‘The Lottery’ <strong>and</strong> Today. Presented at the<br />
13th Annual Conference by the <strong>Faculty</strong>.<br />
Leslie Baker of Pleasanton, California, for Application<br />
of Multimodal Play Therapy Techniques for the<br />
Assessment <strong>and</strong> Treatment of Bullying. Presented at<br />
CALAPT Workshop.<br />
Noreen N. Astin<br />
American Fork, UT<br />
Jason King<br />
Salt Lake City, UT<br />
Leslie Baker<br />
Pleasanton, CA<br />
Carol Gegenheimer<br />
Glendale, AZ<br />
Richard Bowman<br />
Mesa, AZ<br />
Gregory P. Holder<br />
Tampa, FL<br />
Stephan Belding of Tigard, Oregon, for Two<br />
Generations: How the Boomers <strong>and</strong> Millennials<br />
Will Work Together to Help Transform the World.<br />
Presented at the International Leadership Association<br />
Conference.<br />
Richard A. Bowman of Mesa, Arizona, for Change<br />
or Die. Presented at The Accreditation Council for<br />
Business Schools <strong>and</strong> Programs Region 7 Annual<br />
Conference.<br />
Tom Cappels of Redwood City, California, for<br />
Financially Focused Information Technology Project<br />
Management. Presented at the CA-VIAR Conference at<br />
CA-World.<br />
Deborah Elver of Tucson, Arizona, for Adult Re-entry.<br />
Presented at the Greater Tucson Leadership.<br />
Nancy L. Fitzgerald of Naperville, Illinois, for Reading<br />
& Writing Activities/Resources in a 1:1 Environment.<br />
Presented at the Illinois Computer Educators<br />
Conference.<br />
Tom Cappels<br />
Redwood City, CA<br />
Melissa Holmberg,<br />
Prescott, AZ<br />
Nancy L. Fitzgerald<br />
Naperville, IL<br />
Therese Kanai,<br />
Kailua-Kona, HI<br />
Kristen Gilkeson<br />
Reno, NV<br />
Stephen J. Lind<br />
Clemson, SC
Kristen Gilkeson, Ph.D., of Reno, Nevada,<br />
for Response to Intervention: Establish<br />
Essential Outcomes for Future Teachers.<br />
Presented at The Teacher Education<br />
Division of the Council for Exceptional<br />
Children 34th Annual Conference.<br />
Stuart Gold, Ph.D., of Hollywood, Florida,<br />
for Applied Research Presentations.<br />
Presented at the Academic Research<br />
Symposium.<br />
Susan Kessler, Ed.D., of Nashville,<br />
Tennessee, for They’re in Class; Now What?<br />
Presented at the National Alternative<br />
Education Association 2012 National<br />
Conference.<br />
Jason King, Ph.D., of Salt Lake City, Utah,<br />
for Engaging Duel Diagnosis Adolescents<br />
into Addiction Treatment. Presented<br />
at the 2012 Mental Health Symposium:<br />
Focus on Addiction. And for DSM 5: New<br />
Perspectives on Mental Health Disorders.<br />
Presented at the Utah Mental Health<br />
Counselors Association 2012 Annual<br />
Conference.<br />
Carol Gegenheimer, Ph.D., of Glendale,<br />
Arizona, for Trauma-Informed Care: How<br />
are we Doing? Presented at the First Annual<br />
College of Social Sciences Research <strong>and</strong><br />
Scholarship Symposium.<br />
Shaunita Makisha Grase of West<br />
Columbia, South Carolina, for Evidence-<br />
Based Practices in Community Corrections.<br />
Presented at the 2011 SC Criminal Justices<br />
Training Conference, Joining Forces for a<br />
Better Future!<br />
Judith Longmeyer<br />
Phoenix, AZ<br />
Burke Sorenson<br />
S<strong>and</strong>y, UT<br />
Sam Martin<br />
Schaumburg, IL<br />
Christine Thompson<br />
Gallatin,, TN<br />
Doreen McGunagle<br />
Palm Beach Gardens, FL<br />
Phillip Tobias<br />
Okemos, MI<br />
Connye Harper, J.D., of Honolulu, Hawaii,<br />
for HR <strong>and</strong> the Image of an Organization.<br />
Presented at the 2011 SHRM Hawaii<br />
State Conference: HR Moving Forward<br />
to the Future.<br />
Saman Hassan of Louisville, Kentucky,<br />
for Building Bridges: Turning on Learning:<br />
A Proactive Approach. Presented at ELT:<br />
Building Bridges: 27th International ELT<br />
Conference 2011.<br />
Gregory P. Holder, J.D., of Tampa, Florida,<br />
for How to Be An Effective Expert Witness.<br />
Presented at the Hillsborough County Bar<br />
Association Judicial CLE Luncheon. And, for<br />
Florida’s St<strong>and</strong> Your Ground Law. Presented<br />
at Tampa’s first paralegal organization<br />
monthly meeting.<br />
Melissa Holmberg, Ph.D., of Prescott,<br />
Arizona, for Setting the Tone on the First<br />
Day of Class in the SAS Online Classroom.<br />
Presented at the 10th Annual Hawaii<br />
International Conference on Education.<br />
And, for Setting the Tone on the First Day<br />
of Class in the Online Classroom. Presented<br />
at E-Learn World Conference on E-Learning<br />
in Corporate, Government, Healthcare &<br />
Higher Education.<br />
Lynn Jarreau-Wihongi of Highl<strong>and</strong>, Utah,<br />
for That was Then/This is Now: Personal <strong>and</strong><br />
Professional Reflections on Deployment.<br />
Presented at the Utah Fall Substance<br />
Abuse Conference.<br />
Melvin Jeppson of River Heights, Utah,<br />
for Other Party Assessor. Presented at<br />
the American Aerospace Quality Group<br />
Registration Management Committee.<br />
Matasha Murrell Jones<br />
Chicago, IL<br />
Gaston Weisz<br />
Plainview, NY<br />
Thomas R. Old<br />
Boise, ID<br />
Michael N. Widener<br />
Phoenix, AZ<br />
Troy J. Rodgers<br />
Albuquerque, NM<br />
Therese Kanai, Ph.D., of Kailua-Kona,<br />
Hawaii, for Setting the Tone on the First<br />
Day of Class in the SAS Online Classroom.<br />
Presented at the 10th Annual Hawaii<br />
International Conference on Education.<br />
And, for Setting the Tone on the First Day<br />
of Class in the Online Classroom. Presented<br />
at E-Learn World Conference on E-Learning<br />
in Corporate, Government, Healthcare &<br />
Higher Education.<br />
Stephen J. Lind of Clemson,<br />
South Carolina, for Demonstrating<br />
2MinuteThinker. Presented at the<br />
Carolina Rhetoric Conference 2012.<br />
Judith Longmeyer of Phoenix, Arizona, for<br />
Linking Nature Awareness to Equine Care.<br />
Presented at The Association of Zoo <strong>and</strong><br />
Aquarium Docents 2011 Conference.<br />
Sam Martin of Schaumburg, Illinois, for<br />
Microblogging, Facebook, <strong>and</strong> QR Codes<br />
Oh My! Presented at the 2011 IAECT<br />
Conference.<br />
Doreen McGunagle, Ph.D., of Palm Beach<br />
Gardens, Florida, for Small Changes Creates<br />
Radical Continual Change. Presented at The<br />
Academic Forum 2011 Conference.<br />
Matasha Murrell Jones, D.M., of Chicago,<br />
Illinois, for Teaching to the Multitudes:<br />
Indigenized Instruction Across Generations<br />
<strong>and</strong> Cultures; The Ethnic Stew Post<br />
Approach: Culturally-Responsive Teaching<br />
for Today’s Students. Presented at the 2012<br />
Midwest Scholars Conference.<br />
Bronwyn Scott<br />
Seattle, WA<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
59<br />
continued on page 60<br />
Sherrie Segovia<br />
Long Beach, CA
60<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
scholarshipspotlight<br />
honoraria recipients<br />
continued from page 59<br />
University of Phoenix <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Presentation Honoraria<br />
awarded from January to<br />
March 2012<br />
Thomas R. Old of Boise, Idaho, for The<br />
Human Side of Project Management.<br />
Presented at the Ada County Employers<br />
Association.<br />
Scott Pelking of El Paso, Texas, for<br />
Preparing for Court: An Ethical <strong>and</strong> Practical<br />
Approach. Presented at NMMHCA’s<br />
December ethics training.<br />
Alice Prince of St. Louis, Missouri, for<br />
Working with Workforce Investment—<br />
Breaking Barriers With At-Risk Youth.<br />
Presented at the International Journal of<br />
Arts & Sciences Conference: European<br />
Conference for Academic Disciplines.<br />
Bruce J. Puma Jr. of Albuquerque,<br />
New Mexico, for Transfers of Jurisdiction<br />
(New UAGHA Law) & the Use of Temporary<br />
Restraining Orders.Presented at the First<br />
Annual Guardianship Summer Symposium:<br />
Guardianship, Sex & Marriage: The<br />
Complexity of Decision Making.<br />
Troy J. Rodgers, Psy.D., of Albuquerque,<br />
New Mexico, for Introduction to Crisis<br />
Response Training: What is Mental Health<br />
Certification, CIT, <strong>and</strong> CNT? Presented at<br />
the First Crisis Response Training Summit<br />
Conference.<br />
PUBLICATION<br />
Honoraria Recipients<br />
Jinan Banna<br />
New York, NY<br />
Manuel Hern<strong>and</strong>ez<br />
Fajardo, PR<br />
Susanne J. Danis<br />
Pembroke Pines, FL<br />
Bert H. Hoff<br />
Seattle, WA<br />
James W. Davis<br />
Tucson, AZ<br />
Nicholette Leanza<br />
Clevel<strong>and</strong>, OH<br />
Lugene Rosen of Stanton, California, for<br />
Let it Bleed: Blood as Subversive Ritual<br />
<strong>and</strong> Symbol in Supernatural. Presented at<br />
the Southwest Texas Popular Culture <strong>and</strong><br />
America Culture Association’s 33rd Annual<br />
Conference.<br />
Barbara Rossow of Placitas, New Mexico,<br />
for Educational Workshop. Presented at<br />
Marie Hughes Elementary School.<br />
Bronwyn Scott of Seattle, Washington,<br />
for The Effects of Gorse on Soil<br />
Properties, <strong>and</strong> Possible Management<br />
Implications. Presented at the Pacific<br />
Northwest Invasive Plant Council: Gorse<br />
in Threatened Coastal Habitats Applied<br />
Research Workshop.<br />
Sherrie Segovia of Long Beach, California,<br />
for Infidelity: Precursor to Inter-Parental<br />
Violence. Presented at the NEXUS XVI<br />
Training Conference: Violence Within the<br />
Home <strong>and</strong> its Effect on Children. And,<br />
for Violence Prevention for Pregnant <strong>and</strong><br />
Parenting Adolescents at Hope Street<br />
Family Center. Presented at the Fourth<br />
Annual Violence-Free Teens Conference:<br />
Cultivating Connections–Empowering<br />
Youth & Adult Allies to End Relationship<br />
Violence. And, for What About You?<br />
Managing Your Stress While Working with<br />
Children <strong>and</strong> their Families. Presented at<br />
the 2012 California Head Start Association<br />
Conference.<br />
Debra Smith of Norman, Oklahoma, for<br />
The Horror! Stories from the Trenches.<br />
Presented at EPA/RVIPA 27th Annual<br />
Pretreatment Workshop.<br />
Jack Dowling<br />
Downingtown, PA<br />
Cheryl Lentz<br />
Las Vegas, NV<br />
Mikel Del Rosario<br />
Roseville, CA<br />
David J. McGarva<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong> Hills, CA<br />
Kristene Diggins<br />
Waxhaw, NC<br />
Ryan T. Miller<br />
Salt Lake City, UT<br />
Burke Sorenson, Ph.D., of S<strong>and</strong>y, Utah, for<br />
Digital Humanities: What’s all the Buzz About?<br />
Presented at the Humanities Education<br />
<strong>and</strong> Research Association 2012 Conference.<br />
And, for Dummies Guide to Hybrid Courses.<br />
Presented at the Utah Coalition for<br />
Educational Technology Annual Conference.<br />
Phil Stella of Mayfield Village, Ohio, for Taking<br />
the Pain out of Sales Pitches.Presented at the<br />
COSE Small Business Conference. And, for<br />
COSE SBC Speaker Orientation Panel, speaker<br />
training. And, for Finding Your Voice: Optimizing<br />
Your Presentation Skills. Presented at the Wean<br />
Foundation Fifth Annual Nonprofit Summit.<br />
Christine Thompson, Ed.D., of Gallatin,<br />
Tennessee, for The More H<strong>and</strong>s The Better:<br />
An Inclusive Reading Model for EL Students.<br />
Presented at TNTESOL 2012 Annual Meeting<br />
<strong>and</strong> Conference.<br />
Phillip Tobias of Okemos, Michigan, for<br />
Designing, Developing, <strong>and</strong> Delivering Training.<br />
Presented at LESA/ASSE Meeting.<br />
Jeffrey M. Wallmann of Las Vegas, Nevada,<br />
for The Meme Machine: Politics, Culture, <strong>and</strong><br />
Consilience. Presented at the Far West Popular<br />
& American Culture Associations 24th Annual<br />
Conference.<br />
Gaston Weisz, Psy.D., of Plainview, New York,<br />
for Culturally Responsive Schools <strong>and</strong> Positive<br />
Behavioral Interventions <strong>and</strong> Supports.<br />
Presented at the 2011 New York Association<br />
of School Psychologists Conference.<br />
Kathy A. Welch-Martin of West Lafayette,<br />
Indiana, for What’s Math Got To Do With It?<br />
Presented at the Indiana Council of Teachers<br />
of Mathematics Fall Conference.<br />
Jay Familant<br />
Germantown, ME<br />
Kurpad Murthy<br />
Bartlett, IL<br />
Jim H. Hillman<br />
Greenwood, IN<br />
Manes Pierre,<br />
Woodbridge, VA
Katharine S. West of Covina, California,<br />
for Picturing Quality: The Art of Displaying<br />
Data Visually. Presented at the National<br />
Association of Healthcare Quality 36th<br />
Annual Educational Conference. And<br />
for Global Connections: Integrating<br />
Theory to Practice in Professional Nursing<br />
Science Using the Artinian Intersystem<br />
Model. Presented at the Sigma Theta Tau<br />
International Honor Society of Nursing<br />
41st Biennial Convention.<br />
Michael N. Widener, J.D., of Phoenix,<br />
Arizona, for Reflections on Leasing<br />
Vacant Tracts for Solar Power Generation.<br />
Presented at Real Property Section –<br />
Southern Counties Luncheon.<br />
Melissa Williams, D.M., of Phoenix, Arizona,<br />
for The Employee Perspective of Elected<br />
Leaders’ Management. Presented at the<br />
First Annual College of Social Sciences<br />
Research <strong>and</strong> Scholarship Symposium.<br />
Richard Zapal of Savannah, Georgia, for<br />
Safety <strong>and</strong> Security. Presented at the<br />
Savannah Area Board of Realtors.<br />
University of Phoenix <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Publication Honoraria<br />
awarded from January to<br />
March 2012<br />
Jinan Banna, Ph.D., of New York, New York,<br />
for Assessing Face Validity of a Physical<br />
Activity Questionnaire for Spanish-Speaking<br />
Women in California. Published in the<br />
Journal of Extension. And for Functional<br />
Weight Loss – Nutritionist Reviews.<br />
Published on 999diet.com.<br />
Roger Daene of Vicksburg, Michigan,<br />
for Colonel Patrick O’Rorke: Unsung<br />
Hero of Little Round Top. Published on<br />
MilitaryHistoryOnline.com.<br />
Burke Sorenson,<br />
S<strong>and</strong>y, UT<br />
Christine Thompson<br />
Gallatin,, TN<br />
Michael N. Widener,<br />
Phoenix, AZ<br />
David D’Onofrio of Dearborn Heights,<br />
Michigan, for Dichotomy in the Definition<br />
of Prescriptive Information Suggests Both<br />
Prescribed Data <strong>and</strong> Prescribed Algorithms:<br />
Biosemiotics Applications in Genomic<br />
Systems. Published in Theoretical Biology<br />
<strong>and</strong> Medical Modeling.<br />
Susanne J. Danis of Pembroke Pines, Florida,<br />
for Minimize Words, Maximize Impact with<br />
Simple Graphics. Published in American<br />
Nurse Today.<br />
James W. Davis, Ph.D., of Tucson, Arizona,<br />
for Persuading Library Use in Technologically<br />
Structured Individuals. Published in Library<br />
Hi Tech.<br />
Jack Dowling of Downingtown, Pennsylvania,<br />
for Chemical <strong>and</strong> Biological Security on<br />
Campus. Published in The Clipboard.<br />
Mikel Del Rosario of Roseville, California,<br />
for The Accessible Apologetics Workbook:<br />
Five Lessons for Everyday Defenders of<br />
the Faith.<br />
Kristene Diggins, DNP, of Waxhaw, North<br />
Carolina, for Moral Courage, <strong>and</strong> Privileged<br />
Trust. Published on journalofchristiannursing.<br />
com. And for One Appointment, Two<br />
Patients, <strong>and</strong> Rethinking Retail. Published<br />
on reflectiononnursingleadership.org.<br />
Jay Familant, Ph.D., of Germantown,<br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong>, for Two Way Street: Advice for Job<br />
Seekers <strong>and</strong> Employers. Published in Proven<br />
Beyond the Process.<br />
Aaron Gershonowitz of West Hempstead,<br />
New York, for Does the Supreme Court’s<br />
Burlington Northern Decision Require<br />
Reconsideration of the Aceto Line of<br />
‘Arranger’ Liability Cases? Published in the<br />
University of Baltimore Law Review.<br />
Thomas M. Woodruff<br />
Georgetown, TX<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
Saman Hassan, Ed.D., of Louisville, Kentucky,<br />
for Role-modeling Proactive Leadership.<br />
Published in SPELT Quarterly.<br />
Lillie M. Hibbler-Britt, Ph.D., of Charlotte,<br />
North Carolina, for River Voices: Breaking the<br />
Silence, A Social Political View of<br />
Issues Affecting the African American<br />
Community Through Commentary, Poetry<br />
<strong>and</strong> Photography.<br />
Jim H. Hillman of Greenwood, Indiana, for<br />
Franklin: Images of America.<br />
Manuel Hern<strong>and</strong>ez of Fajardo, Puerto Rico,<br />
for The Legacy of Piri Thomas, <strong>and</strong> Focusing<br />
on the Needs of Latino Students. Published in<br />
PRTESOL-GRAM: A Publication of the Puerto<br />
Rico Teachers of English to Speakers of<br />
Other-Languages.<br />
Bert H. Hoff, J.D., of Seattle, Washington<br />
for National Study: More Men than Women<br />
Victims of Intimate Partner Physical Violence,<br />
Psychological Aggression.Published in<br />
MenWeb online journal.<br />
Bruce Hunter of Spring, Texas, for The<br />
7 Deadly Sins of Resource Management:<br />
How to Find <strong>and</strong> Fix Costly Drains on Your<br />
Business <strong>and</strong> Create a Change Ready<br />
Organization.<br />
Nicholette Leanza of Clevl<strong>and</strong>, Ohio, for<br />
NeuroCounseling: Simple Therapeutic<br />
Interventions for Rewiring the Maladaptive<br />
Brain, <strong>and</strong> for Mirror, Mirror in the Brain:<br />
The Biology of How We Connect to Others.<br />
Published in PsychCentral: Learn. Share.<br />
Grow.<br />
Cheryl Lentz, DM, of Las Vegas, Nevada,<br />
for The Consumer Learner: Emerging<br />
Expectations of a Customer-Service<br />
Mentality in Post-Secondary Education.<br />
Jane Lillestol, Ph.D., of Alex<strong>and</strong>ria,<br />
Minnesota, for The LQ3: A New Paradigm in<br />
21st Century Leader Decision Making.<br />
Jim Lyons of Boise, Idaho, for Observations:<br />
Looking Ahead <strong>and</strong> Enjoying Coming Full<br />
Circle in the Research/Analyst World.<br />
Published in The Hard Copy Observer.<br />
61<br />
continued on page 62
62<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
scholarshipspotlight<br />
honoraria recipients<br />
continued from page 61<br />
University of Phoenix<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> Publication<br />
Honoraria awarded<br />
from January to<br />
March 2012<br />
David J. McGarva, Ph.D., of<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong> Hills, California, for<br />
Tulving, Endel (researcher into<br />
human memory research).<br />
Published in the Encyclopedia<br />
of the History of Psychological<br />
Theories.<br />
Ryan T. Miller, Ph.D., of Salt<br />
Lake City, Utah, for Globally<br />
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing The Digital<br />
Divide. Published in Impact<br />
Journal: Utah Association of<br />
Secondary School Principals.<br />
Steven J. Minkin, DM,<br />
of Honolulu, Hawaii, for<br />
Virtual Team Leadership<br />
<strong>and</strong> Implementation in the<br />
U.S. Air Force.Published in<br />
the International Journal<br />
of Networking <strong>and</strong> Virtual<br />
Organizations.<br />
Kurpad Murthy of Bartlett,<br />
Illinois, for Epidemiology<br />
of Mychoplasmabovis in<br />
Pennsylvania Veal Calves.<br />
Published in the Journal of<br />
Dairy Sciences.<br />
Manes Pierre, Ph.D., of<br />
Woodbridge, Virginia, for Creole<br />
Language Politics in Haiti.<br />
Published on examiner.com.<br />
Burke Sorenson, Ph.D., of<br />
S<strong>and</strong>y, Utah, for Cognitive<br />
Coaching Research: Best<br />
Practices for School Principals<br />
<strong>and</strong> Teacher Mentors.<br />
Published in Impact Journal:<br />
Utah Association of Secondary<br />
School Principals.<br />
Christine Thompson, Ed.D., of<br />
Gallatin, Tennessee, for Tripling<br />
Reading Instruction by Using<br />
the TRI Model: A Pilot Project’s<br />
Preliminary Results. Published<br />
in the TNTESOL Journal,<br />
Volume 4, 2011.<br />
Michael N. Widener, J.D., of<br />
Phoenix, Arizona, for Chasing<br />
the Atticus Code – Preserving<br />
Adjudication Integrity in Local<br />
Administrative Hearings.<br />
Published in the Journal of<br />
the National Association of<br />
Administrative Law Judiciary.<br />
Thomas M. Woodruff, DM,<br />
of Georgetown, Texas, for<br />
A Refractive Perspective on<br />
Post-Secondary Education <strong>and</strong><br />
Lifelong Learning. Published in<br />
The Refractive Thinker: Volume<br />
VI: Post-Secondary Education.<br />
PRESENTATION Honoraria photos<br />
unavailable: Richard Alex<strong>and</strong>er,<br />
Tampa, FL; Stephen Belding, Tigard,<br />
OR; Melissa Williams, Phoenix, AZ;<br />
Deborah Elver, Tucson, AZ; Shaunita<br />
Makisha Grase, West Columbia,<br />
SC; Connye Harper, Honolulu, HI;<br />
Saman Hassan, Louisville, KY; Lynn<br />
Jarreau-Wihongi, Highl<strong>and</strong>, UT;<br />
Melvin Jeppson, River Heights, UT;<br />
Scott Pelking, El Paso, TX; Alice<br />
Prince, St. Louis, MO; Bruce J. Puma<br />
Jr., Albuquerque, NM; Lugene Rosen.<br />
Stanton, CA; Barbara Rossow,<br />
Placitas, NM; Phil Stella, Mayfield<br />
Village, OH.<br />
PUBLICATION Honoraria photos<br />
unavailable: Roger Daene, Vicksburg,<br />
MI; David D’Onofrio, Dearborn<br />
Heights, MI; Aaron Gershonowitz;<br />
Saman Hassan, Louisville, KY; Lillie<br />
M. Hibbler-Britt, Charlotte, NC; Bruce<br />
Hunter; Jane Lillestol, Alex<strong>and</strong>ria,<br />
MN; Jim Lyons, Boise, ID; Steven J.<br />
Minkin, Honolulu, HI.<br />
Calls for<br />
PROPOSALS<br />
Arranged chronologically by earliest<br />
submission deadline<br />
IBAM 2012 Annual Conference<br />
Institute of Behavioral <strong>and</strong> Applied Management<br />
*Submission deadline is June 15, 2012<br />
The conference runs October 4-6, 2012<br />
Nashville, TN<br />
www.ibam.com<br />
2012 Frontiers in Education Conference<br />
Frontiers in Education<br />
*Submission deadline July 1, 2012<br />
The conference runs October 3-6, 2012<br />
Seattle, WA<br />
www.fie2012.org<br />
26th Annual Women in Educational<br />
Leadership Conference<br />
University of Nebraska<br />
*Submission deadline July 12, 2012<br />
The conference runs October 14-15, 2012<br />
Lincoln, NE<br />
www.cehs.unl.edu<br />
75th Annual ASIS&T Meeting 2012<br />
American Society for Information Science<br />
<strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
*Submission deadline July 15, 2012<br />
The conference runs October 26-31, 2012<br />
Baltimore, MD<br />
www.asis.org<br />
2013 Annual Meeting<br />
American Education Research Association<br />
*Submission deadline July 15, 2012<br />
The conference runs Apr. 27 to May 1, 2013<br />
San Francisco, CA<br />
www.aera.net<br />
2012 AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly<br />
American Academy of Hospice <strong>and</strong> Palliative Medicine<br />
& Hospice <strong>and</strong> Palliative Nurses Association<br />
*Submission deadline July 16, 2012<br />
The conference runs March 13-16, 2013<br />
New Orleans, LA<br />
www.hpna.org
scholarshipspotlight<br />
event calendar<br />
Conferences <strong>and</strong> events from<br />
June to August 2012<br />
O<br />
June 2012<br />
Ninth Annual Teaching<br />
Professor Conference<br />
The Teaching Professor<br />
June 1-3, 2012<br />
Washington, DC<br />
www.teachingprofessor.com<br />
NASPA Assessment &<br />
Persistence Conference<br />
NASPA Student Affairs<br />
Administrators in Higher<br />
Education<br />
June 7-9, 2012<br />
Tampa, FL<br />
www.naspa.org<br />
pportunities abound for faculty to share their knowledge, build their professional<br />
network <strong>and</strong> engage in exciting dialogue. Academic <strong>and</strong> professional conferences<br />
are a wonderful way to stay on the leading edge of information while offering great<br />
venues in which to make scholarly contributions.<br />
2012 Biennial Conference:<br />
“Our Keys to Success:<br />
Collaborate, Communicate,<br />
Connect.”<br />
Consortium for the<br />
Advancement of Higher<br />
Education<br />
June 13-15, 2012<br />
Kansas City, MO<br />
www.caahe.org<br />
13th Annual <strong>Faculty</strong> Learning<br />
Community Developers’ <strong>and</strong><br />
Facilitators’ Summer Institute<br />
International Alliance of<br />
Teacher Scholars<br />
June 20-23, 2012<br />
Pomona, CA<br />
www.iats.com<br />
Fifth International<br />
Conference on Global Studies<br />
Global Studies<br />
June 20-22, 2012<br />
Moscow, Russia<br />
www.onglobalisation.com<br />
2012 ALA Annual Conference<br />
American Library Association<br />
June 21-26, 2012<br />
Anaheim, CA<br />
www.alaannual.org<br />
2012 SHRM Annual<br />
Conference<br />
<strong>and</strong> Exposition<br />
Society of Human Resource<br />
Management<br />
June 24-27, 2012<br />
Atlanta, GA<br />
http://annual.shrm.org<br />
July 2012<br />
12th International Conference<br />
on Knowledge, Culture <strong>and</strong><br />
Change in Organizations<br />
On The Organization<br />
July 6-8, 2012<br />
Chicago, IL<br />
www.ontheorganization.com<br />
142nd Congress of Correction<br />
American Correctional<br />
Association<br />
July 20-25, 2012<br />
Denver, CO<br />
www.aca.org<br />
SCUP Annual International<br />
Conference <strong>and</strong> Idea<br />
Marketplace<br />
Society for College <strong>and</strong> University<br />
Planning<br />
July 7-11, 2012<br />
Chicago, IL<br />
www.scup.org<br />
August 2012<br />
28th Annual Conference on<br />
Distance Teaching & Learning<br />
University of Wisconsin:<br />
Distance Education Professional<br />
Development<br />
August 8-10, 2012<br />
Madison, WI<br />
www.uwex.edu<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
63
64<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
note<br />
worthy<br />
awards, achievements, promotions <strong>and</strong> appearances<br />
U niversity of Phoenix faculty members are skilled professionals who bring in-depth, real-world experience to the<br />
classroom to benefit our students. Noteworthy highlights accomplishments our faculty are making in their respective<br />
fields in terms of industry awards, promotions, book publications <strong>and</strong> appearances.<br />
Arizona<br />
Mesa<br />
Robert Carl Winsor II (Brian), Ph.D., a faculty member with the<br />
College of Education at UOPX, was awarded two charter schools by<br />
the Arizona School Board for Charter Schools.<br />
Arkansas<br />
Phoenix<br />
Joseph A. Zodl, a faculty member with the<br />
School of Business at UOPX, released the<br />
fifth edition of his book, Export-Import:<br />
Everything You <strong>and</strong> Your Company Need to<br />
Know to Compete in World Markets. The book<br />
is a guide for companies entering the world<br />
of international trade, or improving their<br />
business model.<br />
Little Rock<br />
Edmond William Davis, a faculty member<br />
with the College of Humanities at UOPX,<br />
published Pioneering African-American<br />
Aviators Featuring the Tuskegee Airmen of<br />
Arkansas. This supplemental resource book<br />
covers categories including women’s history,<br />
African-American history, civil rights issues <strong>and</strong> race relations. The<br />
book also exposes many trailblazers in civil <strong>and</strong> military aviation.<br />
California<br />
Del Mar<br />
Marilyn K. Simon, Ph.D., <strong>and</strong> Jim Goes,<br />
Ph.D., both faculty members with the School<br />
of Advanced Studies at UOPX, co-authored<br />
Dissertation <strong>and</strong> Scholarly Research: Recipes for<br />
Success. The book provides guidance for those<br />
working through the dissertation process, from<br />
beginning to end. Simon resides in Del Mar. Goes<br />
resides in Cottage Grove, Oregon.<br />
Georgia<br />
Canton<br />
Virginia Louise Merlini, Ph.D., a faculty member with the<br />
College of Humanities at UOPX, was selected to the 2012<br />
inaugural class of the Georgia Women’s Policy Institute. The<br />
GWPI provides advocacy <strong>and</strong> leadership training for about<br />
12 women each year in order to help increase the number of<br />
women involved in the public policy process.<br />
Idaho<br />
Saint Anthony<br />
Rachel A. Gonzales, DM, a faculty member with the College<br />
of Nursing at UOPX, was selected as the new CEO of Madison<br />
Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho.<br />
Illinois<br />
Chicago<br />
Jocelyn Carita Thornton, D.Min., a faculty member with the<br />
College of Humanities at UOPX, co-facilitated the Fall Retreat<br />
of the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Leadership Cohort of the<br />
Evangelical Covenant Church in October, 2011. Thornton also had<br />
a portion of her thesis published as an article entitled “Preaching<br />
Through a Faith Crisis.” The article was published in a special<br />
issue of The Journal of the Liturgical Conference.<br />
Michigan<br />
Sturgis<br />
Sh<strong>and</strong>a Hansma Blue Easterday, Ph.D., a faculty member with<br />
the College of Humanities at UOPX, presented an off-site poetry<br />
reading as part of the Associated Writing Programs annual<br />
conference in Chicago. Hosted in a different city each year, the<br />
conference <strong>and</strong> fair aim “to celebrate the outst<strong>and</strong>ing authors,<br />
teachers, writing programs, literary centers <strong>and</strong> small press<br />
publishers of that region,” according to the association’s website.
Missouri<br />
Lathrop<br />
Debra Gayle Stewart, Ed.D., a faculty member<br />
with the College of Education at UOPX, published,<br />
I Care to Share: A Manual for the Loving Care<br />
of_________. Designed to help both primary<br />
caregivers <strong>and</strong> the loved ones receiving care,<br />
the book provides prompts for the recording<br />
of all details <strong>and</strong> preferences necessary in order to help ensure<br />
a high st<strong>and</strong>ard of care is maintained—<strong>and</strong> to ensure continuity<br />
can be assured should the responsibility of care be transferred to<br />
someone else.<br />
Ohio<br />
Mayfield Village<br />
Phillip Joseph Stella, a faculty member with the College of Social<br />
Sciences at UOPX, received the Volunteer of the Year Award<br />
from the Council of Smaller Enterprises of the Greater Clevel<strong>and</strong><br />
Partnership. The award recognized Stella’s work as chair of the 2011<br />
Small Business Conference Task Team.<br />
Oregon<br />
Portl<strong>and</strong><br />
Shyvonne Ballosingh Williams, a faculty<br />
member with the College of Social Sciences<br />
at UOPX, published, Unlocking the Power of<br />
Words: Applying the Seven Keys in the Partner<br />
Model to Create Authentic Conversations. The<br />
book explores the Partner model, a means<br />
of improving communication <strong>and</strong> enabling a person to let go of<br />
barriers to creating stronger relationships.<br />
Texas<br />
Austin<br />
Nicholas Marvin Courtright, a faculty member<br />
with the College of Humanities at UOPX,<br />
published Punchline. The book of poetry is built<br />
around quotes from the likes of Albert Einstein,<br />
Carl Sagan, Fredrico Garcia Lorca <strong>and</strong> Shunryu<br />
Suzuki, <strong>and</strong> uses the medium of poetry to<br />
explore philosophical questions.<br />
Houston<br />
Anthony Bruno, a faculty member with the<br />
College of Information Systems <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
at UOPX, published, CCDA 860-864 Official<br />
Cert Guide. The book is a learning resource<br />
for internetworking professionals to help<br />
obtain the Cisco Certified Design Associate<br />
certification.<br />
Utah<br />
Salt Lake City<br />
Brad C. Parkin, a faculty member with the School of Business at<br />
UOPX, was named one of the state’s top marketing professionals<br />
by Utah Business magazine at their annual Sales <strong>and</strong> Marketer of<br />
the Year awards. Parkin is Associate Zoo Director over Marketing<br />
Services at Utah’s Hogle Zoo.<br />
Virginia<br />
Charlottesville<br />
Carolyn Ramwell, a faculty member with the College of Natural<br />
Sciences at UOPX, spoke at the American Burn Association’s<br />
44th Annual Meeting, on International Burn Care. Ramwell also<br />
co-authored the article “Recession, Reform, Redesignation – Oh<br />
My! Find out how to Energize Staff for Magnet Redesignation in<br />
Challenging Times” published in 2012 Magnet Update: Recognizing<br />
Nursing Excellence in the American Nurse Today.<br />
Washington<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
65<br />
Pasco<br />
Jason Andrew Bond, a faculty member with<br />
the School of Business at UOPX, published<br />
Hammerhead, a science-fiction novel where<br />
the central character, Jeffrey Holt, is a<br />
combat veteran who works tearing apart<br />
decommissioned ships that have crash-l<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
in the Nevada desert.<br />
Snoqualmie<br />
Nathan Kositsky, a faculty member with the<br />
College of Humanities at UOPX, published<br />
Visits to Issaquah. The novel depicts the tale<br />
of a therapist who enters Native American<br />
ceremonies, where he meets the spirit of the<br />
lover who betrayed him.<br />
university of Phoenix faculty members<br />
are welcomed to send a paragraph<br />
about their recent industry success to<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>@phoenix.edu.
RUSS TALKS<br />
FAILURE COLLABORATION<br />
WHAT COLLABORATION IS FAILURE? IS …<br />
Giving innovation. up or quitting.<br />
EVER COLLABORATION<br />
TWEETED OR<br />
SEARCHED ISN’T … competition. #FAIL?<br />
No.<br />
DO YOU pLAY WELL<br />
FAVORITE WITH OTHERS? SAYING<br />
ABOUT Occasionally. SUCCESS?<br />
“Eighty YOUR FAVORITE<br />
percent of success<br />
is TEAM showing SpORT? up,” Woody<br />
Allen. Bossaball.<br />
WHAT QUOTABLE: TREND “In DO a truly YOU<br />
WISH creative HAD collaboration, FAILED?<br />
Planking. work is pleasure, It’s not so <strong>and</strong> much the<br />
that only I rules wish <strong>and</strong> it had procedures failed as<br />
I’m are puzzled those that as to advance why it the<br />
was common ever a cause. trend.<br />
—Warren Bennis<br />
IS FAILURE THE<br />
OppOSITE OF SUCCESS?<br />
No. Allowing failure to<br />
be final or fatal is the<br />
opposite of success.<br />
Russ Paden, Ph.D.<br />
Senior Vice President of Academic Operations<br />
University of Phoenix
From the desk of the senior vice president of academic operations<br />
True or false<br />
I<br />
n my role at the University, I’m fortunate to have<br />
the opportunity to communicate with a lot of<br />
faculty members on a regular basis. While some<br />
of you reach out to me electronically, I meet many<br />
more of you in person when I attend faculty meetings<br />
<strong>and</strong> events across the country.<br />
You share your great ideas <strong>and</strong> constructive<br />
feedback with me, but you also share some common<br />
misconceptions about your role as a faculty member<br />
<strong>and</strong> about the University. I’d like to debunk a few of<br />
the most frequent myths I hear.<br />
Myth: If I fail a student, I won’t be offered as many<br />
teaching contracts.<br />
Truth: Many faculty members believe there will be<br />
negative consequence for them if they fail a student,<br />
but nothing could be further from truth. At the<br />
University, we expect you, our instructors, to grade<br />
our students appropriately based on their academic<br />
performance in the classroom. Sometimes that will<br />
mean you must issue a failing grade.<br />
While we don’t penalize our faculty members for failing<br />
students, we do, however, pay attention to variance<br />
in grading. If we notice that the average grade an<br />
instructor gives students is 4.0, then we know that<br />
instructor is not providing an appropriate level of<br />
feedback to the students <strong>and</strong> is not discriminating<br />
between higher <strong>and</strong> lower quality work. If there is zero<br />
variance in an instructor’s grading, we will typically<br />
have an administrative faculty member work with the<br />
instructor on his/her grading skills <strong>and</strong> technique.<br />
Myth: The University purposely schedules less senior<br />
faculty members with lower pay grades to save money.<br />
Truth: Though this is a common myth, there’s not<br />
an ounce of truth to it. The University staff members<br />
responsible for scheduling are completely blind to<br />
the pay levels <strong>and</strong> categories of our faculty members.<br />
Because of this, it’s impossible to discriminate against<br />
our more senior, higher earning faculty members when<br />
scheduling instructors for our classes.<br />
On the other h<strong>and</strong>, sometimes we intentionally seek<br />
more senior faculty members for our more advanced<br />
classes because their higher level of knowledge <strong>and</strong><br />
experience is the best fit. This is done prior to the<br />
actual scheduling of classes <strong>and</strong> is usually h<strong>and</strong>led in<br />
the course approval process. In other words, when<br />
approving a faculty member to teach a course, we will<br />
decide who is the best fit for teaching the course <strong>and</strong><br />
add that faculty member to the pool of faculty that are<br />
eligible to be scheduled.<br />
Myth: The anonymous <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Surveys<br />
aren’t really anonymous.<br />
Truth: This is another common myth. Sometimes<br />
we receive letters from faculty members who believe<br />
their courses were cancelled because of feedback they<br />
provided in the <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey. Again, this<br />
myth is completely baseless. I want to reiterate that the<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey is absolutely anonymous.<br />
University of Phoenix hires a third-party company<br />
to conduct our survey <strong>and</strong> analyze the results, which<br />
they provide to us without revealing any identifying<br />
information about faculty members. We only receive<br />
the aggregate scores.<br />
Sometime our survey administrator will break the<br />
survey responses into categories for us. However,<br />
when there is a survey category with fewer than 10<br />
responses, we are not given that information because<br />
of the possibility that we could determine the source<br />
of the comments. Again, this measure provides an<br />
additional layer of protection for our faculty so you can<br />
feel confident that the <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey is<br />
completely anonymous.<br />
Editor’s note: See the results of the latest <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey in<br />
The HR Column which starts on page 72.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
67<br />
“ I’d like to<br />
debunk a few<br />
of the most<br />
frequent<br />
myths I hear.”<br />
Answers to your questions<br />
I encourage you to contact your college campus chair or director of campus<br />
affairs with your own questions about the University <strong>and</strong> its policies. Online<br />
faculty can send their inquiries to facultyassist@phoenix.edu.
68<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
justask<br />
“ Just ask what?”<br />
you might be<br />
thinking. Ask<br />
us anything<br />
related to your<br />
academic role<br />
as a University<br />
of phoenix<br />
faculty member.<br />
Our experts<br />
in Academic<br />
Affairs—this<br />
edition Associate<br />
Vice president<br />
of Academic<br />
Operations<br />
Yvonne phelps<br />
is our go-to<br />
person—will give<br />
you the straight<br />
answers. Email<br />
your Just Ask<br />
questions to<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>@<br />
phoenix.edu<br />
with the subject<br />
line “Just Ask<br />
Question.”<br />
Who is Yvonne Phelps?<br />
yvonne Phelps, Associate Vice President of Academic<br />
Operations at university of Phoenix, is passionate about<br />
faculty <strong>and</strong> student success. “I love not only helping<br />
students complete their academic programs, but also<br />
ensuring they get the greatest benefit they can from the<br />
courses they take,” says the Ph.D. c<strong>and</strong>idate.<br />
A native of southern California, Phelps has two business-related master’s<br />
degrees <strong>and</strong> was an entrepreneur before she entered the field of education.<br />
When she agreed to teach a business planning class for the University of<br />
Southern California, she realized she had found her calling. In 1997, Phelps<br />
began teaching graduate marketing <strong>and</strong> strategy classes to University of<br />
Phoenix students at the Southern California campus <strong>and</strong> online. She became<br />
an Instructional Specialist with the University in 2002. In 2003 she moved<br />
to Phoenix to take the role of Program Chair for Graduate Business <strong>and</strong><br />
Management, <strong>and</strong> her career continued to evolve through Academic Affairs.<br />
The mother of two adult children, Phelps says one terrific thing about working<br />
at University of Phoenix is being part of a team. “We’re all in this together,” she<br />
explains. “We play different parts in the academic journey of our students,<br />
but when they’re successful <strong>and</strong> when we’re successful in helping them be<br />
successful, we really do change lives.”
Resources <strong>and</strong> roadmaps for students<br />
Q<br />
How can we as faculty help our<br />
students that are struggling?<br />
A<br />
t University of Phoenix we have a large number<br />
of resources <strong>and</strong> tools available to students, <strong>and</strong><br />
we encourage faculty to become familiar with them.<br />
Refer students to labs <strong>and</strong> workshops<br />
There are two types of labs for students—those<br />
managed by the colleges <strong>and</strong> related to course<br />
content <strong>and</strong> those managed by the Academic<br />
Operations team to help students with their academic<br />
skills. A student who is really struggling can go to<br />
both a lab <strong>and</strong> a workshop <strong>and</strong> they’ll have a different<br />
experience in each setting.<br />
The online labs, monitored by full-time faculty, are<br />
open round the clock. They’re designed for students<br />
to drop in <strong>and</strong> get information in a student-unionmeets-academic-need<br />
way. Examples of lab topics<br />
include student success, writing, critical thinking <strong>and</strong><br />
avoiding plagiarism. These specific labs are available<br />
both on OLS <strong>and</strong> via groups within PhoenixConnect®.<br />
The workshops, numbering more than two dozen,<br />
are instructor-led <strong>and</strong> last three days. Designed to<br />
give specific content to students, some of the more<br />
popular ones address APA, basic essay writing <strong>and</strong><br />
time <strong>and</strong> stress management. All workshops are free,<br />
<strong>and</strong> students are welcome to take as many as they<br />
want. <strong>Faculty</strong> also have access to all of the workshop<br />
materials, should they want to review the content.<br />
Encourage participation in Academic<br />
Support Community<br />
Another exciting resource is the br<strong>and</strong>-new<br />
Academic Support Community, expected to go live<br />
in PhoenixConnect® on June 1, 2012. The Academic<br />
Support Community is a place for students to get<br />
recommendations for the resources they need at any<br />
given moment. Some full-time faculty members will<br />
be the community leaders for this effort, <strong>and</strong> they’ll<br />
be able to direct students to the resources that can<br />
help support them when they find themselves in need.<br />
We’re also working on a student resource road map that<br />
will be a navigational tool to help students l<strong>and</strong> at the<br />
right resources at the right time. This map was created<br />
with faculty in mind, <strong>and</strong> we hope it will make tracking<br />
down student resources easier for our instructors. To<br />
access the map/guide, log into eCampus <strong>and</strong> enter<br />
studentresources.phoenix.edu into the address bar.<br />
Make career connections<br />
It’s also very helpful to students when our faculty make<br />
the relevancy of their course clear by explaining how<br />
the concepts students learn in a particular class can<br />
benefit their life, both today <strong>and</strong> in their future career.<br />
Studies show that if a student can see how what they<br />
are learning is going to benefit their career down the<br />
road, they’re more likely to persist with their education.<br />
This is because they have a strong reason to do<br />
whatever is necessary to overcome a challenging event.<br />
If they don’t know why, they’re more likely to just say,<br />
“Oh, I’m done.”<br />
Recall orientation<br />
Last fall, University of Phoenix launched UNIV, a<br />
new orientation program for any new student with<br />
fewer than 24 college credits. This free three-week<br />
course gives potential students a reality check as to<br />
what University life is like by presenting orientation<br />
materials <strong>and</strong> activities within the look <strong>and</strong> feel of the<br />
University of Phoenix classroom. And UNIV is helping<br />
with student retention, performance <strong>and</strong> motivation.<br />
One participant commented, “These weeks have given<br />
me life-changing skills that I have to put into place<br />
that will allow me to be successful in school, work <strong>and</strong><br />
my personal life.”<br />
If your students have participated in UNIV, it may be<br />
helpful to remind them to look back on what they<br />
learned in the program about managing their time<br />
<strong>and</strong> locating resources.<br />
Motivate, encourage <strong>and</strong> inspire<br />
Finally, it is important to realize that our students don’t<br />
always come to University of Phoenix armed with a<br />
support system <strong>and</strong> ready resources from the outside<br />
world, so we become their support system, their<br />
link to success. To the extent that we can motivate,<br />
encourage <strong>and</strong> inspire them, <strong>and</strong> link them to the<br />
resources that are available, we can really become<br />
very pivotal. We can become a catalyst in their life, <strong>and</strong><br />
that’s a pretty powerful place to be.<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
69<br />
A sampling of<br />
University<br />
of phoenix’s<br />
most popular<br />
OLS student<br />
workshops from<br />
December 2011<br />
to February 2012:<br />
NEW STUDENT<br />
ORIENTATION<br />
Bachelor/Master<br />
11,524 students<br />
registered<br />
Associate<br />
4,945 students<br />
registered<br />
Local<br />
1,504 students<br />
registered<br />
17,973 TOTAL<br />
students registered<br />
ApA<br />
5,985 students<br />
registered<br />
Avoiding<br />
plagiarism<br />
3,576 students<br />
registered<br />
Basic Essay<br />
Writing<br />
3,711 students<br />
registered<br />
Basic Grammar<br />
3,264 students<br />
registered<br />
Student Success<br />
2,529 students<br />
registered<br />
Time & Stress<br />
Management<br />
2,310 students<br />
registered<br />
Help us help you<br />
Academic Operations relies on faculty to help us determine what the needs<br />
of the students are. If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions on<br />
matters related to the resources we provide students, we encourage you to<br />
contact us at Student.Resources@phoenix.edu.
70<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
mail<br />
faculty email recap<br />
you’ve got<br />
New scholarship resources, an exciting partnership with Cisco Systems <strong>and</strong> the launch of<br />
Phoenix Career Services—it’s been a busy few months at University of Phoenix. Here are<br />
some recent messages sent to your email.phoenix.edu account that we think are worth a<br />
second read.<br />
Topic: Two new scholarship websites launched<br />
Dated: March 7, 2012<br />
From: Jeremy Morel<strong>and</strong>, Office of Scholarship Support<br />
Celebrate the launch of scholarship websites<br />
On behalf of the Office of Scholarship Support, I am very pleased to announce the launch<br />
of our two new University of Phoenix websites, the Scholarship & Research eCampus<br />
Website for faculty <strong>and</strong> the new Research <strong>and</strong> Innovation page on phoenix.edu.<br />
Topic: Cisco partnership brings exciting programs to UOPX<br />
Dated: March 15, 2012<br />
From: Alan Drimmer, Office of the Provost<br />
New partnership with Cisco Systems<br />
Today, I am excited to announce a unique new partnership between University of<br />
Phoenix <strong>and</strong> Cisco Systems. Cisco is one of the leading technology companies in the<br />
world <strong>and</strong> ranks No. 62 on the 2011 Fortune 500 list.<br />
Topic: Keep your info up to date in our EMNS<br />
Dated: March 21, 2012<br />
From: Russ Paden, Academic Operations<br />
Emergency mass notification system<br />
University of Phoenix underst<strong>and</strong>s the importance of safety in creating a successful<br />
learning <strong>and</strong> working environment <strong>and</strong> is strongly committed to the safety of its<br />
students, faculty <strong>and</strong> staff. In accordance with this commitment <strong>and</strong> the Higher<br />
Education Opportunity Act of 2008, University of Phoenix has an Emergency Mass<br />
Notification System (EMNS) to be used to alert the campus community in the event of<br />
an emergency or dangerous situation.
Topic: Building on faculty scholarship <strong>initiatives</strong><br />
Dated: April 5, 2012<br />
From: Alan Drimmer, Office of Scholarship Support<br />
New academic scholarship resources<br />
As a University, we place great value on faculty research <strong>and</strong> innovation, <strong>and</strong> it’s easy to<br />
see why. Through our scholarship efforts, we continue to refine <strong>and</strong> improve our teaching<br />
<strong>and</strong> learning model. This makes us better educators, which in turn helps position our<br />
students for greater success after they graduate.<br />
Topic: Connecting education to careers<br />
Dated: April 10, 2012<br />
From: Mike Mayor, Career Services<br />
phoenix Career Services<br />
I’m excited to announce to all of University of Phoenix faculty the launch of Phoenix Career<br />
Services, an innovative new approach to supporting student success <strong>and</strong> connecting<br />
education to careers. This is a major milestone for University of Phoenix, <strong>and</strong> is the result of<br />
extensive research, direct student <strong>and</strong> employer feedback <strong>and</strong> rigorous testing.<br />
Topic: New web-based tutorials offered<br />
Dated: April 24, 2012<br />
From: Academic Operations<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
More tutorials to assist faculty with HLC visit<br />
Between April <strong>and</strong> June this year, The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) will be visiting<br />
University of Phoenix to observe a number of our local <strong>and</strong> online classrooms. This is<br />
being done as part of a University-wide Comprehensive Visit to reaffirm our regional<br />
accreditation. A Consultant-Evaluator from HLC may ask to speak with you, or may ask<br />
to observe one of your classes. If such a request is made, the University will notify you in<br />
advance to verify it is a legitimate call.<br />
ONLINE EXTRAS Visit <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com to find links to the full content of each of the above emails.<br />
71
72<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
the HRcolumn feedback, results <strong>and</strong> news<br />
By Cheryl Naumann<br />
Vice President of<br />
Human Resources at<br />
University of Phoenix<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey<br />
A<br />
s a University, we know that when<br />
you, our faculty, are engaged, we’re all<br />
the better for it. When you’re feeling<br />
invested in your role as educators, there<br />
is a positive impact to you, to our students <strong>and</strong> to the<br />
University as a whole.<br />
The <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey<br />
Two years ago, we decided we needed a way to measure<br />
how engaged you are <strong>and</strong> to capture your points<br />
of pride <strong>and</strong> pain. We also wanted to capture your<br />
suggestions about how we can continue to innovate <strong>and</strong><br />
improve as a University. In 2010, we launched the <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Engagement Survey as a tool to solicit this type of input.<br />
Since then, through this survey you have consistently<br />
reinforced why you are here: to impact the lives of our<br />
students <strong>and</strong> to help University of Phoenix succeed in<br />
accomplishing our mission.<br />
The latest results<br />
The most recent <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey results<br />
are cause for celebration. I’m pleased to report that an<br />
impressive 56.58 percent of the 8,000 of you that we<br />
surveyed—that’s approximately one-quarter of our<br />
faculty population—responded. And 98 percent of the<br />
survey items are trending upward. <strong>Faculty</strong> engagement<br />
has reached an all-time high of 82.77 percent.<br />
While these results speak to how much we can<br />
accomplish when we work together, I want to assure<br />
you that our efforts are not restricted to the short term.<br />
We will continue to survey you on a regular basis, <strong>and</strong><br />
we will continue to take action on issues you bring to<br />
our attention as we work together for an even better<br />
University.<br />
Raise your voice<br />
If you didn’t receive an invitation to participate in the<br />
February survey, don’t worry. Starting this spring, we<br />
have begun to survey 25% of our faculty body every<br />
six months. This means each of you will have the<br />
opportunity to participate in the official survey once<br />
every two years—but this new system also ensures<br />
that we are receiving your vital feedback on a more<br />
regular <strong>and</strong> frequent basis.<br />
It’s always anonymous<br />
Remember, your participation in the <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Engagement Survey, <strong>and</strong> the answers you provide,<br />
are anonymous <strong>and</strong> kept confidential by our survey<br />
vendor, Quantum Workplace. Quantum h<strong>and</strong>les the<br />
administration, analysis <strong>and</strong> reporting of the results,<br />
<strong>and</strong> no individual survey responses are ever reported<br />
to us. Results are aggregated without individual<br />
identifiable information. In no way can anyone<br />
at University of Phoenix connect your responses<br />
directly to you. What does this mean? It means we<br />
truly want your 100% honest answers. It’s the only<br />
way we can continue to improve.<br />
Questions?<br />
If you have additional questions about the <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
Engagement Survey, please contact your Director of<br />
Academic Affairs. You can also send your inquiry to<br />
facultyassist@phoenix.edu.<br />
And now, I invite you to take a moment to review the<br />
high-level <strong>Faculty</strong> Engagement Survey responses on<br />
the opposite page. I also urge you to participate in<br />
the survey when it comes your way. Thank you for<br />
your contributions to the future of our University<br />
<strong>and</strong> the success of our students.
82.77% 98%<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> engagement has reached<br />
an all-time high.<br />
Job satisfaction, pride <strong>and</strong> trust in senior leaders remain the<br />
highest-rated categories.<br />
Your top three items (highest favorable scores) are the same as last year.<br />
I often think about how to<br />
be a better instructor:<br />
95% in 2011<br />
96% in 2012<br />
Your most improved items:<br />
Considering the value I<br />
bring to the University, I feel<br />
I am fairly compensated:<br />
36% in 2011<br />
43% in 2012<br />
I am proud to teach<br />
for this University :<br />
I would like to be teaching<br />
for this university one year<br />
from today:<br />
95% in 2011<br />
95% in 2012<br />
If I contribute to the<br />
University’s success I know<br />
I will be recognized:<br />
42% in 2011<br />
48% in 2012<br />
answered favorably to the<br />
statement: “I often think<br />
about how to be a better<br />
instructor.”<br />
I enjoy teaching my<br />
classes:<br />
93% in 2011<br />
94% in 2012<br />
I receive the information I<br />
need to feel fully connected to<br />
the University <strong>and</strong> its goals:<br />
66% in 2011<br />
71% in 2012<br />
85% in 2012<br />
facultymatters.com<br />
73
74<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> Summer 2012<br />
by the numbers<br />
success or failure?<br />
123<br />
Rejected by 123 publishers, inspirational<br />
speaker Jack Canfield <strong>and</strong> author Mark Victor<br />
Hansen persisted <strong>and</strong> were finally picked up by<br />
a small publisher. Today, Chicken Soup for the<br />
Soul has more than 200 titles in print, has sold<br />
in excess of 112 million copies <strong>and</strong> has been<br />
translated into 40 languages. 5,000<br />
9,000<br />
“I’ve missed more than 9,000<br />
shots in my career. I’ve lost<br />
almost 300 games. 26 times,<br />
I’ve been trusted to take the<br />
game winning shot <strong>and</strong> missed.<br />
I’ve failed over <strong>and</strong> over <strong>and</strong> over<br />
again in my life. And that is why I<br />
succeed,” Michael Jordan.<br />
John Stephen Akhwari ran the marathon for<br />
Tanzania in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.<br />
After taking a fall early in the race, the battered,<br />
bleeding athlete placed last. When asked why<br />
he kept running a race he couldn’t win, Akhwari<br />
responded: “My country did not send me 5,000<br />
miles to start the race. My country sent me<br />
5,000 miles to finish the race.”
<strong>Faculty</strong><br />
stories are<br />
meant to<br />
be shared.<br />
We want to<br />
hear yours.<br />
You could be in an upcoming edition of <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
<strong>Matters</strong>. We want to know about University of<br />
Phoenix faculty accomplishments, scholarship<br />
pursuits, goodwill efforts <strong>and</strong> interesting life stories.<br />
Email your story to <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>@phoenix.edu<br />
The above faculty members<br />
have all been profiled in <strong>Faculty</strong><br />
<strong>Matters</strong> magazine. Clockwise<br />
from top left are Patrick Patrong,<br />
Angelita Talens, Miguel Rodrigues,<br />
S<strong>and</strong>ra Otero, Ryan Conti, Maryse<br />
Nazon, Catherine Hood, Yen Hoe<br />
Lee <strong>and</strong> Linda de Charon.<br />
Read their stories at<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.com.
<strong>Faculty</strong> <strong>Matters</strong> magazine<br />
4025 S. Riverpoint Parkway, CF-K410<br />
Phoenix, AZ 85040<br />
Commencement photos wanted!<br />
<strong>Faculty</strong>, when you attend commencement this year, take a picture of yourself<br />
enjoying the fun. Send your picture to <strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>@phoenix.edu for<br />
possible publication in an upcoming edition.<br />
Tweet your photos to us! use the hashtag #<strong>Faculty</strong><strong>Matters</strong>.