Green, Don W. - The University of Kansas

My approach in the classroom is to treat the students with respect, basically as
junior colleagues. It’s important to be well prepared, and to “move” the class along so
that material is covered sufficiently. I try to be open to questions and to encourage
discussion. Tests, projects and homework should be demanding but not unreasonable.
They should be graded and returned promptly. Fairness in treatment of all students is a
must. It’s also desirable to show a sense of humor, which I try to do, and to not take
myself too seriously. In general, I try to convey to the students that I’m on their side. If
they’re willing to work, I’m certain there to help and mentor them.
I have involved myself on campus with programs that relate to students and
teaching. In the 1970’s, a colleague, Floyd Preston, and I had the opportunity to work
with a few African American students who had come back from the military who wanted
to start an organization to encourage minorities in engineering. Basically, the plan was to
develop a program to recruit, encourage, support and mentor undergraduates. We had
practically no minorities, African Americans, in engineering. Floyd Preston and I—
Floyd was a member of chemical and petroleum engineering—were the first sponsors of
that group. In fact, we, with the help of Dean Bill Smith, actually, got that organization
started. Floyd and I for years did things like in the summer I taught a volunteer course
for students who would come in preparing to start classes. We did things like teach a
beginning computer course. It grew over the years with different sponsors, but it is still
an active program. I don’t know the number of enrollment now, but it is significant. The
Minority Engineering Program now has a full-time adviser and has had a permanent
position in the dean’s office for a long time now. But anyway I feel good about being in
at the start of that organization.
12