Faculty Interview
Community College Faculty Interview
Carlos A. Montanez
HSN 548
July 26, 2012
Dr. Connie Lorthridge
Community College Faculty Interview
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the interview of a faculty member at Valencia College. The faculty in the nursing program at Valencia College has several roles to accomplish. Mentoring, tutoring, instructing, counseling and promoting cultural diversity in the student population are common roles of the faculty at Valencia College. Other topics discussed in this interview include the educational preparation of the faculty for the educator role and the teaching tools required to promote learning. The faculty member interviewed was the lead instructor for the first semester nursing class (nursing 1). Ms. M. Dial, RN, MSN gladly agreed to this interview.
The Role of the Faculty According to Ms. Dial (personal communication, July 19, 2012), the faculty has great responsibility to teach, mentor, and counsel the students. Ms. Dial was asked to share some thoughts about cultural diversity in the classroom. She stated that, today, the students attending the nursing program are of diverse ethnic background. It is the responsibility of the faculty to understand their needs, learning attitudes, and behaviors to make learning possible. At times, the teaching method has to vary according to the learning needs of the students. For example, when teaching about culture, communication, and the therapeutic touch, the students interpret the content according to their cultural background. Literature review indicates that many of the major scholastic problems encountered in community colleges today are related to diversity (Kayes & Singley, 2009). The number one issue when dealing with diversity in community colleges is the retaining and degree completion rates by culturally diverse students, this is a consistent problem in many campuses across the nation. Another issue related to diverse students is that
Carlos A. Montanez
HSN 548
July 26, 2012
Dr. Connie Lorthridge
Community College Faculty Interview
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the interview of a faculty member at Valencia College. The faculty in the nursing program at Valencia College has several roles to accomplish. Mentoring, tutoring, instructing, counseling and promoting cultural diversity in the student population are common roles of the faculty at Valencia College. Other topics discussed in this interview include the educational preparation of the faculty for the educator role and the teaching tools required to promote learning. The faculty member interviewed was the lead instructor for the first semester nursing class (nursing 1). Ms. M. Dial, RN, MSN gladly agreed to this interview.
The Role of the Faculty According to Ms. Dial (personal communication, July 19, 2012), the faculty has great responsibility to teach, mentor, and counsel the students. Ms. Dial was asked to share some thoughts about cultural diversity in the classroom. She stated that, today, the students attending the nursing program are of diverse ethnic background. It is the responsibility of the faculty to understand their needs, learning attitudes, and behaviors to make learning possible. At times, the teaching method has to vary according to the learning needs of the students. For example, when teaching about culture, communication, and the therapeutic touch, the students interpret the content according to their cultural background. Literature review indicates that many of the major scholastic problems encountered in community colleges today are related to diversity (Kayes & Singley, 2009). The number one issue when dealing with diversity in community colleges is the retaining and degree completion rates by culturally diverse students, this is a consistent problem in many campuses across the nation. Another issue related to diverse students is that
References: Billings, D.M., & Halstead, J.A. (2009). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (3rd ed.). St Louis, MO: Saunders. Finkle, L. (2009). The faculty role. In Billings, D.M., & Halstead, J.A. (2009). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (3rd ed.). St Louis, MO: Saunders. Kayes, P.E., & Singley, Y. (2009). Time for Community Colleges to Lead on Diversifying Faculty. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 27(17). Traynor, M., Gallagher, A., & Martin, L., Smyth, S. (2010). From novice to expert: Using simulators to enhance practical skills. British Journal of Nursing, 19(22), 1422-1426. Townsend, B.K., & Rosser, V.J. (2009). The extent and nature of scholarly activities among community college faculty. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 33, 663-681.