A vice president visits the classroom
(Excerpted from Bowtie Admissions, a blog by Augustana Vice President W. Kent Barnds. Here he is writing about a series of classroom visits he made in 2019.)
A private music lesson
I had the privilege of sitting in on a private voice lesson with Dr. Sangeetha Rayapati and a senior preparing for her senior recital.
My presence in this intimate setting was a remarkable and emotional experience for me.
How about a little research?
Earlier this fall when I’d asked Dr. Kimberly Murphy of the biology department if I could attend one of her classes, she urged me to attend a lab session rather than a lecture.
What I saw really impressed me.
What do you mean Lincoln didn't really do anything?
Is history objective or subjective? That was the question Dr. Brian Leech posed in his Monday morning class.
What a provocative question to set the tone for a fast-moving discussion.
Serious stats and some skepticism
This was one of those classes that builds lifelong skills.
There is no question that Dr. Williamson's students will possess the quantitative reasoning skills to be excellent critical thinkers.
My visit to Spanish class after 27 years
Dr. Havard-Rockwell's entire class was in Spanish! And I was greeted enthusiastically with, "Hola, Kent."
As this was a class about Spanish culture, not only were students speaking Spanish, but they were conveying complicated themes and ideas.
Natural Resource Management
Through a discussion about cows and horses in the American West, Dr. Matthew Fockler introduced the deeply complex and often deeply personal perspective that citizens may have about the same issue.
Dr. Fockler's student responded as they were pushed. They pushed back.
An advanced seminar in neuroscience
Twice while attending Dr. Rupa Gordon's class I got the feeling one gets while going down a very steep roller coaster.
I witnessed the complete masterpiece that is a liberal arts education.
Critical thinking, clear communication and big yellow dice
Dr. Doug Parvin class started with a review of the previous class and then jumped right into a lively discussion of what constitutes a social contract.
From the beginning Dr. Parvin pushed discussion and critical thinking.
English/Creative Writing 202
I had the privilege to participate in Dr. Kelly Daniels' creative writing class.
I was treated to four excellent stories and remarkable interaction between students and Dr. Daniels.