September 2008
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Newsletter of the Association of Faculties for the Advancement of Community College Teaching Volume 18, Number 1 September 2008 CONTENTS A Note From Your Coordinator Dr. Richard Siciliano College of Southern Maryland La Plata, Maryland 1 A Note From Your [email protected] Coordinator Dr. Richard Siciliano Welcome to Communitas, the official College of Southern Maryland newsletter of Maryland’s Association of Dr. Richard Siciliano Faculty for Advancement of Community 2 Welcome to Anne Arundel College Teaching (AFACCT). For faculty new Community College to Maryland’s community college system, Dr. Suzanne J. Spoor Richard Siciliano Anne Arundel CC allow me to introduce AFACCT and explain the role we play. During its 24 years of existence, Arundel Community College, in Arnold, 3 Meet the Newest AFACCT has provided opportunities for Maryland. Conference’09 will focus on the AFACCT Rep professional development throughout the theme “Living and Learning: The Dynamic state. At the start of every year, and before Interplay Between Life Experience and 4 Teaching and Learning faculty return to their campuses for their spring Learning,” a particularly intriguing topic and in China semester, AFACCT organizes a statewide quite different from previous conference Dr. Juliet Smith conference and holds it at a centrally located themes. Our first keynote speaker is Dr. Ray Chesapeake College community college campus. For hundreds of Johns, retired professor of Economics, whose 5 Using the Distinction faculty members throughout Maryland, the passion for both world travel and teaching led Between Fact and annual AFACCT conference represents an him this past winter to Ukraine, where he Interpretation to opportunity to develop their professional skills taught university courses in Environmental Promote Intellectual and knowledge, to share research and expertise, Economics, Research Methods, and American Development and to network with others in their teaching Cultural History. His experiences were re- William Peirce disciplines. counted in his “Letters from Ukraine,” some Prince George’s CC This past year’s conference, held at Carroll of which were published in the May 2008 issue 8 Letters from Ukraine, Community College in January 2008, focused of Communitas and in this issue. Plans are Part 2 on the theme of “Proving and Improving being finalized for our second keynote speaker, Dr. Ray Johns Teaching and Learning.” Along with peer and more details about the speakers, as well Hagerstown CC presentations on this theme, many other as the entire conference, are provided on the presentations explored topics of equal signi- AFACCT 2009 Conference web site. The Call 9 Poetry Today for Proposals for the AFACCT 2009 Conference Henry Sloss ficance and currency. If you have not yet seen Anne Arundel CC the 2008 Conference Proceedings, you are is now available online. The proposal deadline urged to go online and read this publication. is September 30, 2008. The theme of “Living It provides an excellent glimpse of the range and Learning…” provides great latitude for of topics discussed at our conferences. As for prospective presenters, and we welcome next year, plans are now being implemented presentation proposals on any related topic. for AFACCT’s 19th Annual Conference set for January 8 and 9, 2009, and hosted by Anne continued on pg. 2.......... “A Note From Your Coordinator” continued from pg. 1.......... Welcome to Anne For some suggestions for topics, go to the Arundel Community AFACCT 2009 Conference web site. In College addition to being host to peer presentations, Newsletter of the the AFACCT Conference gives faculty members Suzanne J. Spoor, Ph.D. Association of Faculties of particular disciplines, such as mathematics Professor of English for the Advancement or developmental studies, an opportunity Anne Arundel Community College of Community College to hold their meetings during Conference’09. Arnold, Maryland [email protected] Teaching If interested, simply complete a proposal form, and AFACCT will provide the space. So, mark your calendars for January 8 and 9, 2009. Please join us all at Anne Arundel Published Community College for the 19th Annual 3 times a year: AFACCT Conference. September November May See the AFACCT website at http://www.afacct.csmd.edu/ Anne Arundel Community College cordially Staff welcomes attendees of the 2009 AFACCT conference. We are happy to afford comm- Dr. Richard Siciliano nity college faculty from all over Maryland Executive Editor the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, Dr. Stan Kajs Click on the image above to access share their research, and investigate together Managing Editor the AFACCT Conference Website. this year’s conference theme: Living and Deborah Reilly Learning: The Dynamic Interplay Between Editorial Staff Member •••••••••••••• Life Experience and Learning. A vibrant academic community that can Send articles to Stan Kajs at boast of award–winning programs in hotel [email protected] and restaurant management, dance, and interior design, Anne Arundel Community • • • • • • • • • • • • College is proud of its many achievements. AACC’s nursing program had a pass rate of We invite you to submit articles on your classroom 95 percent in December 2006, and its teaching/learning successes, Physical Therapist Assistant graduates and current educational topics Radiologic Technology students had a 100 that you want to share, and percent pass rate in 2007. Anne Arundel your professional achieve- Community College is the only community ments. Send photos related college to have won the National Council to your article and one of for Continuing Education and Training’s yourself for publication. “Exemplary Program in Workforce Develop- We invite articles from all disciplines. continued on pg. 3.......... AFACCT Communitas VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 1 2 Welcome to AACC Dr. Andrew G. Truxal became the Col- continued from pg. 2.......... lege’s first president. The College moved Meet the to its own 165–acre Arnold campus in September 1967. The Middle States Newest Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, now known as Middle States AFACCT Rep Commission on Higher Education, award- ed AACC full accreditation in April 1968. During the tenure of AACC’s fourth president, Dr. Thomas E. Florestano (July 1, 1979 until June 30, 1994), the campus expanded to 230 acres and grew in enrollment, programs, and services as a comprehensive community college. Dr. Suzanne Spoor The College has continued its expansion since then, with the four–story Arundel ment” award four times—the latest one Mills facility on August. 4, 2003, a Dr. Edward Taft in 2006 for its Words for Work program completely renovated Student Union on Frederick Community College that helps teach Spanish–speaking the Arnold campus in fall 2003, and its Dr. Edward Taft received his Ph.D. in students key words and phrases needed Center for Applied Learning and Tech- English from the University of Rhode to move into better jobs. In 2006, AACC nology on August 25, 2004. Island in 1992 and has been teaching received the West Anne Arundel County With the arrival of Dr. Martha A. Smith English at Frederick Community College Chamber of Commerce’s “Nonprofit on August. 1, 1994, came a new vision since January 1994. His doctoral disserta- of the Year” award, which recognizes a for Anne Arundel Community College: tion is an analysis of the work of poet, nonprofit organization that has develop- that it would be among the first in the novelist, and organic farmer Wendell Berry. ed close partnerships with the business nation to meet the call for higher expec- The dissertation is an interdisciplinary community as a way to achieve its over- work that combined literary analysis, all mission. science, agricultural technique, and cultural With learning as its central mission, and historical study. Ted’s main focus, Anne Arundel Community College however, has always been on his students. strives to embody the basic convictions He has a reputation as an exceptionally of the American democratic ideal: that student–centered instructor and has been individuals be given full opportunity to five times nominated for Who’s Who Among discover and develop their talents, ener- America’s Teachers. He has taught Devel- gy, and interests, to pursue their unique opmental Writing, Writing Composition, potentials and to achieve an intellectual- Introduction to Literature, American ly, culturally, and economically satisfy- tations, to rethink the way institutions of Literature, World Literature, Short Story, ing relationship with society. We believe higher learning educate their students in Poetry, and Novel courses. He also teaches that such opportunity should be easily order to respond to the challenges of a in the Honors Program at FCC and has had available and readily accessible to all global economy, and to make our students several students give successful presenta- Anne Arundel County residents. among the best prepared citizens and tions at Honors conferences. Ted is currently The College was established on Jan- workers of the world. Chair of the College Senate at FCC. uary 2, 1961, as a comprehensive com- Our students make up the life of Anne munity center of higher learning. The Arundel Community College, and their college opened in September that year learning gives the College purpose. •••••••••••••• for 270 students in late afternoon and Welcome to our campus! evening classes in temporary quarters at Severna Park High School. •••••••••••••• AFACCT Communitas VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 1 3 by modeling