Meet Our New Fa=
culty
Parsons Sun Editorial
October 2011
Wow = what a Fall! Labette Community College continues to grow and be the first choice o= f so many of our students. Enrollment numbers are growing, the number of student= s we see every day on campus is growing, our facilities will grow with the addit= ion of the new health science building on the completion of the Capital Campaig= n, but most importantly our students are growing knowledge in the classroom. E= ach year, as we welcome our new freshmen class, we find students excited about starting their educational career and looking forward to what our college a= nd community has to offer. We thank all of you in our community that always ma= ke our students feel so welcome.
LCC = continues to do more for our students with decreased state funding. We continue to graduate students with high GPA’s and turn out outstanding healthcare professionals, and just as important we continue to have our graduates move= on to four-year colleges and are doing better than the native students. We continue to upgrade our facilities to serve our student body and accommodate new programs. Our new Physical Therapist Assistant program will add a new dimension to our healthcare offerings. We have started our first class in t= hat new program and we have some very talented students eager to learn and serv= e in the healthcare profession.
This= growth is happening everyday thanks to dedicated staff and faculty who continue to give opportunities through top-notch instruction, cutting-edge technology a= nd passion for student success. I know you have all heard me say that we have = the best community college in the State of Kansas. Well it’s true.
The =
Distinguished
Faculty award is given yearly to a faculty member that exemplifies these
characteristics. Last spring, L. Gale Brown, Radiography instructor was awa=
rded
this honor. Criteria
for the award include teaching effectiveness, college service, student
involvement, professional development and community service. Lucille McCune,
was recently named Adjunct Faculty of the Year. These individuals like all =
our
faculty, pair innovative teaching methods with technology for experiences t=
hat
will last students a lifetime.
Each member of the LCC faculty bring workplace experience into the classroom as = well as community focused projects.
This=
fall,
LCC welcomed five new faculty members to our roster of professionals. These
individuals have only been in an LCC classroom for a few months, but already
have done and have plans for doing great things with our students. Doctoral candidate, Kalynn Amundso=
n,
Sociology and Marriage and Family instructor, is specializing in family pol=
icy
with a focus on social welfare.
Kalynn engages students in service learning as a way of fostering
community engagement and social action.
Kalynn’s Social Problems class is working on= two projects. One group, studying poverty, is planning a coat/winter clothing drive. A second group, studying health problems, will be volunteering for t= wo local organizations. They will also present their research and social participation analysis at the end of the semester. Kalynn also told me that= she would like to add depth to her program with the addition of Women’s Studies & Sexual Orientation, Social Class & Poverty, and Pop Cultu= re & Media.
Kristin Wagner, the newest member of the nursing depar= tment, finished her MSN summer of 2011. She has worked in Emergency nursing for the last 5 years and worked at Freeman Hospital for 9 years. Kristin is well versed in clinical = instruction for students.
Kristin is also interested in new and convenient technologies like e-books and medical apps. With years of emergency room experience, Kristin will be a great asset in teaching emergency scenarios. =
John Coughlin, new history instructor, has overwhelmed= us with his knowledge and passion for history. He is currently teaching Modern Gl= obal History, US History from 1877 and developing an African American History course.
John taught his Modern Global History class traditional lecture style for the first month of classes. The last 2 months have been <= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> seminar based experiential learning whereby students will be reading two books that take a diverse view of globalization have students engage in an extended debate as to which view is more compelling. John also feels that extensive use of Redzone, an LCC web based student portal, in = all classes to ensure consistent writing assignments that are timely and pertin= ent to material covered that week, as opposed to one, lengthy, paper as a capstone. He also engages students with the use of media like Youtube= , Google video, .mp3 versions of lectures for students to access in lieu of reading articles.
John is currently working with Parsons Senior Center to develop a monthly “Food for Thought” program bringing in faculty from LCC to give a talk, over lunch or dessert, about a favorite topic of theirs that does not need to be tied to their academic area. He is al= so working with Sociology professor, Kalynn Amundson, and diversity committee that bro= ught diversity issues to campus on October 13 – Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Over 100 students and employees attended the event with a discussion panel after the video followed by a chili social for students to enjoy dinn= er. John also would like to start a so= cial science club on campus.
Additionally, John plans to instill a vigorous set of = core classes that introduces students to the excitement of learning about materi= al in a community college environment, but maintains a comprehensive set of st= rong standards that prepares students for university education.
Two new faculty members are no strangers to LCC, Eliza= beth Walker former adjunct music instructor and Outreach Director is now full-ti= me English faculty and Cathy Kibler, former accounts receivable specialist is = now a full-time Accounting instructor. Elizabeth previously taught adjunct music classes and was also Outreach Director before moving to her new role as full-time English faculty this semester. Elizabeth is currently teaching Pr= e-Composition, English Comp I , and College Reading, as well as Recording Arts Music Busin= ess and Private Voice. She was also named as distinguished Adjunct faculty befo= re being hired full time.
Elizabeth utilizes the virtual world of “Second Life” as an alternative= teaching method in her classroom. She is involved in on campus activities like commu= nity chorus, and the college/community theater, St. Patrick’s Church and i= s a blood donor. Oh, I forgot to mention, she also has seven children!
This semester, students in her Reading class are devel= oping their own videos, including a Public Service announcement on Child Abuse wh= ich goes along with their special reading project for the semester. She would a= lso like to develop and English club for students.
Cathy is keeping busy with Financial Accounting, Manag= erial Accounting, Computer Accounting and Introduction to Business this semester.= In addition to her course load, Cathy is a sponsor for the Phi Beta Lambda bus= iness organization for students, on the Foundation auction for scholarships committee, advisory board of the LCHS business department, involved in her church= as well as other Altamont events.
Cathy has also earned her mark as a Distinguished Adju= nct Faculty for the year 2004-2005. She would like to bring back the Associate = of Applied Science for Accounting and the research is currently being done to = see if that will be equitable.
So when I say we have the best community college in Ka= nsas I really mean it. We have outstanding faculty, doing incredible things for our students and our community. It just doesn’t get any better than this. Labette Community College exemplifies the word “Community.”
We haven’t even scratched the surface with all t= he exciting things happening in our athletic department. Our volleyball season= is off to a great start, our baseball and softball teams are testing the water= s in the fall season. Our women’s basketball program had a great weekend winning all their games at a jamboree, and we have a new men’s basket= ball coach that promises a great new season.
These are just a few exciting things our new LCC facul= ty and athletic staff are doing with our students and community. It’s a great time to be a Cardinal. Our doors are always open, stop by and we’ll g= ive you tour and meet the new members of the LCC team.. So while the NBA season seems to be on hold, come watch some great local basketball. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I hope to see you soon