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Last year twenty faculty members were awarded sabbaticals. With great care, they wrote their proposals, and in a competitive process, they were awarded this wonderful opportunity. When faculty return from a sabbatical, they are enthusiastic about what they did and eager to share their experience. In that spirit, we offer these reflections on recent sabbaticals. If one of these summaries piques your interest, we encourage you to contact your colleague- perhaps the ideas shared in the reflections will spark your own preparation of a sabbatical proposal.
2000-2001 Sabbatical recipients Linda Hicks (Scottsdale Community College), Susan Moore (Scottsdale Community College), and Sherry Adams (Paradise Valley Community College) attend the Sabbatical Reception, October 23, 2001 at Rio Salado College.
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Study of International Educational Programs
Sherry Adams, Paradise Valley Community College, Communication/Humanities
During my sabbatical, I examined international education programs at colleges and universities throughout the United States to determine how best to infuse a global perspective into the core curriculum at the community college level. I interviewed administrators, faculty members, and students to see their different perspectives. International awareness has become imperative. Currently, most study abroad programs concentrate on Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. I believe students will benefit if we expand the horizons of our college curricula to project a world view.
Living Writing: Improving Student Writing Through Oral Histories
Lillian Barker, South Mountain Community College, English/Liberal Arts
This sabbatical gave me the opportunity to study the theory and practice of oral history and to create a plan to use it in teaching writing. Oral history is the history of ordinary people whose voices would not be heard otherwise. I attended conferences where I met a diverse and wonderful group of people, as eclectic as oral history should be. I have returned from these experiences refreshed and rejuvenated. I am looking forward to sharing my students' work with my colleagues. Watch for our contribution to the Desert Cities Exhibit coming up in May, 2002, at the Arizona Historical Society.
Pursuit of a Ph.D. in Political Science at Arizona State University
Debra Campbell, Mesa Community College, Philosophy
As a philosopher, my emphasis is on political theory. This sabbatical allowed me to continue my own education of the theory and practice of critical thinking and democratic approaches to teaching.
Certificate in Screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Donald Castro, Mesa Community College, English
My sabbatical allowed me to work toward becoming a better screenwriter, and in turn, a better teacher of screenwriting. Earning a Certificate from UCLA's Professional Program in Screenwriting allowed me to work with some of the nation's best. Nevertheless, I've always thought there are writers who teach and teachers who write. I am a teacher who writes. I am enthusiastic about sharing my experiences with my students.
A Literary Training and Walking Tour Through Eastern Europe
Roberta Delaney, Glendale Community College, Reading
The title of my sabbatical was exactly what I did. I took the train and the bus to six different Eastern European countries and walked around many of their wonderful cities and towns, and visited museums, art galleries, libraries, castles, and parliaments. The towns are filled with many places to learn about the culture. I came back with material to develop a more diverse curriculum that could be used in the next edition of the CRE101 textbook. I have prepared a collection of readings, a teaching plan, and teaching tools to accompany them.
Alan Haffa Phoenix College Senate President, talks with Deborah Dennis, Phoenix College Health Technology faculty and returning sabbatical honoree.
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Preparing for Emerging Roles in the Health Information Profession
Deborah Dennis, Phoenix College, Health Information Technology
My primary focus was to access the use of computer technology in the management and processing of patient health information. I selected three healthcare organizations as a learning environment for my sabbatical: Mayo Clinic and Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center, and Glencroft Care Center. My activities included working with management, querying staff, attending meetings/ discussions, and gathering data regarding the use of computer technology to collect and process patient information. The resources and knowledge gained during this sabbatical will be used to enhance instruction and update lab activities in the Health Information Technology Program.
Development of Mentoring Program for Mathematics Students
Anne Dudley, Glendale Community College, Mathematics
My sabbatical allowed me to develop a mentoring program for mathematics students at Glendale Community College. The program will encourage more students to study math and provide for a smoother transfer to Northern Arizona University (NAU). To develop this program, I examined existing mentoring programs in other disciplines and dialogued with mathematics faculty and advisors throughout the District and at NAU. I look forward to sharing my results with other colleagues.
Completion of a Master's Degree in Education Technology at Arizona State University (ASU)
James Elam, Scottsdale Community College, Computer Information Systems
During my sabbatical leave, I completed coursework leading to a Masters of Education degree in Educational Technology at Arizona State University. The program emphasizes sound instructional design as a foundation for the use of technology in teaching and learning. My goal is to increase student achievement by aligning instructional objectives, content, and assessment, and by appropriately incorporating technology into my lesson plans.
Part of my coursework involved research into distance education theory and practice. I am currently serving on the Scottsdale Community College Ocotillo committee, where support services and guidelines for online courses are being established.
Doug Sawyer, Faculty Professional Growth Committee member, and Gene Eastin, Maricopa Governing Board Member, review the sabbatical summaries available now online from the FPG web site.
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Java, Databases, and Object-Oriented Analysis and Design for Instruction in Computer Science
Terry Grygiel, Paradise Valley Community College, Computer Science/ Mathematics
During my sabbatical, I examined features of Java, including the Swing Set, Threads, and use in conjunction with CORBA. I also studied the concepts and principles underlying databases, focusing on working with databases programmatically (e.g., using SQL, JDBC, and Oracle's PL/SQL). Finally, I studied object-oriented analysis and design. I reinforced all of my studies during the sabbatical through a project that incorporated the major phases of object-oriented analysis and design, and included access of a database over the Internet.
Oral Traditions and Storytelling as an Instructional Tool
Linda Hicks, Scottsdale Community College, Communication
The purpose of my one-year sabbatical was to increase my understanding of oral traditions and storytelling as an instructional tool and as a means of enriching student learning.
My objectives were: 1. To develop my own voice as a storyteller; 2. To develop curriculum materials following an outcomes assessment model; 3. To produce a variety of multi-media teaching materials involving the oral tradition.
I traveled for five months, four months in the United States and one month in France, learning about storytelling experientially. I recorded 65 hours of experiences along the way. This material is currently being edited for classroom use and for a multi-media event entitled One World, Many Voices.
Work on Advanced Degree in Higher Education at NOVA Southeastern University
Rita Kasapis, Mesa Community College, Counseling
I am pursuing my doctorate in Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University. During my sabbatical, I researched self-esteem in community college students enrolled in counseling courses at Mesa Community College and retention rates of Mesa Community College students from a counseling department perspective. My hope is that my projects will be of benefit to my department and my campus in developing our departmental goals and strategic plan. As the knowledge and skills that we need in today's society change, huge demands are placed on faculty to review and improve in every way.
Study in the Field of Evolution Psychology
Richard Keefe, Scottsdale Community College, Behavioral Sciences
The principle aim of my sabbatical was to explore possible sources of funding for multimedia materials to help social science faculty introduce evolutionary ideas into their curriculum. Most social scientists have little or no formal background in the many fields related to evolutionary theory. My plan is to set up a web site that has teaching-ready materials for downloading and use in their classrooms. Colleagues from ASU and I set up a temporary site called TESSA (Teaching Evolution in the Social Sciences) with some demonstration materials. We have met scientists around the world who have agreed to give us their own field photographs and other teaching graphic aids and videos for more effective teaching. During my semester-length sabbatical, I was able to identify possible sources of funding and have submitted two proposals to FIPSE and may submit a third to NSF.
Joseph McCourt (Chandler-Gilbert Communicaty College) Aviation faculty, discusses his sabbatical with Sandra Wells (Phoenix College), Faculty Professional Growth Committee Chair
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Training Methods Using Technology in the Aviation Classroom
Joseph McCourt, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Aviation
As an aviation instructor, I explored the methods of instruction used by the United States Air Force for training of aviation technicians. The use of technology for this task requires computer-based training projects.
Researching the Expectations and Perceptions of Writing Among Members of the Working Community
Susan Moore, Scottsdale Community College, English
As an English instructor, it is important to me to understand the expectations of the working community as it relates to the writing performance of their employees. The medical community, the corporate world, and the legal field all have their specific needs for writing. My research in this area will help us connect our First-Year Composition outcomes with the working community needs.
Pursuit of a Ph.D. in Higher Education at University of Arizona
Cristie Roe, Phoenix College, English
I spent last year in Tucson pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education. I experienced total immersion in academic scholarship in my field. I was also able to connect with colleagues and fellow students in the field to share experiences and information. The end result of my year on sabbatical was a feeling of being “recharged” and reinvigorated for my work, as well as the successful completion of my Ph.D. coursework. I would not have believed, if I had not experienced it for myself, how much more excited and confident I would feel about teaching after a year away from my job. I am also pleased at how much practical information I was able to garner from the theoretical study of higher education.
Completion of Doctoral Dissertation of the Service Learning Program at PVCC
Lynda Santiago, Paradise Valley Community College, Biology
During my sabbatical, I collected and analyzed data and wrote my dissertation, completing my doctoral degree. The evaluation was conducted using a triangulation approach for data generation and interpretation. Students took a pre/post-service survey, completed reflection journals, and participated in focus group interviews. Paired t-tests were conducted on survey data, where N=174. There was a significant difference in the growth of students' leadership skills and in civic awareness, but not in personal development or in academic growth as a result of their service learning experience. Verbal and written data suggested that there was an overall positive response to students' service learning experience.
Sylvia Enriquez and Linda Larson, mcli FPG support.
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Certificate in Women's Studies at Arizona State University (ASU)
Diane Travers Shipman, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Communication/ Fine Arts
During my sabbatical, I completed 24 upper division credits in the Women's Studies area of the Sociology and Anthropology Department, earning a certificate in Women's Studies from ASU. Since I teach courses that transfer as social/behavioral science, I found this program of study quite valuable. I address gender and cultural issues in practically every class in the teaching of Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking. I am now able to cite more recent and relevant research pertaining to the field of communication. An additional benefit of attending classes at ASU was my ability to observe the teaching styles and methods of my teachers and, as a result, expand my teaching techniques.
Experimental Design of Hydrogen Fuel Cells
John Sickafoose, Scottsdale Community College, Physical Science
My sabbatical allowed me to conduct a research project on experimental design of hydrogen fuel cells with Dr. Bob Farmer of the Physics Department at Baylor University. The studies investigated new and significantly less expensive ways to make this alternate, portable, renewable energy source.
Pursuit of a Ph.D. in Creative Writing at Union Institute, Cincinnati, OH
Virginia Sutton, Phoenix College, English
The study of creative writing for my degree is interdisciplinary, including the study and teaching of writing in general, creative writing, the study of literature, and elements involving education, and the teaching of writing and literature. As an instructor of writing and literature, furthering my understanding of this developing field will allow me to continue to be an innovative and effective instructor.
Illuminating Humanities Classes with Historical Storytelling
LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, South Mountain Community College, Humanities
As a result of assessing students, interviewing teachers, and
observing classes using storytelling, I wrote articles on the use of storytelling in the classroom and the impact of storytelling, which I submitted for publication. I researched and developed in-depth stories for use in humanities classes on Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Phillis Wheatley, Frida Kahlo, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Aaron Copland. I have handouts for workshops, thirty one-page biographical sketches, notes for intensive multi-day trainings, and material on 122 people in the areas of art, computer programming, education, history, literature, mathematics, medicine, music, philosophy, and physics, which can be used in workshops, trainings, and classes. I look forward to sharing what I have learned!
Faculty Professioanl Growth web site
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/fpg/
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