Creating a class environment where students feel that
they belong to a learning community is crucial to their academic success.
How does a professor cultivate such a community to academically
engage his or her students in a virtual environment?
Below I have highlighted three resources with tools and strategies for
increasing student engagement and building supportive, learning communities in
an online setting.
Social Presence: “Tips for
Building Social Presence in Your Online Class”--Dr. Oliver Dreon
points out that while many
instructors create fantastic teaching and cognitive tools for their students,
they often forget to develop their social presence in an online course. Social presence in the online classroom is vital
for increasing student engagement. Read the article to learn five simple ways
to increase your own online social presence!
New Media Resources: Through the UI&U Library,
faculty have access to Films on Demand—an online resource for educational
films. New videos relating to art, criminal justice, literature, education,
political science, psychology, and social justice have been uploaded. Faculty
can create links to these films in
CampusWeb and incorporate the content into their courses. Check out the UI&U Library Blog
for details!
See what other education professionals are doing: Faculty Focus is an excellent resource of
short articles written by
working educators. The site features a variety of teaching strategies and
approaches to learning, in addition to providing information about higher ed.
seminars and conferences.
What other resources have you found helpful in creating
online learning communities? Send me your ideas for tools and strategies that you have found most effective at Feedback.VPAA@myunion.edu
Giving
back to one’s surrounding community is an integral part of leadership and
social responsibility, but it is not always as easy as it sounds. Dr. Andrew
Harvey, professor in the Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice Management
program at Union Institute & University is a model of giving back to his
community in a way that is empathetic, creative, and effective. I am proud to
highlight Dr. Harvey and his work this month, both as a professor and in his
active engagement outside the academy walls.
Dr. Andrew Harvey brings a wealth of professional and academic experience to
his role as a Union Institute & University professor within the Criminal
Justice Management Program. He is both a nationally recognized author and
resource for leadership strategies and an award-winning college instructor.
Dr. Harvey embodies the cross-disciplinary expertise of the
scholar-practitioner that Union celebrates. He spent the last 12 years of his
25-year law enforcement career as a police captain with an agency in Southern
California. He said that the variety of roles in law enforcement and the
desire to give back to the surrounding community are aspects that attracted him
to the work. “I wanted a career that would be challenging; one in which every
day would be different. I wanted to make a contribution to the community I grew
up in, and to society at large. In evaluating my individual abilities, I
felt that what I had to offer would be a good fit for the profession of law
enforcement. The ‘job loop’ of a police officer is utterly extraordinary—in a
given day you might have to confront armed suspects, work in an undercover
capacity, investigate a murder, give a community talk, or handle almost any
other duty imaginable. The opportunity of having to handle so many
different kinds of challenges on a daily basis was appealing to me.”Combining
that experience with his doctorate in education from Pepperdine University, his
training at the FBI National Academy, and his experience in the West Point
Leadership Program, Dr. Harvey has become a passionate, innovative instructor,
seeking to encourage social responsibility through personal responsibility in
his students. “For me, social responsibility begins with personal
responsibility. I believe everyone should take care of their own family,
and their own individual responsibilities to the best of their ability. If this
is done, the strain on the society collective is reduced greatly. This allows
society to direct limited resources to those most in need; those in our society
who have the least physical or psychological ability to take care of themselves
and others.”
What shines through in Dr. Harvey is his obvious respect and admiration for
the students in the Criminal Justice Management program. “As a professor at Union
in the Criminal Justice Management program, most of my students are working
police officers; their entire careers are devoted toward improving society
within the boundaries of their jurisdictions. As such, social responsibility is
not something I have to ‘teach’ them—it is already fully ingrained in them. As part
of their key role in society, they literally risk their lives to protect and
serve.”
Dr. Harvey is committed to his students’ success, and this means ensuring that
many of the returning students are supported and encouraged as they navigate
new academic and technological challenges. “Many of our Criminal Justice
Management students are coming back to school after being away from it for many
years. They will confront a fleeing bank robber without missing a beat, but the
APA format will bring them to a breaking point! I work to reduce their anxiety
levels from the first moment they hit the seat. Second, although many of our
younger students are masters of technology, our older mid-career professionals
in many cases struggle with this, and everyone at Union should be sensitive to
helping them with this issue that can lead to much frustration.”
Dr. Harvey continually returns to themes of leadership through persistence and
care for others. His heroes in this area are men like Nelson Mandela and
Abraham Lincoln. “Both of these individuals led through a great combination of
common sense, logical analysis, and concern for people,” Dr. Harvey said. “No
matter how difficult times were, they maintained their visions and were
undeterred no matter what. If you want to know about leadership at the very
highest levels, these are two great people to study.”
National television and radio programs, such as the Bloomberg Business television show and The Joey Reynolds Radio Show, have hosted Dr. Harvey as an expert
on creative leadership principles, and his two books, The Call to Lead: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary
Leaders, and Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style have garnered Dr. Harvey national
attention.The
kind of leadership that Dr. Harvey champions builds on the foundation of
relationships. “I am a believer in the concept of emotional
intelligence, as outlined by Daniel Goleman and others, and empathy is a key
component of this. If I had to sum up what leadership is in one sentence,
I would say, ‘Leadership is about building relationships with people through
trust.’ If you truly focus on doing this on a daily basis, it's amazing
how well things fall into place, in both the world of academia and the field of
law enforcement.”
Go to Dr. Harvey’s website to read
more about his leadership principles and training resources.
Giving back to one’s surrounding community is an integral
part of leadership and social responsibility, but it is not always as easy as
it sounds. Dr. Carole Stokes-Brewer in the Bachelor of Science, Social Work
program at Union Institute & University is a model of giving back to
her community in a way that is empathetic, creative, and effective. I am proud
to highlight Dr. Stokes-Brewer and her work this month, both as a professor and
in her active engagement outside the academy walls.
“The more you give, the more you receive,” this was the often-repeated family
phrase that Dr. Carole Stokes-Brewer remembers from her childhood. The motto
inspired Dr. Stokes-Brewer’s more than 35-year commitment to the field of
psychotherapy, social work, consultation, training, and education. She is
currently the Director of Field Education in the Bachelor of Science, Social
Work program at Union Institute & University and she is an exceptional
example of the socially responsible scholar-practitioner that defines Union
Institute & University’s spirit of outreach and engagement.
Dr. Stokes-Brewer’s life reveals a unique kind of leadership rooted in the
principle of giving back. “I am so grateful that I often experience that
awesome feeling of giving, whether it’s through community service, helping a
student, or just giving a smile,” she said. “Previously, I was a Black Achiever
and a Big Sister. Along with other community involvement, I enjoy serving
as a role model for young people on their journey through life. Cincinnati is
the 10th poorest city in the country.
My newest volunteer activity is with City
Link Center, a place people go to learn how to overcome
poverty through a variety of services, resources and hope. Specifically, I am
in training to help people prepare for employment. As Director of Field
Education, it gives me pleasure to represent Union and in seeking learning
experiences for our students to prepare them professionally in the field of
social work.” In addition to her responsibilities at Union Institute &
University and her volunteer work, Dr. Stokes-Brewer is also CEO of Consultants
at Mind Matters, Inc., a company providing psychosocial resources for groups,
individuals, and couples. She is also the former co-director of Behavior
Science for the Cincinnati Family Practice Residency Program, where she
developed programs for adults and adolescents relating to chemical dependency
issues.
Creating programs, developing curriculum, and producing content
for conferences and national presentations have long been a passion for Dr.
Stokes-Brewer. “Currently, I am developing a program for a Fortune 500
company," she said. "At Union
Institute & University, I'm excited about assisting and supporting
Nina Lewis, chair of the social work department, in preparation of the Council
on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation. I am also developing social work
presentations for state and national conferences.”
Dr. Stokes-Brewer holds several professional licenses. Among these, she is an
Independent Social Worker with supervisory designation, a Licensed Professional
Clinical Counselor with supervisory designation, and she is a Licensed
Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor. She is also an Approved Consultant
in Clinical Hypnosis. “Many years ago, I had a client who was impressed with
the experience she had with clinical hypnosis to enhance her self
confidence. I became curious about this science and began to explore it in
depth. I have always been interested in the power of the mind. After many
years of study, training, and practice with clinical hypnosis, I’ve enjoyed
watching many people stop smoking, reduce pain, overcome phobias, improve
relationships, and recover from illnesses. What’s even better, it is a
technique they can learn to continue their self-growth."
Helping people gain a better sense of self, of life-and-work balance and a
greater appreciation and knowledge of maintaining personal health is something
Dr. Stokes-Brewer is passionate about. “I find that the more balance I have in
life, the more fulfillment I experience. Good health is important. I was
on a panel with Dr. Nancy Snyderman discussing the
importance of women’s health,. she inspired me to take a more active role
in taking care of myself."
Following some of her spiritual and artistic heroes, Dr.
Stokes-Brewer has found that artistic expression contributes significantly to
maintaining a healthy attitude and lifestyle. "Writing poetry is one of my
favorite forms of expression. There are so many poets and writers that inspire
me. Margaret Walker and Maya Angelo are two of my favorites for
their brilliant poetry and storytelling. Self reflection is important to
me. I am interested in meditation for its ability to quiet the mind..
Deepak Chopra and Thich Nhat Hanh are a couple of my favorites. I love
the spirit of Cicely Tyson to remind me, in a quiet spiritual way, to develop
grace."
Helping people maintain good health and take time for personal development
remains central to Dr. Stokes-Brewer’s life-philosophy to “give back” to
others, but giving back is not always as easy as it might sound, she notes. One
of the principles she tries to instill in her students is the awareness of how
to help others creatively help themselves. “Most students come into the field
of social work because they have an admirable desire to help people. Along with
that desire, comes the belief that ‘help’ is something they tell a person to do.
If only they do what I say, life would be better. After that, they don’t
understand their clients’ resistance. True help comes when you understand the
dynamics of the situation and begin a process that allows individuals to
develop better outcomes for themselves. ’Give me a fish and I eat for a
day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime,’” she quotes the old
proverb.She remembered her own process of learning to reach out to help
others different from herself. “It was March 1965, when state troopers marched in Selma, Alabama
to the capitol in Montgomery Alabama to persuade a change allowing all to be
free to vote. The outcome became known as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I
was a student at Tuskegee University. The excitement of freedom for all
inspired me to participate in a student forum to spread the message of voting
to people in isolated rural areas. We would find them living in dirt-floor
rooms, we encouraged them, showed them the voting process, and even took them
to the polls. I
learned so much from listening and connecting with people so much like me,
yet so different. It was at that point that I made a commitment to prepare
myself educationally to assist others in improving their plight. “To be of help to others,
you have to know your strengths and weaknesses,” Dr. Brewer emphasized. “You
have to learn how to be detached enough, yet empathic to help others
define their experiences that can contribute to the betterment of their
situation.” The process of learning to give to others has been a varied and an
incredibly rewarding one for Dr. Stokes-Brewer. “I’ve never forgotten that the
more you give, the more you receive,” she said. “I do believe it prepared a path
in my career, connections with others, and the universe.”
Find out more about Dr. Stokes-Brewer at her website.
