Direct Interactions with Faculty

As a Prescott College student, I believe that one of the most important opportunities and resources that Prescott College students receive is the interaction with their teachers.  These interactions can be extremely powerful in terms of understanding the expectations of the teacher but also further understanding and receiving support.  All faculty members are very approachable and understanding, but it is left up to the student to, not only take ownership of one’s learning, but to meet with faculty and build that relationship.

The first semesters at Prescott College I felt a bit timid about approaching my professors.  I wasn’t sure what to think about them and I was a bit worried of what my professors thought of me. I was used to having a more teacher centered way of learning.  The teachers know the material and teach it, while the student ask questions.  There was only a teacher student relationship and teachers seemed unapproachable after class  to ask questions or find more clarification.  My experience here at Prescott College has changed the way that I look at education and my experience with my teachers. There is a tremendous value in knowing your teachers and having the ability to meet or talk with them frequently in class or outside of class.  

    As I took more classes with teachers I started to further my understanding of their teaching style and their expectations as teachers.   As these understandings grew so did our relationship.  Some of my professors meet me for coffee outside of class.  During these meetings we discuss everything from assignments for class to our thoughts on particular subjects.  I have some of my professors numbers in my phone and I am able to contact them most times if I feel like I need support.  

Building rapport with teachers has been one the most valuable assets that I have developed here at Prescott College.  Some of my greatest learning and understanding has come from conversations with faculty members.  Right now I am completing my senior project, which requires the participation of faculty and administration members.  I have had the tremendous opportunity of meeting with faculty and talk to them about how their programs and individual classes are meeting the learning objectives.  In my interview I am able to ask them a wide spectrum of questions.  The largest take away from my project so far is just how smart these individuals are and where their passions lay.  My biggest advice for first time freshmen and transfer students is MEET WITH YOUR TEACHERS!  Faculty members are the single most valuable resource at this school in my opinion and it is up to you to make those connections and have those conversations.  

~Eric Davis, 04.16.2012

The Beginning of the End

This is the start of my last semester here at Prescott College and there is a sense of accomplishment and fear.  I am beginning my senior project which is a culminating project and a way for me to display my competence.  My competence here at Prescott College is Social Justice Education and I am also receiving a double breath in Outdoor Pursuits and Human Development.  I believe the Senior Project process to be an excellent way of displaying ones knowledge and confidence in their learning.  The ideas that I had for my Senior Project have transformed over time and when it came down to putting it all on paper I had tremendous help from my advisor and faculty members.  

As I started to dive into ideas about what I could do for my Senior Project I realized that the possibilities were endless.  At that point I had to start sifting through my ideas and really think about what is important and why I want to do it.  My background is in education so I thought that would be a good starting point.  I also wanted to contribute to something that had profoundly changed me and given me so much.  The process of working with my advisers was a learning process, but I really dove in leaving no stone unturned.  With the help of my advisor and lots of pondering I finally came up with a wonderful idea that would not only be in my area of study but would also give back to my community.

Through my senior project I hope to discover how faculty and instructors design their classes to best meet the mission statement and the graduation attributes, voted on by the cross college faculty.  My senior project will consist of creating diagnostic tools such as rubrics and interview questions to assess how faculty members are meeting the desired graduation attributes in courses and through graduation.  If we are asking our students and peers to critically analyze our ever-changing environment, then I think it is important to have our faculty and instructors do the same.  These diagnostic tools will be used to benchmark where we are currently, understand how we can improve and set future goals for evaluating student success.

Social Justice is important to me and Prescott College.  I hope that through my Senior Project I will help promote more Social Justice in other departments.  I believe that continuity through out all of our departments is very important and will help students gain more perspective into what others are doing and what the school promoting.  With the recent adoption of these graduation attributes I think the school is bringing more diversity of learning and creating obtainable learning targets for students to meet in the classroom and  as a graduate.  

~Eric Davis, 02.2012