State of the College Talk by Dr. Kauffman

This is my summary of the talk given by the president of GGC on 02/26/2013 at 2:00 pm.


Vision for GCC:
- Access institution
- Innovative use of educational technology
- Integrated educational experience
- Faculty engagement
- Model for innovative approach
- Driving force for change in student success


Strategic Plan:

- Year 2006-07: Create GGC
- Year 2012: Enhance GGC

Enrollment
- Sept 20, 2012: 9397
- Feb 26, 2013: 9192
- August, 2013: 9700 (expected)

Faculty: 
- FT: 356, PT: 220

SACS Compliance Certification Report reaffirmation to be submitted March 15 2013
- Jan 14, 2014 GGC receives official compliance and QEP report from the commision
- Jan/Feb  2014: Development of response report to on-site recommendations


FY 2013 Budget

State appropriations: $36.4 million
Tuition: $27.1 million
Institution fees: $5.4 million
Misc: 0.6 million
Total: $69.5 million
Bond package (for allied health science bldg): $25.2 million

Not including 3% cut ($1.09 million)

FY 2013 Amendment

Proposed reduction of $2.7 million from allocated amount

FY 2014 Budget Proposal
Reduction of $5 million from allocation


Sources of GGC's funding
- State appropriation
- Tuition
- Student fees
- GO (General Obligation) Bonds (bldgs, infrastructure)
- PPVs (Foundation financed facilities)
- Private donations


Public-Private Ventures
- Administrative bldgs
- Parking deck
- Wellness center
- Residence halls
- Faculty bldg (microtel)
- Plant operational bldg

GGC Foundation
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Annual giving
- Boards of visitor
- Private donations

Elite Scholars Program


Summer 2013 term compensation:
It is planned to have a minimum enrollment number for a course to be taught in summer.

Sitting Experience of The Thayer Teaching Method in Organic Chem - 1 class

I am hoping to learn something new about a possible application of the Thayer method of teaching science courses. I have started using this method in my Physics -1 classes from last semester. Typically in this method of teaching, students are given an exhaustive syllabus that lists all the topics that are covered in each class. Students are strongly urged to study the material before coming to class and the professor asks the class about the questions/confusions they might have in the read-content. The professor only teaches the content that student's have doubts in. Apparently, in this method the lecture time is reduced and is converted into re-remphasis of home-learnt contents.

Today, I am sitting an organic chemistry class to learn about how this teaching method is used in a chemistry setting. Class timing 09:30 am  - 10:45 am

As I entered the classroom I was rather impressed with the enthusiastic music being played in the class that starts at 9:30 am. I definitely thought that this music would help students in getting adujsted to the class environment. Of course the music was turned off at the class beginning. I am not sure about this music being played is a common thing in this professor's class. I think, its a good idea to use similar "welcome/splash screen" in my classes with the relevant Physics classes for the pertaining chapter. This welcome/splash screen might help in looking at the formula in the class as they sit idle before the class begins.

The professor started off by writing on the white board, few things like the due dates for previous assignments, exam reminders, etc. The professor also gave a question sheet to all students that tested the content that would be taught in the class. Students would be using the white boards to solve the problem given to them at the beginning of the class.

At 09:30 am

Professor started lecturing using the white board after reading out the initial class-related deadlines.

The instructor taught the content for first 20 minutes. 

At 09:50 am

After the lecture, the professor asked students to go to the white boards and to do the quiz individually on the white boards stuck on the wall. Again, the music was put on as students solved the quiz. 

Interesting things that happened in class:

1) All students got up from their chairs and moved towards the white boards.

2) Students were doing the quiz (given in class after the lecture) on the white board About 75% of  the class was using the white boards to do the quiz, where as 25% were sitting at their place and working in their note books.

3) The professor was visiting each student and helping them to solve the quiz problems. Teaching and learning was at this stage as students spoke to the professor and had their thoughts channeled.

4) All students were doing work individually and all students were engaged to solve the quiz. I did not see any student idling.

5) There was one student trying to look at other student's white board to get help. There were other students working in groups of 2/3 to solve the quiz.

6) The professor asked a lot of questions as students were helped during the quiz. It looks like the earlier problems that students solved on the white board was not a quiz.

At 10:20 am

 The professor stopped the music and asked all students stop working on their white boards. Then the professor picked one student's work on the white board and asked the student to walk the entire class through the student's solution. As the student was explaining the solution, the professor interjected and helped explain the concepts used in solving the quiz problem.

From 10:20 am - 10:30 am

The professor completed explaining the problem on board and asked students to go back to their seats.

At 10:30 am - 10:45 am

The quizzes were given out to the students sitting at their places. It was a closed book/notes quiz.

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