The university is a place for diversity of thoughts. That is probably the most interesting aspect of being a faculty member at ACU. I have thoroughly enjoyed exposure to my colleagues’ passions, areas of interest, research, philosophy and theology. Hopefully, I have added something to the conversation – or at the very least been a good listener.
When I think of collegiality, my first thought goes to food. My first two or three semesters here, I attended the majority of Adams Center presentations. I cannot recall how many I attended, but I remember weeks where I spent the majority of the lunch hour in the Adams Center classroom. Sure, I was interested in a free meal, but I also wanted to put a finger on the pulse of the academic community here. It was a great way to meet lots of interesting people and learn about different disciplines. I have since scaled back on my visits to the Adams Center, but still value the opportunities I have to engage with my colleagues in their field of study.
In 2010, the Department of Art & Design implemented a lunch program that encouraged faculty within the department to share meals together throughout the year. What a great idea – more free food! I was in. Again, the food is a nice perk, but the real value is the strengthening of our departmental community. Since we find ourselves facing similar challenges in the classroom, it has been great to allocate time to share a meal and strategies with one another. Even better, we have time to discuss issues outside of our academic lives.
During the summer of 2012, I was selected by the Provost to contribute a bit of my story as it relates to the mission of ACU for a video produced by the Learning Studio and Adams Center. The video was not a marketing piece, rather a way to introduce the Provost’s reflections on our common mission to the faculty and staff pre-session.
During the fall of 2012, the Cornerstone classes completed the marshmallow challenge. The goal was for small groups of students to build a tower that supports a single marshmallow out of limited materials – uncooked spaghetti, a little bit of tape and a marshmallow. The tallest tower wins, but it really wasn’t about winning. Although, a group from my class came in third and we won a pizza party (more free food). Check out the video below, I’ve got a little bit to say about the project.