{"id":702,"date":"2012-08-17T11:59:40","date_gmt":"2012-08-17T16:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/oxb00a\/?page_id=702"},"modified":"2018-09-21T01:17:01","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T06:17:01","slug":"student-mentoring","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/oxb00a\/student-mentoring\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Mentoring"},"content":{"rendered":"

Faculty members devote a\u00a0significant amount of time and energy\u00a0to mentoring and guiding students.\u00a0As teachers, we are examples of those who participate in a dynamic learning environment where student-teacher relationships interchange and intersect throughout the learning process.\u00a0 Particularly, faculty are the role models students draw from as their lives are\u00a0shaped in\u00a0navigating their respective programs\u00a0over\u00a0a four<\/em>-year period (and I do emphasize FOUR for parents’ sake!).\u00a0 We must therefore be careful, despite our\u00a0preferences, interests, and biases,\u00a0to set examples that will shape students’ lives\u00a0for their good and for the good of those they will serve in the future.<\/p>\n

Under Service<\/strong>, I mention student groups that I advise and support.\u00a0 Under Student Research Mentoring,<\/strong> I provide specific research activities where I work with both undergraduate and graduate students in guiding their research interests.\u00a0 Here, I provide\u00a0a representative sample\u00a0of the many opportunities we have to fulfill unique service opportunities for students with diverse needs.<\/p>\n

Supporting Student Interests<\/em><\/p>\n

Matt Spector was an honors\u00a0SITC student who had an interest in engineering.\u00a0 However, he saw value in ACU and wanted to begin his academic career here and apply for an engineering program during his sophomore year. However, an opportunity came for him during his freshman year to apply to a program that would provide a 4 year scholarship and a combined internship in engineering.\u00a0 He therefore asked my assistance and that of other faculty with engineering backgrounds to provide guidance in completing the application and to write letters of recommendation for him.\u00a0 As a result, Matt was accepted into the program<\/a>.\u00a0 Although we lost a great student, we were able to serve the interests of the student and perhaps planted the seed for Matt to return to ACU as a faculty member in the new Engineering and Physics program slated to begin the fall of 2012.<\/p>\n

In addition to Matt, I have mentored\u00a0other students in the Honors\u00a0College in completing special projects or internships required by the honors program.\u00a0 Preston Wolfolk completed a research project as part of my microeconomics course\u00a0on controversial issues in economics; Benjamin Hayes<\/a> completed an internship at\u00a0PFSweb\u00a0to evaluate an information system upgrade.\u00a0 Jess Weeden continues as a research assistant in developing metrics to inform businesses in developing organizational structures that support the interests of women in the business environment.<\/p>\n

Letters of Recommendation<\/em><\/p>\n

I write a number of letters of recommendation for students interested in pursuing graduate programs<\/a> and for employment<\/a>. Although many students ask me to make recommendations on their behalf, I only recommend students whom I feel are well-suited for the responsibilities they will face in committing to such programs, and specifically state this in my letters. As faculty, our industry experience helps students prepare for and find jobs that will both provide for their families and serve long-term career interests.\u00a0 I therefore take special time to speak with students in class about skills that will be important\u00a0in their careers.\u00a0 In my course evaluations, students often comment regarding the relevance of activities and assignments required for the class.\u00a0 I take extra time to help students see the importance of assignments as relevant for their careers and not just busy work for a completion grade.\u00a0 As faculty, we must stay current with industry initiatives, seek and trust God’s guidance and not be misguided by a consumer society.\u00a0 I was confirmed of my commitment at a recent graduation where a student thanked me for spending time in class on a specific enterprise application.\u00a0 He admitted that,\u00a0during the course,\u00a0he did not understand why I took so much time in class to make sure students\u00a0understood the importance of an integrated systems environment.\u00a0 Yet, when he began to interview, every company he interviewed with asked if he had this experience. He felt both prepared and thankful for\u00a0the\u00a0opportunities presented to him at ACU.<\/p>\n

Foreign Student Needs<\/em><\/p>\n

Our foreign students have numerous needs that are unique as they work to be successful in a different country and culture.\u00a0 I have worked with students from various\u00a0areas in Africa, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Germany, Russia, the Ukraine, South America…the list goes on.\u00a0 Their needs are as diverse as their origins.\u00a0 For example, many students from Asia require much patience and support regarding language challenges.\u00a0 Although they understand written English, their spoken English and ability to understand the same is often limited.\u00a0 I therefore spend considerable time on Blackboard to make sure written details are provided for each assignment (see example here<\/a>). In preparation for the Global IT Leadership Program which was initially attended by students from Chinese, I sat in on two semesters of Mandarin Chinese to learn the language.\u00a0 Although I did not have the best language skills, the students were impressed that I understood some of their language and felt more welcome in class.<\/p>\n

There are many examples of\u00a0student support that faculty provide that could not be listed here.\u00a0 I tutor students who struggle in math because I understand math as the language of science; I counsel African American students who struggle to fit in to a serving\/giving community and help them participate in doing the same; I support the financial needs of a number of students who need extra support to grow in extra-curricular activities; I provide transportation to students who want to attend worship services at congregations that are farther away from campus.<\/p>\n

One\u00a0final example of a\u00a0service opportunity came with a student from Africa.\u00a0 Many students come to ACU on sports scholarships but lose them when they become injured or otherwise ineligible to compete.\u00a0One female student had a particular need where her immigration status had lapsed.\u00a0 This student had graduated from ACU, had completed graduate work in California, and was returning to ACU to begin a graduate program here.\u00a0 She had consulted the graduate program in California and a few attorneys who said her immigration situation was\u00a0too complicated\u00a0and recommended that she return to her native country in Africa.\u00a0 When she returned to ACU, the international department gave\u00a0us instructions on what she could try to resolve her immigration issue.\u00a0\u00a0She\u00a0and I\u00a0conducted the research, completed the appropriate papers, and submitted the renewal application covered by the prayers of the ACU community.\u00a0 Within\u00a0five months, her immigration renewal was accepted.<\/p>\n

We are truly here to serve as a community of believers who share a common hope in Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faculty members devote a\u00a0significant amount of time and energy\u00a0to mentoring and guiding students.\u00a0As teachers, we are examples of those who participate in a dynamic learning environment where student-teacher relationships interchange and intersect throughout the learning process.\u00a0 Particularly, faculty are the role models students draw from as their lives are\u00a0shaped in\u00a0navigating their respective programs\u00a0over\u00a0a four-year period … <\/p>\n

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