Faculty a vital part of college experience

College is an exciting time, and the best college experiences are rooted in exposure to new ideas, settings and intellectual stimulation. Many factors play a role in creating an overall positive college experience -- the college's location, a vibrant student body and varied extracurricular activities. However, the most important contributor to a student's college experience is an expert faculty comprised of innovative and skilled teachers.

There are many reasons for students to choose a community college for their higher education. Affordability and convenience rank high among those reasons. The quality of the teaching and scholarship that takes place at community colleges nationwide is another significant factor. And, because community colleges offer smaller class sizes, students generally have greater access to those outstanding teachers.

At Waubonsee Community College, faculty members bring diverse educational and professional work experiences to their classrooms; all share a passion to help students succeed. More than 90 percent of our full-time faculty possess either a master's degree or a doctorate.

Our faculty continually strive to create innovative and interactive learning opportunities. Sharing a passion for teaching, they enhance student learning by enthusiastically integrating technology into the classroom. In fact, nearly half of our full-time faculty teach classes that are accessible to students via the Internet.

Waubonsee is truly a learning-centered institution. That philosophy drives everything that we do -- from decisions about designing new buildings to the technology we utilize in and out of the classroom. Our focus on student learning is the dominant reason Waubonsee students find success when they leave the college.

Waubonsee's recent faculty of the year award recipient illustrates the depth and breadth of our faculty expertise.

Diana Fortier, assistant professor, and our 2007 Faculty of the Year recipient, teaches economics and business courses for the college. She embodies our commitment to student learning by creating individual student assignments that go beyond the traditional classroom experiences, focusing on research skills and independent learning.

Diana is also a participant in the National Science Foundation's American Economics Association Teaching Innovations Program. She regularly incorporates the use of Waubonsee's wireless laptops in her classes, for student assignments such as the historical and critical analysis of inflation and unemployment data. Diana also brings important "real world" business experience to her faculty role, having served for many years as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

In addition to Diana's contributions to teaching and learning, many Waubonsee faculty are engaged in educational and professional responsibilities that enhance their expertise in the classroom. Our faculty include practicing artists, graphic designers, musicians, composers, actors and recording artists; published poets, writers, authors, and textbook editors; chemists, biologists, mathematicians, engineers, nurses and other health care professionals; historians, interpreters, political scientists, psychologists, law enforcement professionals, certified public accountants, business professionals, and researchers. Waubonsee faculty are also involved in vital leadership roles in professional organizations affiliated with their academic disciplines, and frequently present at conferences and symposia.

When selecting a college, I encourage students to dig a little deeper beyond location, cost and the social aspects of college. Get a feel for the faculty, and who will actually be teaching your classes.