Vol. V, No. 9
April 22, 2013
WheelerNotes
The Necessity of the WF!!!: If a student does not
take a final examination in a course and as a result
fails the course, they must be given a WF and not an F
and on the grade report we must report the last
recorded time we had interaction with student. [If we
do not take attendance, this will be the last date they
handed in an assignment.] This is critical to keep our
noses clean with Federal Financial Aide Czars.
Thank You Dr. Jeff Rogers –Maestro of AC: We
are very grateful that Dr. Jeff Rogers has accepted a
leadership role in Academic Contest for Fall 2013. In
the Fall of 2013 Jeff will serve as co-chair with Dr.
Tom Aiello who will share the wisdom of past battles.
Since Academic Contest is one of the crown jewels of
the Gordon State outreach to our community and
region, we are very grateful to Dr. Rogers.
Opportunity Calls: With Jeff Rogers ascending to
the Academic Contest throne, our Gordon Speakers
Series is headless. It is certainly not necessary that
this five year tradition continue; everything does not
have to live forever. However this series has provided
many hundreds of Gordon students the opportunity to
learn from their faculty in a stress-free, non-classroom
environment – a first for many of them. If you would
like to step into Jeff’s big shoes and lead the Speaker’s
Series for 2013, please contact Jeff or the Office of the
VPAA. Among other gifts, Jeff can provide you with
several speakers who have already expressed interest
in the next year.
Watts-Warren Hits a Home Run: Many thanks to
Dr. Watts-Warren for an excellent result in her first
“at-bat.” More than 120 faculty members from 23
institutions joined the Gordon community for two days
of discussion of the facts that (1) “Teaching Matters”
and (2) that teaching can be improved by careful
attention to “Connections.” We are grateful to both
Elizabeth and her many colleagues from the Gordon
community for this important contribution to
Academic Year 2012-2013.
Welcome Ed Hart, Director of Hightower Library:
We are pleased to announce that Ed Hart will join the
Gordon Team on August 1, 2013 and apply his many
gifts to maintaining and enhancing the important
contributions of the library to our students and our
academic community. Ed comes to us from the
Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center, the law
library of the University of Florida, where he has
served for 13 years, most recently as Head of
Technical Services. He earned a masters in library
science from Simmons College in 2002. However,
more remarkably, in 1999 he earned a JD degree from
the New England School of Law, a masters degree in
international relations from Florida State, and a
masters in history from Valdosta State University.
(Makes this author feel a little stupid!). His
undergraduate work was at Valdosta State University
where he was a history major.
We so very much appreciate the hard work of Dr. Ed
Whitelock who chaired the search committee and
Professors Eskridge, Jia, Rogers, and O’Sullivan
who served on this committee. Thank you to the
library staff as they made time in their schedules to
provide hospitality to our visitors. And finally, thanks
to Brenda Rutherford who has promised to extend
her good work as Interim Director until July 31.
Can a Gordon Student Earn Credit for a MOOC ?
… Sure!: Occasionally I hear anxious concerns about
whether and how and if Gordon should start
accommodating students who wish to complete part of
their education by participating in one of the
proliferating number of MOOCs. Because of our
policies on awarding credit for a large number of
courses on the basis of the CLEP and DANTES tests,
it is really quite easy right now. (See
http://www.gordonstate.edu/departments/registrar/tran
sfer.asp) A Gordon student can at this very time
complete a MOOC course on Principles of
DEANotes is a quasi-monthly publication of Academic Affairs
Microeconomics, take the CLEP test on Principles of
Microeconomics, and earn three hours of credit at
Gordon State College.
This does not mean that this author advocates this
route. [He would rather the student take their
economics from Dr. Joshi or Dr. Smyth.] However, it
does give another option to advisors trying to help
students with difficult schedules/commutes.
Thoughts as He Slips Out of the Door –
Chapter 4: My Single Best Idea
My first post-doctoral academic posting was at a large
state university. At that institution I taught a little
calculus, a little mathematics for mathematics majors,
but mostly I taught mathematics to an infinitely large
pool of “wannabe business majors.” We taught every
business student two mathematics courses, a course in
probability and a course in linear methods. Both
courses were rich in problems and fascinating to
mathematicians, and both courses contain much
information useful to business majors. (Indeed we
could wish the leaders of our banking establishment
had had a little knowledge of probability five years
ago.) However, neither course had resonance for our
hordes of 18 year old “wannabee business majors.” I
would walk into a classroom populated by 40 students
who had arrived with a one-inch glaze over their eyes.
Waving my arms, I would fill the chalk board with
symbols and utter many wise words--all to little effect.
From time to time I would give a test and then try to
make some sense of its meaning--giving some A’s, a
few B’s, a handful of C’s and a lot of other stuff.
Neither the students nor I had much idea of what the
grades meant.
Then I had the single best idea of my teaching career,
the notion of an eight-question test. Here is how it
worked:
• As we approached test day, I identified the first
four test problems for the students and gave them
8-10 examples of each problem.
• I promised the students that their best four
problems would be worth 15 percent each. Hence,
if they got any four problems right, they would
pass.
• I then indicated that the last four problems of the
test would remain unspecified and that the last
problem would require them to integrate the
material of the unit.
There were some immediate payoffs of this wiser
testing strategy:
• The testing method assisted me with a critical
teaching issue: helping students to understand
that the challenge in the course is not the
instructor but the material. A well-constructed
testing strategy enables students to understand
that the teacher is on their side. Together the
teacher and student are trying to accomplish the
goals of the course.
• All concerned knew what passing and failing
meant. If a student wanted to pass, he or she had
better master the four problems Wheeler had
flagged. We had an operational definition of a
passing grade.
• I was able to tie the evaluation to what I regarded
as important. The four problems I specified for
the students were always straightforward, but
they were not always the easiest problems in the
unit. Indeed, the four problems represented what
I regarded as the most important and fundamental
material we had covered. After specifying the
four problems, I spent extra time re-teaching that
material both in class and in optional problem
sessions.
• By careful design of the last four problems of the
test, I was able to ensure that, while taking care
of the weaker students, I could always challenge
the best students in the class. Indeed, as I wrote
the four problems, I thought of them as a D
problem, a C problem, a B problem, and an A
problem. As the system evolved over the years,
the “A” problem was really a choice between two
problems – with the goal of stretching the best
students in as many ways as possible.
• The method had payoffs for all students. Weaker
students knew where to focus attention if they
were unable to master all of the material.
Students aspiring for an A knew they had better
not leave any corner of the material untouched.
Over the years I have seen variants on this strategy
used in many different disciplines from biology to
history. Whether this particular strategy is a good one
or not, I am firmly convinced that carefully considered
assessments are crucial ingredients in courses for
beginning students, often proving to be one of the
most important teaching tools available to the
instructor.
BaskiNotes
The Summer 2014 Calendar has been approved by
President Burns. It includes the customary four-week
sessions (Mondays through Fridays) and eight-week
session (twice a week for most classes in this
category), and it includes an alternate session that
meets Monday through Thursday for six weeks.
Perhaps the most likely reason that faculty members
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would choose this option is that it permits more time
for students to complete major assignments and heavy
reading than does the four-week session. As with all
of the sessions, the issue of course distribution through
the summer should be discussed with the person who
coordinates scheduling for a discipline or division.
Dr. Burns and Dr. Wheeler appreciate the input
received from the Academic Policy Committee
members, Senate Faculty representatives, and many
other faculty members during the process of
considering various ideas and drafts. I add my thanks
to these folks and express my appreciation to the
Calendar Committee members who worked very hard
on getting input and considering the many details that
are involved in arriving at a calendar: Ms. Janet
Barras, Ms. Brenda Blackstock, Dr. Peter Boltz, Ms.
Debbie Christian, Ms. Sharon Ellis, Dr. Linda Hyde,
Prof. Tony Pearson, and Dr. Theresa Stanley.
The calendar is posted under My Gordon—
Resources—Approved Calendars. The fall 2014 and
spring 2015 calendars will be posted soon.
Challenge Course Open House: Last Wednesday
Ms. Bev Wolf, Lead Facilitator for the Challenge
Course, led a number of faculty facilitators in
conducting an open house. Faculty and students who
attended had a great time, by all reports, and many
more folks are now familiar with this important
resource on our campus. I hear that Dr. Richard
Schmude, who will teach a section of GFYE 0097 for
us in the fall, was impressed enough with the
experience to want to bring not only his GFYE
students to the course, but his science students as
well. Ms. Wolf and our facilitators worked hard to
make this event happen, and we appreciate the effort
and positive energy. Thanks, also, to Ms. Debbie
Christian in Community Ed.
Complete College Georgia: In addition to her other
important responsibilities, Ms. Tonya Moore serves
as our Non-Traditional Student Coordinator. She is an
important contact person for non-traditional students
who need information on resources and services at
GSC and on various forms of Prior Learning
Assessment (PLA), such as CLEP and DANTES tests.
If you advise a non-traditional student, formally or
informally, please push that student to contact Ms.
Moore, as well.
What do those students look like? We can recognize
as a non-traditional student, the mom who has raised
three children, but this group also includes the 23 yearold discharged vet and the young single mother who is
balancing a job and school. In a classroom typically
occupied by 18-21 year olds who are supported by
their parents, these students often feel isolated and
they may deal with issues that are foreign to many
classmates. You and Ms. Moore can answer questions
and direct these students to needed information and
services. Her office is in the Student Success Center,
and her phone number is 5719.
GahrNotes
Dr. Linda Hyde led EarthWindFire (the Science
Club) on a rather rainy field trip to both Cumberland
Island and the Okefenokee Swamp March 22-24.
On March 22-23 Dr. Marwan Zabdawi attended the
Teaching Matters Conference at GSC and moderated
for the "Teaching Online Session" by Dr. Tsoy, Bor-Yi
(Southern Polytechnic State University). Dr. Zabdawi
also presented a research paper “Strategy for Graphing
Polynomials & Rational Functions" at 2012 ICTCM
conference in Orlando Florida (International
Conference on Technology in Collegiate
Mathematics), which was published in the ICTCM
2013 proceedings. On April 4, Dr. Zabdawi attended
the AAC&U (American Association for Colleges and
Universities) conference on "Student Success and the
Quality Agenda" in Miami Florida.
Dr. Richard Schmude, Jr. gave the following
lectures and workshops between March 10 and April
12:
• “Allowing Students to Connect through the use of
Electronic Devices”, Teaching Matters
Conference, March 22, 2013.
• Discussed electronic devices at the technology
fair portion of Teaching Matters Conference,
March 22, 2013.
• “The Movement of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot”,
Flint River Astronomy Club, March 14, 2013.
• “Changes in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot in 2010 and
Early 2011”, presentation, Georgia Academy of
Science annual conference, Valdosta State
University, March 30, 2013.
• “Light Curve of Jupiter”, presentation, Georgia
Academy of Science annual conference, Valdosta
State University, March 30, 2013.
Dr. Schmude also led a service project with the
Newman Club which hosted an Easter Fun day at the
E.P. Roberts Center in Barnesville on March 28, 2013.
Dr. Cris Fermin-Ennis, Gordon State College’s Jack
Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship faculty
representative, is very pleased to announce the
selection of GSC Computer Science major, Manuel
Ruiz, for the prestigious JKC Undergraduate
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scholarship. Manuel is one of 60 JKC scholarship
recipients nationwide and will receive up to $30,000 a
year to complete his bachelor’s degree at any top fouryear institution of his choice. This is the first time that
a nominee from GSC has been selected for this highly
competitive award. Dr. Fermin-Ennis also mentored
a contingent of research students who presented at the
Georgia Academy of Sciences last month at Valdosta
State University.
Government Class" at the University System of
Georgia Teaching and Learning Conference, April 4-5,
in Athens, Georgia.
Dr. Amanda Duffus was awarded a President’s
Faculty Development Grant to continue working with
her research students on several projects this summer.
Dr. Duffus and one of her former research students
also had a letter published in the April issue of the
Journal of Wildlife Diseases. (doi:10.7589/2012-05147). Additionally, Dr. Duffus received acceptance
for a poster and an oral presentation at the Second
International Symposium on Ranaviruses to be held
this summer in Knoxville, TN.
Dr. Marvin Thomas will be speaking to the United
Daughters of the Confederacy in Griffin, Georgia, on
Saturday, April 27, 2013, at 2:00 p.m., at the
Stonewall Cemetery on the role of the city of Griffin
during the Civil War.
Drs. Mark Brinkman, Cathy Lee and Clark
Danderson had a group of research students compete
in two poster sessions against other undergraduate
students from across the state, at the annual conference
of the Georgia Academy of Science. The conference
was held at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA,
March 29-30. On April 12, 2013, Dr. Lee and student
Megan Babb presented the same poster at the GA
Entomological Society meeting held at Amicalola
Falls State Park, GA.
On April 02, 2013, faculty advisors, Drs. Mustapha
Durojaiye and Cathy Lee accompanied a group of 20
Biology students and Tau Alpha Tau Biological Honor
Society members on tour of the David J. Spencer CDC
Museum at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). They learned about CDC’s role in
keeping the public healthy and safe. Additionally, Dr.
Mustapha Durojaiye has been approved as a narcotic
drug researcher by the Georgia Drug and Narcotics
Agency and the Board of Pharmacy.
Drs. Jeff Knighton, Pam Terry, Barry Kicklighter,
Brenda Johnson, Christy Flatt, and Ms. Nancy
Goodloe attended the annual conference of the
Southern Organization of Human Services, April 4-5,
in New Port Richie, Florida.
Dr. Christy Flatt has accepted a three-year
appointment to the Committee on the Status of
Women for the Southern Sociological Society.
Dr. Joe Mayo presented at the Teaching Matters
Interdisciplinary Conference held on our campus
March 23 and 24 discussing “Meaningful Knowledge
Construction through Data Matrices.”
Professor Bethany Johnson presented at the
Teaching Matters Conference regarding “Student
Learning through Active Exercises” and also
conducted a workshop for students in the Career
Development Camp on “Successful Work Ethics for
Students.”
Dr. Gary Cox attended the Society for Military
History annual meeting in New Orleans. As a member
of the Editorial Board of the Society’s international
publication, The Journal of Military History, he has
been appointed assistant editor for three special issues
in 2015/2017/2019 commemorating the centennial of
the Great War.
Dr. Karen McCarron attended the Conference on
Teaching and Learning Accounting April 4 – 6 in
Nashville.
KnightoNotes
The Second Annual Gordon State College
Undergraduate Research Symposium took place on
April 17. Seventeen Gordon State students gave
outstanding presentations in the disciplines of English,
Education, Biology and History. Thank you to all the
participants, sponsors and attendees, but especially to
Dr. Frank Winters for coordinating the event.
Drs. Kris Beck and Prathibha Joshi presented a
paper entitled "Using A Cooperative Learning
Technique in a Microeconomics and American
Dr. Don Butts attended the Georgia AAUP
Conference in Rome at Georgia Highlands College on
April 6, 2013. Also Dr. Butt’s review of the book The
Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves’
Civil War by David Cecelski was published in the
March issue of Choice.
Dr. Alan Burstein's BUSA 1105 students have started
a class business called ZAPS. They will be selling prepackaged candy and drinks around campus on April
22-23. All profits will be donated to Children's
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Miracle Network. Please help us support Children's
Miracle Network and ZAP your hunger too!
RutherfordNotes
Hightower Library Web Page – The library web page
is undergoing some changes. The goal of the library
web page is to be user friendly and accessible. The
library staff is open to suggestions for web page
improvements from faculty, staff, and students. By
clicking on the “Electronic Resources” link, one may
locate “Off Campus/Online Classes Library
Orientation and Quiz”. This MS PowerPoint
presentation has been updated and may be viewed in
segments. The “Tips + Tutorial” link allows one to
access the research guides used in the various
orientations provided by librarians. Beth Pye has
worked closely with Troy Stout to make these
resources available on the web page.
WhitelockNotes
The Gordon State College Annual Student/Faculty
Art Show is on display in the Foundation Room
(Gordon State College Student Center Building). This
exhibition is open until May 3, 2013.
Dr. Neil Boumpani will be making a presentation at
the Chicago Drum Show on May 19th. He will be
speaking on building “Big Mo,” the largest bass drum
in the world, which he constructed for the University
of Missouri Marching Band. His talk will focus more
on “taking on the jobs others do not want and making
something of it, no matter how big the task may
seem.”
Dr. Darren Broome presented papers at two recent
conferences. First, he presented “Why Can’t Little
Johnny Speak Español?” at the Teaching Matters
Conference, Barnesville, Georgia, on March 22, 2013.
On April 4, 2013, he presented “Narratives of
Resistance in Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the
Butterflies” at the The Tenth Annual Southeast Coastal
Conference on Languages and Literatures in
Savannah, Georgia.
has recently agreed to co-edit a book, titled Science
Fiction 101, a collection of essays on approaches to
teaching science fiction in the secondary and college
classroom. At the SFRA Conference, he solicited over
a dozen new essays for this collection.
Dr. David Janssen’s essay “Chasing After Vengence:
Elvis Costello’s Initial Aim” will appear in the
anthology Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself:
Essays About Debut Albums, edited by George
Plasketes, from Ashgate Press (June 2013).
Dr. Mark King presented his paper, “The Culture
Wars and the Changing Nature of the Profession:
Representations of Humanities Educators in Film and
Video, 1970-2012” at the College English
Association’s annual convention in Savannah on April
5, 2013.
Dr. Marc Muneal’s article, “Analysis of an
Afterthought: Charles Kingsley, the ‘Accursed Slavery
Question,’ and the Function of the Quadroon in Two
Years Ago,” will appear in Nineteenth Century
Contexts 35.2 (April 2013).
Dr. Edward Whitelock’s essay “Jackson C. Frank:
Play the Game of Carnival” will appear in the
anthology Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself:
Essays About Debut Albums, edited by George
Plasketes, from Ashgate Press (June 2013).
Dates & Deadlines
Apr 29 (M)
Last day of classes
Apr 30 thru
Final Exams
May 3 (T- F) Book Buy-Back – Bookstore
May 10
Friday
Graduation
Dr. Doug Davis attended the Science Fiction
Research Association (SFRA) Conference in
Riverside, California this April. He spoke on one
panel on the topic of theorizing video games and
presented a paper, "The Dead Space Megatext:
Mediation, World-Building, and Play in a SurvivalHorror Video Game," on another panel. The 303rd
issue of the journal he edits, The SFRA Review, was
published this April as well. Furthermore, Dr. Davis
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