Faculty position at MCC:
I am an Associate Professor of English. I primarily teach Developmental Writing.
Educational Background:
B.S., Psychology, Central Michigan University
M.A., English, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Why did you choose MCC?
After my first year of teaching community college, I knew two things: that teaching college was what I wanted to do with my life, and that I did not want to teach in an anti-union state.
I knew that at a college with a strong faculty union, I would not be dealing with the pay ($425/credit hour), the working conditions (no office, telephone, computer, or copier access) and the awful curriculum I had to follow my first year as a college instructor.
I grew up in the Flint area and I had heard that MCC had a strong union, and that their PT/ADJ faculty belonged to the same union as full-time faculty. So I decided that I was going to keep applying at MCC until they hired me!
You are the Communications Officer. Can you tell us a little bit about what your role on the EA board is?
Basically, my job is to help put a “face” on the MCCEA. I am responsible for publishing the faculty newsletter, which is now online. With the EA President, I am also responsible for handling communications between the EA and the faculty. In addition, I also plan social events and workshops for the entire faculty. There are quite a few other things that fall under my job description—too many to list here!
What made you decide to get involved with your EA?
I always supported the MCCEA, but I held back from getting involved until just a few years ago when I started to notice that teachers—and faculty unions—were coming under attack. I started talking to Brian Harding [EA Political Officer] and Larry Juchartz [EA President], and they got me to go to Board of Trustee meetings and help circulate petitions for the Paul Scott recall and for the ballot Proposal 2. When Larry asked me to join the EA board as communications officer, I said yes almost immediately, even though I had no idea what the job would entail. Getting involved has made me value our EA even more than I did before. Our EA board members are a dedicated, hard-working group of people and I feel honored to be one of them.
Who’s someone you really admire and respect?
My father. At 35, he quit his job as a mechanic to go back to school, and he became a college professor when he finished his masters. He taught economics at Baker College for almost twenty-five years and he passed his love of teaching on to me. Without his example, I doubt I ever would have considered teaching college as a career.
What book (or books) are you currently reading?
And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi. It’s a true-crime story about a murder on a deserted island.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I announce roller derby bouts, and I also practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.