One of the things that college faculty become well-acquainted with are excuses. After teaching for a few years you recognize that the same old excuses come up again and again. I don't pay too much mind to excuses. My students know there are limits to my flexibility and my patience. They know that I will [...]
Tag: students
Phillip McCollum rocks!
There are times when I am so proud of our students at NDSU. Last evening was one of those times. It started when I happened upon a Facebook post on a student-run unofficial NDSU Facebook page called Overheard at NDSU. Overheard is primarily used as a capture point for odd, funny, or annoying things that [...]
Wanted: Really Special Sparkly Wand
It is hard to believe that we are already barreling toward the end of yet another semester. It is this time of year that I am torn between jumping for joy that an extended break is near and lamenting the fact that I won't have the opportunity to see my students for a few months. [...]
Thank you Summit, South Dakota!
In the midst of blizzard conditions, it is still mighty warm and cozy in Summit, South Dakota. In true Midwest form, community members in Summit rose to the occasion when student fans of UND's hockey team couldn't continue their trip home due to worsening conditions. They opened facilities in town where the students could settle [...]
The critical importance of courtesy…
Courtesy - a small thing that can mean quite a lot. When it comes to winter weather, especially bitter cold winter temperatures, courtesy can be critical. I thought a lot about courtesy today as I walked about the NDSU campus. Faculty, staff, and students who were scurrying between parking lots and buildings looked as if [...]
An E Ticket Semester…
Today was my first day of teaching in the Spring 2013 semester. In the spring I teach two of my favorite classes - Disaster Response and Business Continuity & Crisis Management (BCCM). These classes both require heavy student engagement, and as such, the class dynamic is very important. I always hold my breath a bit [...]
Set free to soar…
Well, tomorrow is graduation day at NDSU. 13 of our emergency management majors are graduating as well as a number of our minors. My emotions each graduation are a mix of happiness for the graduates and melancholy that I will likely not see them again for a long time. But as I often say, my little birds, [...]
THE NEW FORTY 