Event pumps up instructors for new academic year
Hundreds of instructors learned new instructional skills and techniques during STC’s Faculty Professional Development Day at the McAllen Convention Center.
STC’s Faculty Professional Development Day featured a panel discussion of STC alumni turned STC instructors. From left are alumni Daniel Morales; Steven Miller and Paul Wendland; Juan Mejia, vice president for academic affairs; panel moderator Gilberto Reyes; Anahid Petrosian, assistant to the vice president for academic affairs; and alumni Michelle Zamarron, Ana Riojas and Victor Gomez.
South Texas College hosted its Faculty Professional Development Day to kick off the fall 2008 semester, getting instructors geared up for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
During the event, instructors gained insight into new instructional techniques and learned about great new initiatives the college is taking on during the 2008-2009 academic year.
Juan Mejia, vice president for Academic Affairs, provided faculty with an overview of the college’s recent successes and welcomed new faculty members to the STC family.
A panel discussion by STC alumni turned STC instructors highlighted the inspirational stories motivating college graduates. Led by history instructor and founding faculty member Gilberto Reyes, several new and returning faculty from a variety of departments participated including Victor Gomez, history; Steven Miller, EMT; Daniel Morales, PMT; Ana Riojas, developmental math; Paul Wendland, culinary arts; and Michelle Zamarron, biology.
“When I was a student at STC, the instructors took time to learn my name, and this really contributed to my academic success,” said Gomez. “I was the first in my family to go to college, and because there are so many first generation college students at STC, I felt I could relate to them. I’m glad I made the choice to teach here, because it means that I can give back to the college that gave me so much.”
The program concluded with a speech by Dr. Darwin Nelson, a professor at Texas A&M University in Kingsville, about “The Spirit of STC.” The faculty members then broke up in groups to take part in discipline-specific training sessions.