SELF EVALUATION, Karen Goodlad, Assistant Professor, 2016
Why Are You Doing This?
This semester I was asked “Why are you doing this?”. It was in reference to my work with first-year students so I thought for a moment and then I answered and then I thought some more. Following are the reasons I do what I do…
Why I… Take a Leadership Role in the College’s General Education Initiatives
My service to the college is most often provided through a leadership role. After serving for five years as the Co-director of the General Education Seminars for the Title V Grant “Revitalizing General Education for a 20-Century College of Technology”, I found it important to continue this vital role of bringing Gen Ed to more classrooms throughout the college. Over my time as Co-director I worked with 177 full and part-faculty as they explored how to best incorporate their general education student learning outcomes into their course work. I help them build a Living Lab approach to pedagogy that is continuing to grow even as Grant funding has come to an end.
It is with great pride and a sense of accomplishment that I do what I do, with the support of Provost August, Prof. Jordan of Faculty Commons and a long list others (including AIR, OpenLab and BWRC), the college adopted the General Education Seminars and, after a successful recruitment period in the fall of 2015, the seminar was effectively executed during the spring of 2016. A multi-disciplinary group of full and part-time faculty developed activities and assignments that incorporate the best practices of the Living Lab General Education approach to pedagogy including George Kuh’s High impact Educational Practices, open pedagogy on the Open Lab, place-based learning and the use of assessment tools. Their work can be seen on L4, City Tech’s resource exchange for innovative teaching practices:Â https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/l4/
Why I… Lead the Changes Associated with a Student’s First Year Experience at City Tech
First Year Experience Committee: In 2014 I was part of a team lead by Dr. Bonne August with the charge to develop a plan to re-imagine the First Year Experience of City Tech students. During The AAC&U’s Summer Institute on High-impact Practices and Student Success https://www.aacu.org/summerinstitutes/hips/2014 we did just that. The steering committee (Bonne August, Dorie Clay, Joans Reitz, Shelly Smith, Karen Goodlad) returned to City Tech with a plan to invest in changing, first, our New Student Orientation with a small group of faculty and then to expand it to all the departments. It was a hefty goal to say the least but one that is met with enthusiasm and motivation to change.
The initial implementation with nine departments materialized with creativity and fervor. Working together, the pilot committee has been instrumental in bring departmental level change to all departments in all schools. Our approach to welcoming our newest students is changing to include a well thought out set of objectives, involve student leaders and then assess the changes made. My role was to plan the implementation of the strategies, mentor faculty executing the workshops and communicate with all the departments of LAA and LAS. I created an OpenLab site for the committee to share their work; the results can be found here: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/newstudentorientationcommittee/sample-page/. I do this so that my colleagues across the college will develop an inviting and effective approach to a student’s first year experience.
First Year Learning Communities (FYLC): As a service to the college and a way to develop my own engaging teaching practices as well as my scholarship, I take the positions implementer of initiatives, committee leader, and researcher.
The work of my students in my 2015 Learning Communities class can be found here: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/goodlad-hmgt1101-fall15/. My future FYLC course will be an intra-disciplinary section with Claire Stewart called “Reflections of Hospitality: A Learning Community for Innovators in Hospitality Management” where we will utilize reflection to better identify what is important for the individual and the community. During their course studies, students will incorporate the principles discovered into an exploration of career opportunities. I do this because a more engaged student is a more successful student.
As a leader of FYLC, helping Estela Rojas and Lauri Aguire build a community of learners among faculty was an important next step to the continued success of FYLC at City Tech. Using creativity and a collaborative approach, I lead the development of a Mission Statement that will be used to drive growth in the program. I do this because I believe in the outcomes provided by this high impact practice.
In collaboration with Laura Westengard of the English department, my research is focused on faculty and student perception of academic performance, classroom behavior, and social interactions in learning communities. I do this because it is a vital way to share my knowledge and learning with others.
Why I… Study Wine
Participating in the Women in Wine Leadership Symposium helped me bring information back to City Tech and inspire students facing their entrance into the workforce in a more prepared manner, brining awareness of current challenges into their planning. This understanding will help them lead in their chosen field. So much was important at this symposium but I shared with my students and the Honor Scholar students the relationship between empowerment, accountability, humility and courage. http://legacy.thewinebowgroup.com/wwls/videos.php (also see handout in PARSE file) I do this because understanding leadership issues leads to empowerment in career development.
Why I… Provide Service to Les Dames d’Escoffier, New York
My term as co-chairperson of the Les Dames d’Escoffier came to end during the summer of 2015. It is difficult to sum up in a few paragraphs why over the last four years I provided this service to my community of fellow hospitality professionals. Why did I make system changes to bring efficiency to the scholarship recruitment and selection process? Why did I collaborate with members to reduce costs of this committee from over $1000.00 to zero, yes zero dollars? Why did I secure a donation for $10,000.00? I believe it is because I know that the future of the hospitality industry is in the hands of the young, talented ambitious women that we honor. And by providing this service as co-chair, I helped over 100 women studying hospitality in the tri-state area work towards their educational goals.
Information about the 2015 Scholarship program can be found here: http://www.ldny.org/2015scholarshipawards.php
An additional service provided to my “Les Dames” hospitality community is that of Delegate. In this role I am responsible for electing the Les Dames d’Escoffier International Board of Directors and approving any changes made to the by-laws. I am one of five people to represent the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
Why I… Mentor Students
My role as a teacher stretches far beyond the classroom. I believe it is my responsibility to mentor those students exhibiting a desire to network and develop their understanding of what it means to be a professional. Following are two examples of my mentee’s accomplishments. The first is a 2015 graduate, Moemu Seo. After completing an internship in the beverage department at restaurant Daniel, among one of the best and most influential restaurants in the United States, in a position that was created just for her, she contacted me to let me know she was hired to a full-time position. This came about due to the sharing of a network and will allow her to develop her career among the best in the restaurant industry.
Another student, Peter Joung, who is expected to graduate this June, recently passed the initial certification for the Court of Master Sommeliers. He stated “I am so excited but feel the pressure at the same time. Thank you very much for your help and advice throughout the semester. I wouldn’t have been able to make it if it wasn’t for you.” The Court of Master Sommeliers is a world renowned organization that certifies that their members have achieved the highest standards in wine and fine beverage industry. Approximately 3% of those who pursue the highest certification actually pass the exams. I feel his initial success will drive him to reach his ultimate goals in the beverage industry.
Mentorship is also important with students earlier in their college experience. During the spring of 2016 I began a year a long Undergraduate Research project with a sophomore, Malika Ikramova. Together we will gather research and data for a project titled “Blending Wine Education and General Education: Preparing Tomorrow’s Wine Professionals for Continual Growth”. These examples simply skim the surface of my role as a mentor but are fine examples of my teaching philosophy in action.
Why I… Mentor Faculty
As with students, I feel I have a lot to offer to faculty as well. As stated earlier, my leadership in college wide initiatives supports the goals and targets of the college and I do the same within the department of Hospitality Management. My role on the curriculum committee merges the work I have done for the college with the work of the more junior faculty. The guidance provided for Restaurant Management Course helped it pass College Council in the fall of 2015. I worked with Rosa Abreu, a second year faculty member, to prepare the course for presentation. Guidance was around writing the objectives and making sure the outcomes were measurable. It is with great pride that I say the course was adopted.
Why I…Drive Advisement Initiatives
May it’s my bi-annual training and development of long standing faculty. Or my role in leading new faculty through their developing understanding of advisement of HMGT students. Or maybe it is my work with individual students or in class group advisement. In any situation I work on advisement initiatives because a clear pathway to graduation is a sure way to retain student and help them persist.
So, why do I do what I do?
The reason is because my efforts support the goals and targets of the college and the department. I do what I do to create a better work environment for my colleagues and most of all for our students.
