It is not every day that a student receives a syllabus for the semester from the University President. At least 25 students are experiencing just that this semester with President Joseph Shepard as the professor of a developmental math class.
“It’s not something that I expected when I enrolled so I think it’s a good surprise that the President is teaching our class,” said freshman Alex Sarkissian. “We know he’s the President, but when we are in class he feels just like any other professor.”
President Shepard decided to return to the classroom, his first time teaching a course for Western New Mexico University, since he arrived in 2011 to serve as WNMU’s 15th president. For Shepard, teaching a course, especially a math course, is familiar territory. He has taught at both graduate and undergraduate levels in quantitative methods, public finance and business leadership at other universities. He has also taught internationally in Mexico.
“I went into the world of higher education to help people learn,” explained Shepard. “As an administrator, I find myself being removed from our core mission of teaching and focusing more on the administrative functions of the job.”
Shepard plans to personally live the university’s core values and new vision by returning to the classroom.
“I want to position myself in an active learning environment that allows me to view our university from an instructional perspective and step into the faculty’s shoes to better understand the challenges they have. This also provides me with an opportunity to interact with our students in a direct and meaningful way to tap into their thoughts and learn about their experiences,” Shepard said.
As an open-access institution, WNMU offers several developmental courses in math, reading and English. Shepard is hoping to learn more about the large population of students that enroll in these courses to improve processes for student success.
“This experience will provide insights into the trials and tribulations of a student group that makes up 50% of our student population,” Shepard said. “By understanding this group better, it will assist my understanding of perhaps how we put in place the necessary resources to help students succeed.”
“I expect to gain insights that will make me a better President and I always learn from the students that I teach which gives me insights beyond the classroom,” he added.