Programs Aimed at Supporting Adjunct Faculty and Igniting a Love for Math among Students – Posted 4/14/15
Two projects proposed by faculty at County College of Morris (CCM) to improve college success by igniting a passion for math and assisting adjunct professors have earned the support of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) in the form of grant awards.
The NJCCC’s Center for Students Success has awarded two $500 grants for CCM faculty members to develop and implement programs to enhance the success of community college students. The Student Success awards are supported by a grant from the Kresge Foundation, a national foundation that funds arts and culture, education, environment and human services.
One of the grants will allow Lee Nigle Collins, assistant professor of mathematics, to attend the national Mathematical Association of America’s MathFest conference this summer to gain insight into how other colleges have encouraged more students to take math courses. In his proposal, Collins noted that his goal is to change the “culture of fear” that surrounds math “into a culture of curiosity, exploration and fun.”
The other grant will allow Evelyn Emma and Dee McAree, assistant professors of English, to develop learning sessions and other resources to assist adjunct faculty who teach remedial English courses.
“Supported faculty is key to student success,” they noted in their proposal. “If faculty has access to a variety of effective materials and a forum to ask questions and share ideas, classroom instruction will inevitably benefit, as will students.”
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