December 16, 2009

Dear adjunct faculty,

Tomorrow is the last day of the fall 2009 semester and I hope this newsletter finds all of you well! I have only a few reminders as we wrap up grading and finish meetings with students:

· Don’t miss out on the holiday luncheon this Friday, Dec 18 in Heritage Hall. The event will be held from noon to 2 pm. If you plan to attend, please contact Lisa Albert at 268-3701 to RSVP right away.

· Grades are due Monday December 21, 2009. Please don’t be late in getting your grades in. Grades should be posted to Banner.

· Things to watch for:

o Spring LOA’s are out for the most part, although some divisions are still working on getting them sent. If you have questions about yours, please contact your division to ask.

o I will be sending out letters regarding the spring semester and a new form that will need to accompany syllabi for the spring semester.

o A link to the annual Adjunct Feedback Survey will be sent out via email on December 21. The survey will be open through the month of January. The survey is anonymous and the College appreciates your feedback tremendously.

Adjunct Spotlight:

This month’s adjunct-written article comes from Jacque Evanson, who teaches music courses for the Extended Learning Division:

What do you do after a night of watching a good friend fight for their life, thrashing in a hospital bed? I had the misfortune of finding out last month. What does this have to do with music? Everything!

With little or no sleep, for several nights and having to work; I was emotionally and physically exhausted.  I struggled to deliver quality teachable time to my private students the next day. After the last student left, I decided to take 15 minutes to play a song to relax and release. I finished the song and realized that not 15 minutes but 2 hours had passed.  I was no longer on the brink of collapsing, but relaxed, refreshed, and accepting of the challenging situation. I was able to go home and get a peaceful night’s sleep and leave the memories of the prior night behind. 

Realizing the impact that music has had on my life, I felt a need to share it with my
MSU – Great Falls guitar students. I began the classes by relaying the trauma of the prior nights, and then emphasizing that "This class may have a huge positive influence on the rest of your life!" A student raised his hand and said, “It already has!" 

It is such a privilege to teach at MSU COT and to teach something that I love and believe in!

Thank you Jacque, for a meaningful story and pointing out that the teaching we do not only impacts how we feel outside the classroom, but can have such great meaning to students in unexpected ways.

Wishing you all a wonderful end to the semester and a relaxing holiday season,

Kim Schrenk
Director of Adjunct Instruction
MSU – Great Falls College of Technology
406-771-4422
kschrenk@msugf.edu