By Michele Fortino
Salem College professors can fall into several categories depending on the needs of either the professors or the college. The professors can be full time, part time or adjunct. Regardless of the professor’s status, they impact the lives of the students in both an educational sense and as mentors giving advice on more everyday life problems.
Salem is now beginning its advising for the spring term and the time has come for advising in which professors guide their students to their future career goals. The professors devote their time to actively advise students on degree requirements and course options that suit a student’s specific needs. Professors do not limit their dedication to the advising prices time and effort; Salem’s professors also provide extensive and beneficial feedback on assignments that consist of more than a simple letter grade. They are not just lecturers who stand in front of a class but are dedicated mentors to their students.
Salem would like to welcome the new professors: Jumana Al Ahmad, Arabic; Francis Harris-Burke, Education; Alejandro Hortal, Spanish; Corinna Kahnke, German; William Lewis, Not-for-Profit Management; Dr. R. Freeland, Sociology; Holly Sopko, Education; and Caroline Beam, Education.
Dr. Robert Freeland, new sociology professor, ‘drawn to sociology because I wanted to understand how the world works’ (Photo by Jenni Scruggs)
Dr. R. Freeland believes that, “Effective teaching must be a reflection of your personal philosophy towards life. What I like most about Salem College is the level of personal interaction with my students. The most rewarding part of being a professor is knowing that you’ve made a real difference in someone’s life. Few jobs can give you this kind of meaningful satisfaction.”
Freeland did not always intend to pursue sociology. “Even though I have an engineering degree, I was drawn to sociology because I wanted to understand how the world works and that’s a desire I think most people have.” Freeland considers sociology to be “…incredibly interesting and practical. When you think of all the most important aspects of your life… work, family, church, sports, globalization, etc., these are all the things that sociologist study.”
Freeland says, “And I believe that my purpose is to effect positive change in the world, especially through the actions of my students.”
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