Marsha Mathews : Service : Service to the College

Service to the College

 

 

            My first year at Dalton State, I agreed to edit Section I, Institution and Purpose, for the Southeast Accreditation Consortium (SACs). Because I had numerous meetings, both with the Section One committee and with the editors, sometimes these meetings would be held at the same time but in separate places. Needless to say, maneuvering through my first year of service was a challenge. But I managed and feel that my position as an English faculty member allowed me to provide a significant contribution to the writing and rewriting efforts, despite my newness. I also was called upon to help substantially with the rewriting of the Statement of Purpose for the college.  

 

            My service to the college has been considerable.  I have been active in serving the Division of Humanities, doing such things as serving on topics committees, volunteering in the Writing Lab fall and spring terms, evaluating numerous candidates’ teaching demonstrations, grading ENGL 1101 End-of-Term essays, grading ENGL 0098 End-of-Term essays, grading retests, initiating and coordinating  teaching roundtables, and helping to plan new divisional courses, such as Humanities and English 3900, Writing Creatively for Personal Advancement, which will be offered Fall 2005. I have taught several sections of ENGL 1110, Creative Writing, without compensation.   

 

            My service to the college extends beyond the Division of Humanities.  From the beginning of my employment, I helped other agencies of the college whenever possible. Recruitment, Saturday of Stars, Student Mentoring, helping with early and late registration, substantial committee work and student club and publication advisory work constitute my college service.

 

            The most time-consuming service has been my work with the student literary magazine, Tributaries. Considerable changes in procedure, staff, and layout have raised the quality of this magazine to professional status.

 

            Chairing the Fine Arts and Lecture Series Committee during 2004-5 has reaped a successful year of quality events with high attendance.

 

            As anyone can see, my service to the college is highly student-centered. I enjoy working with young people, and am, therefore, attracted to service that involves working with students directly.  When I first started at DSC, students were active in the literary club, and I was approached by students to advise this club. I gladly did, and the club name was changed to CreativeMinds and expanded to include artists not just of literature but visual arts as well. As I became more and more active in the literary publication, I resigned as advisor of CreativeMinds and encouraged my colleague, Karen Davis, who had considerable interest in the arts to take over leadership.

 

            I initiated a service-oriented club, the Funny Healers. This club encourages students to put their own problems aside for an afternoon while they dress up like clowns and visit people in need of healing smiles.

            Now that I’ve participated in a variety of committees, clubs, and campus divisions, I better understand the workings of the college as a whole. I plan to continue serving the college, and I look forward to whatever new opportunities come my way.