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At the annual Reinhardt
College Faculty Appreciation Luncheon held on campus Friday,
March 16, 2007, administrators underscored the crucial role that
faculty play in making Reinhardt a true community of challenge
and care. Among the outstanding faculty honored at the luncheon
was Dr. John S. Yelvington, assistant professor of economics for
the McCamish School of Business. In addition, faculty members
Judith R. MacMillan, Dr. Eddie B. Robertson and Dr. Richard D.
Summers received special recognition.
Prior to the award
presentations, Reinhardt President Dr. J. Thomas Isherwood
addressed the gathering of faculty and said, “This has been a
very successful year, and I am very grateful and appreciative.
There’s a lot of excitement about Reinhardt, and that’s because
of your good work, your wise judgments and your commitment to
the institution. Our capital campaign has been so successful
and our enrollment has been so successful because of the
institution that you have built.
“We’re not done. We have
so much more to do. I don’t think there will ever be a time
when we will look at each other and say, ‘Ah, now we’re
done.’”
Yelvington Wins UM Exemplary Teacher Award
Yelvington was presented
with the prestigious United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award.
Funded by the Division of Higher Education of the General Board
of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church,
the award is given annually to a Reinhardt faculty member to
recognize excellence in teaching, commitment to value-centered
education and service to students at the College. Yelvington
has taught at the Reinhardt for six years and lives in
Alpharetta, Ga. He was chosen by his peers for this award.
“There are several things I
like about teaching at a faith-based school, but the main issue
is that I can express my faith in God and not feel threatened by
somebody, because I know that in my heart it’s the truth,” Yelvington said. “And I like to try to help students get on the
path, if they’re not on the path, or if they’re on the path, to
get them to stay there. At a public institution, I might feel
inhibited, somewhat, in doing that.
“I am living my dream. On
Aug. 15, 2001, I was appointed to the faculty here. Teaching
isn’t work. When you enjoy what you do, it’s not work.”
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Master
Professor Program Graduates Recognized
MacMillan, Robertson and
Summers were recognized for the energy, courage and time they
invested in completing the Master Professor Program of
Reinhardt’s Institute for Teaching Excellence, which began in
the fall of 2005. The Master Professor Program is a teaching
enhancement program that aims to enable the experienced
professor with a demonstrated record of effectiveness in the
classroom to integrate cutting-edge information with its
practical application. MacMillan, who resides in Kennesaw, Ga.,
serves as a professor of music and has been at Reinhardt since
September 1974 while Robertson, a professor of mathematics from
Waleska, Ga., has been with the College for 21 years. Summers,
who lives in White, Ga., is a professor of mathematics and has
been a faculty member since September 1996.
Reinhardt
Faculty Focus on Connecting with Students
Dr. Robert L. Driscoll,
vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College,
concluded the event by stating, “One of the really good things
about my position is the fact that I get the opportunity to see
faculty working closely and up front with students. Sometimes
you’re working trying to correct situations, other times you’re
pushing students to go beyond what they thought they were
capable of, and a lot of times you’re just taking care of the
needs of the student – personal needs. When you separate
everything out, this College is about our faculty making
connections with our students.”
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Recognized for completing Reinhardt's Institute for Teaching
Excellence Master Professor Program were Judith R. MacMillan
(top), Dr. Eddie B. Robertson (middle) and Dr. Richard D.
Summers. |
