April 2007 Articles
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COD Faculty Distinguish Themselves! by Denise Coté
CODFA PAC Endorses Savage by Staff
David Leary to Lecture in Brazil by Marina Kuchinski
Glenn Hansen: An Eye for Change by Terry Vitacco
Committee Spotlight: FCAC by Denise Coté
COD Faculty Distinguish Themselves! by Denise Coté
Linda Slusar: COD's "Mover and Shaker"
The Library Journal's yearly special issue, Movers and Shakers 2007,
featured Linda Slusar as one of 50 library professionals in the U.S. who contribute fresh
ideas to libraries and librarianship. As a mover and shaker here at the College of DuPage,
Linda has been professor and coordinator of the Library Technology program (LTA) for 15 years.
Linda, and by association, the College of DuPage, are nationally known in libraries for the
Soaring to Excellence teleconference program whose subscribers range from the librarians at
Yale University to solo librarians working in small rural libraries all over the country. Linda
co-founded the series and continues to shape new programs as Executive Producer.
According to Library Journal's profile of Linda, "Slusar's devotion to library education goes back to the days when she was a library clerk and shelver. She understood then that what separated her from the librarians she admired was training. Having earned her MLS and worked her way up to public library director, she jumped at the chance for her own 'dream job,' training Library Technical assistants and future librarians." Now, thanks to Linda, COD's LTA program is offered state-wide via both online delivery and live teleconferencing. Students all over the state attend classes together, sharing learning experiences and making the connections that are so important to success as library paraprofessionals.
Testament to her dedication to Library paraprofessionals, in 2000 the journal Library Mosaics gave Linda its Supporter of Support Staff award for "developing one of the outstanding support staff programs in the country and for excellence in outreach and alternate delivery of the program." Active at the national level, Linda is conducting a national survey which will serve as a basis for standardization of LTA curriculum nationwide.
Linda is known for her devotion to her students after they leave COD as well. Working with Dominican University, Linda has established scholarships for graduates of the LTA program to earn their master's degree in Library and Information Sciences. At least four former COD students are placed in Dominican's program each year. COD's LTA program graduates can also be found earning advanced degrees at the country's top library schools, such as the University of Michigan's School of Information and Indiana University's SILS program.
When asked to define what being a mover and shaker means to her, Linda said, "For me, a Mover and Shaker are those people in the library world who are fortunate enough to be able to make a difference with the work that they do. When you have the opportunity to teach someone, you have the responsibility and the privilege of being able to help others make changes in their lives. I have been able to teach and provide training here in COD classrooms, through two way video throughout the state of Illinois and throughout the entire U.S. by way of the Soaring to Excellence teleconference. I am truly blessed to be in a position to be able to do this."
Maryann Krieglstein: COD's WOD
Maryann Krieglstein, COD's 2007 Woman of Distinction, is a woman committed to social justice: working, educating, and volunteering for and on behalf of women and children. Her volunteer activities are numerous and include Family Shelter Services, Hamdard Center, Saret, YWCA, and Questioning Youth Center, to name only a few. Education and awareness of women's and children's issues has been her mission and are highlighted through her active leadership in the following events: the Child Abuse/Sexual Assault Awareness Fair, Domestic Violence Awareness Fair, and Take Back the Night. As a State-Certified Domestic Violence Professional she educates and trains students to provide support and assistance to those in need. Her contributions to women are immeasurable. Maryann is currently an Associate Professor of Human Services at C.O.D. Her commitment, professionalism, integrity and dynamism are an inspiration to women everywhere.
CODFA PAC Endorses Savage by Staff
The COD Faculty Association PAC, Friends for Education, invited all of the candidates for the Board of Trustees to an interview. Each candidate was asked to return a written response to a set of questions and to attend an interview. Six responded and five were able to arrange an interview with the committee. A representative of the COD Adjuncts Association participated in the interviews, but each organization made their own endorsement.
The COD PAC established criteria for an endorsement before the interviews. An endorsed candidate
- Shares the core ethical values of COD.
- Articulates a clear understanding of Higher Education and Community Colleges.
- Would create and promote open dialog with and amongst the constituency groups.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the educational mission of the College.
The committee has endorsed Kim Savage for the COD Board of Trustees.
- She brings nearly three decades of experience in higher education administration to the College of DuPage Board of Education.
- She believes that College of DuPage is a learning institution. She understands the financial issues involved in Higher Education and has experience with large budgets.
- She will bring new ideas and vision for the future of College of DuPage.
David Leary to Lecture in Brazil by Marina Kuchinski
David Leary, Professor of Performing Arts, will speak at The School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Federal University of Minas Grias, Belo Horizonte, Brazil this summer. He received a Multi-Cultural Professional Development Grant from COD to supplement the honoraria offered by the host school.
While on sabbatical leave at McGill University in Canada during the 2004-05 academic year, David Leary became acquainted with Dr. Josè dos Santos Cabral Filho, the Dean of the architecture program at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at The Federal University of Minas Gerais, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He was in Montreal conducting research at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, as well as, engaging in conversation with David Leary's dissertation advisor, Dr. Alberto Pèrez-Gomèz. Dr. Cabral and David Leary learned that they share many architectural interests, most particularly, an interest in the work of American architect John Hejduk (1924- 2000), the late Dean of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City.
As a result, Dr. Cabral has invited David Leary to visit his school this summer and share some of his insights. He has offered Leary the opportunity to lecture as well as present a short seminar to the graduate students, and possibly mount an exhibition of Leary's COD students' work.
Glenn Hansen: An Eye for Change by Terry Vitacco
Glenn Hansen's photographic odyssey began when he was a young boy. "I had a little Kodak Brownie point-and-shoot camera," he says. "As a Cub Scout, I shot this picture of a hippo at the zoo. It came out really well and I was jazzed about it," he remembers.
Hansen, Photography Professor and new College of DuPage Faculty Association President, says he was self-taught in photography and bought his first single-lens-reflex camera when he graduated from West Chicago Community High School. At that point, he thought he wanted to study Wildlife Biology/Environmental Sciences, so he studied Biology and Chemistry at Bradley University in Peoria and transferred to Northern Illinois University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree.
Hansen knew he was "hooked on photography" because in addition to his scientific studies, he had shot a lot of personal photo projects in college - "sports, landscapes, portraits."
So he decided now he wanted to study photography exclusively. He enrolled at COD in 1976 when the Photo Department was located in K Building on the West Campus. Because of photography's popularity and its high enrollment, he had to wait three quarters before he could get into in a basic photo class. He persisted and took his first darkroom photography class at the DAVEA Center, presently the Technical Center of DuPage.
Hansen took every photo course available at COD and went on to work for a small commercial photo studio in Schaumburg working with 4 x 5" view cameras, and medium format cameras, shooting images of products for catalogs, brochures and advertising. He decided to seek more advanced education in photography, so quit the studio job and went on to pursue a Master's Degree. He chose the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and attended school there from 1979 to 1984.
In addition to his studies, he began doing freelance photography jobs shooting architecture, products and editorial images for catalog companies 3 and design firms whenever he had the time. His thesis was a photographic documentary project capturing Chicago's architecture at dawn and twilight in public spaces. "It was about light defining and interpreting the space," says Hansen. During grad school he also worked as a freelance assistant for photographer David Plowden, well known for documenting vanishing American cities, small towns and industries. "He was my main mentor and a very positive influence on me," says Hansen.
"Many years before I met him, I saw one of his images in the Popular Photography Annual "Best of Photography" issue. The shot was of the Statue of Liberty in polluted New York harbor with electrical and telephone wires surrounding and distracting from the statue. "I didn't know at the time who shot it, but that image stayed with me. I didn't make the connection between him and the photograph until I met him as one of my teachers at IIT."
Plowden needed a darkroom assistant for his "Steel" book that documented Inland Steel Corporation in Gary, Indiana. Hansen got the job, and they have been friends since 1979. Hansen also helped him produce several other photo books including "American Chronology," "End of an Era," "Sense of Place," and a "A Time of Trains." Plowden's style of working and his classic black-andwhite American images impressed Hansen. "What he photographed resonated with me," said Hansen. He is presently working on bringing Plowden to COD later this spring for an evening lecture presentation. In another interesting twist, Hansen is presently teaching Plowden Adobe PhotoShop and digital photography.
Hansen's latest photographic project is part of a series on the Sears Power Plant in Homan Square in Chicago. An architect and the local redevelopment organization commissioned a group of independent photographers, including Hansen, to work on it. "The plant last produced energy in 2002, and has been shut down ever since," explains Hansen. "We wanted to document the structure inside because it was an amazing space. It was a significant structure in this neighborhood and was the type of facility that is not around any more.
"It is now being rehabbed, so the last day we could photograph was December 23, 2006," says Hansen. "It's in the process of being converted to a Charter School. Our images can be used for exhibits and for fundraising for the Charter School and the neighborhood's redevelopment."
Despite his numerous CODFA presidential responsibilities, Hansen "will make time for photography. It's what I do and who I am." Hansen travels to the West to photograph landscapes and towns every summer. He and his family may go to Wyoming during the summer break. "I've gone every year since 1993 and never tire of the vistas and small towns. There's no other work that makes me happier."
The parts of photography Hansen enjoys most are the image capture, the "looking and seeing" and travel. He predicts that digital photography will dominate in the future, "but film will continue to be around, even though it will be used much less. Film will have a small niche following."
"Digital photography and film photography are two different capture tools, that's all," explains Hansen. "It's what you photograph that's important, not what camera you use," he says.
Committee Spotlight: Faculty Committee on Alternative Credit by Denise Coté
What is the FCAC?
The Alternative Credit Committee, comprised of 11 faculty members representing all divisions, is currently chaired by Denise Coté. This committee reviews proposals from faculty who wish to earn semester credit for scholarly activities outside of their normal work duties.
Faculty can earn semester credit for activities such as conference attendance, scholarly papers and presentations, preparation and teaching of workshops, course development, text book authoring, art showings, alternative work experiences and much more.
The proposed experience must be conducted during the faculty member's personal time and no payment from the College or release time can be received for the activity in order to qualify for Alternative Credit. For every 40 hours of outside activity, one semester hour will be granted. Full guidelines are available in the Faculty Agreement, Section J 1.4.
How does Alternative Credit Apply to My Range Change or Staff Development Requirements?
No more than 1/3 of a faculty member's credits applicable to a range change can be Alternative. Unused Alternative credits can "carry over" to the next range change. However, carry-over or "banking" of alternative credits is NOT allowed to fulfill your staff development requirement (See Agreement, J 1.1). The committee meets every semester to accommodate the June 30 deadline for submission of credits to the HR department for range change.
Where can I find more information on Alternative Credit?
Contact one of the current Committee members on the FCAC page.
