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by Jamie Raines
......."I never wanted to be a teacher," remarked Dr. Saeb Omar, assistant professor of Anatomy at the Bell County Campus of SECC. " I was a research scientist at Mississippi State University. I became burnt out and wanted something else-- a new challenge. I didn't think I would like teaching until I started here."
.......Omar is originally from Syria. He attained a Bachelor's in Agricultural Engineering at Aleppo University there, and later a Ph. D. in Nutrition and Physiology at Mississippi State.
......." All my life I've had an interest in science. When I was 6 or 7 years old, I had a dissection set, and no frog would get by me.
......." My job is my interest," he said, "whether it's teaching in the lab or talking to students. While you are here, you can do what needs to be done. The students here are my friends. When they leave, it is like losing a member of my family."
.......Omar has more than 50 published articles in scientific
journals to his credit. "I had other means of living, I would still do
my job on a voluntary level." he says. "When you find a fertile soil,
you must invest in it, educationally speaking of course."
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by Melissa McCreary
......."Enjoy college. Find something you like in every course and grab it, use it. You are buying this with your time and your money-- get the most you can out of it. Talk to other students. You may never again get this kind of a chance to share ideas, work things through, and generally feed your mind," says Rebecca Hellams, instructor of psychology on Southeast Community College's Cumberland campus.
.......Hellams, an Indiana native, has been an adjunct faculty member at Southeast for about four years, teaching numerous psychology courses. She says she has a special technique in instructing. "I find talking and working with students very stimulating. I like the intellectual challenge of learning new material and coming up with new ways to present material. I really like the subject and think it is important for everybody in daily life. I like the people.
......."I believe that most students at the college level can read the textbook for themselves. I see my job as helping to explain the difficult concepts and doing things that will help the things in the book be interesting and meaningful for students. I am very pleased to have guest speakers in my classes who can make some of the subjects really interesting," Hellams said.
.......Biology instructor Karen Drake speaks to Hellams' general psychology classes about the brain. Karen Wilder, nursing professor, talks to them about stress management, and Linda Spoelman, Academic Advantage coordinator, does a presentation on learning styles. Bernice Reynolds, Judy Layne Patterson, and others at Mountain Heritage Hospice give a day-long training on death and dying and the work Hospice does in the community. Joann Kauffman from Cumberland River Comprehensive Care Center brings individuals with major mental disorders such as schizophrenia to speak to the class, while Jennifer Harris, program director for the out-patient psychiatric unit at Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital, also comes, as well as many others.
......."These people are wonderful and really help students put the written material in context," Hellams said. Hellams uses other means of instruction as well. "I had fun creating a board game to help students study 'personality;' I enjoy turning them into neurons to study the basic structure of the brain," said Hellams. "If people learn with all their senses, there is more chance of the message getting through."
......."In my Human Potential classes," Hellams continued, "I think it is very important for students to talk with one another, practice looking at things from another person's point of view, and practice critical thinking."
.......Hellams offers her general psychology students seven options, including three non-test options. She requires them to do four out of the seven and suggests that they do them all. She takes the four best scores and determines the final grade.
......."I feel that students benefit from choice in the method they will be evaluated. I feel that learning is more likely to take place if the student is involved in some way other than just listening to someone talk," she said.
.......Hellams was awarded the Adjunct Faculty Award for Outstanding Service to SECC for 1994-95.
.......She attended Northwestern University for her Bachelor's and Master's degrees, holding double majors in journalism and psychology with a minor in English.
.......Hellams offers her formula for success. "We are successful at things we care about--make it important to you. Find some way to make it relate to your life. If you can't, grit your teeth, get it done, and get out; go on to something else," she explains. "Also, define success for yourself. It may not be an 'A' on a test--it may just be learning something you didn't know before. Look at what you want and give yourself credit for what you achieve, even if it is not what others want or what they achieve. Learn from mistakes--don't just beat yourself up over them. Mistakes are ladders we climb to success."
.......As for Hellam's personal goals and future plans, "I would like to
help rather than hinder, publish a book, always let my husband
know how much I love him, and find a good potato salad recipe.
"I plan to go with the flow, check under the bed when I'm alone
in the house, and keep on learning new things."
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by Jamie Raines
......."The best thing about our community college is that it provides people who would never have gone to college with an opportunity to get a college education," said Dr. Harry Bralley, Dean of Academic Affairs for SECC Bell County Campus. "Our students here are hard working and have paid the price. it's exciting to see them make the most out of their opportunity to get an education."
.......Bralley has been with SECC since 1991. He came to SECC from Big Stone Gap, Virginia, where he was Coordinator of off Campus Credit Programs at Mountain Empire Community College for seven years. His credentials include Bachelors and Master degrees from Virginia Tech and a Ph. D. from the University of South Carolina. He has had 25 years experience in higher education, which includes 10 years as a college professor and 15 years as a college administrator.
......."I've been in the education field all of my life." says Dr. Brallry. "I chose Middlesboro because I felt there was a lot of opportunity here. When I first got here we had 575 students and were located on the 3rd floor of the First State Bank building as well as the Board of Education building downtown. I felt we would expand greatly when the new campus opened up. Last fall semester we had 931 students, and on the average, about half were non- traditional students. This shows the great diversity we cater to here."
.......When ask how he deals with problems that arise occasionally, Dr. Bralley said, "I delegate authority to my advisers.
.......He feels the rewards of this strategy are two-fold. First it gives the students a better sense of respect for their advisers, and , secondly, it helps the advisers to better associate with the students.
......."By the a problem gets to me it tends to be a major one. My approach is mostly diplomatic. You have to remember when you're dealing with individuals that there are two sides to every story. I try to remain open minded and willing to listen."
.......As far as the future of SECC goes, "we are preparing to open up an interactive television classroom in a few months, " said Dr. Bralley.
......."This is virtual learning. Our nursing students will be the first to go on-line. Currently they have to travel to Cumberland to attend classes. We also are developing partnerships with other universities and colleges."
.......According to Bralley, things are changing at a rapid pace for
SECC, and the future appears to be a bright one.
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