Student-Faculty Interactions

Dr. Laraine Glidden

According to Dr. Glidden, there were many opportunities for mentor/mentee relationships. She even had a mentee that she has a few publications with due to her becoming Dr. Gliddens research associate after graduation. From what she told me, it seems as though they were pretty similar to how they are now. Dr. Glidden also immediately recalled the student teacher relationship that continued after college and ended in marriage. However, she stated that she is under the impression that the romantic relationship began after the student graduated. However, it was common for professors to be close with their students.

Dr. Roy Hopkins

Dr. Hopkins would characterize the student faculty relationships as close, during the 80s and 90s. Roy enjoyed his students very much so, compared to those of Vassar College which he characterized as more of entitled group of students. Roy would have his senior seminar students and SMP students come over for a meal at the end of the semester, after all the papers were turned in. In the winter, he held Christmas parties, were he once taught his students to make popcorn tree decorations, pie crust, and whipped cream, which he enjoyed very much and was very memorable to him. He enjoyed his students SMP work so much that he even brought a group to Pennsylvania to present their work at a undergraduate research conference.

Dr. Hopkins worked closely with his SMP students; and fondly remembers two of his SMP students that comes first to mind. They were Ben Davis's quality of life among poor elderly in the county; and Brain Dawes's work on masculinity ideology.

Toward the later part of Hopkins's career he took an administrative position in 1998 as the Associate Provost for academic services. From 1998 to 2002, Hopkins was not teaching, and when he came back he noticed a shocking change in how student faculty relations where. As the digital age entered and rapport needed to be established because of the increasing age gap, Hopkins believed that the student faculty relationship declined over time.

Dr. David Finkelman

Dr. Finkelman always felt that St. Mary's has had close student-faculty relationships. The college was relatively small when he got here, just about 1200 students, and that number has not fluctuated much over the years. Students would tell Dr. Finkelman that everyone recognized each other at least by sight, which is pretty much true today. If St. Mary's were to have been a larger institution, then the familiarity or close atmosphere may have been lost.

At the time Dr. Finkelman worked at the college, the drinking age was lower and beer was offered in the cafeteria at night time. There was an informal pub, where students and faculty were invited to drink and discuss things either academic in nature or otherwise. It was a welcoming atmosphere and a little different than it would be today. There are occasional opportunities for professors, faculty, and students to drink together, for example the 50 days celebration, but there are also other opportunities like the student/faculty collaboration in research. In departments like psychology, its the norm for students to conduct research alongside their professors or advisors. These types of environments allow for students to interact with professors outside of the classroom setting. Dr. Finkelman points out the need for boundaries to be respected. Similar to how there are boundaries between a therapist/counselor and their clients, there are also boundary concerns between faculty and students, but as long as the faculty members or students do not cross these boundaries, then the relationship between the faculty and students is engaging and welcoming.

Dr. Finkelman taught Senior Seminar where he assisted many students with their capstone projects and he was also a part of advising students on their St. Mary's Projects. He calculated supervising 45 St. Mary's Projects during his time at St. Mary's. Of the 45, he recalls a few notable ones, although he cannot pick a favorite. He remembers one student who spent a semester in India studying arranged marriage. Their project was a cross-cultural studying comparing "love marriage" and arranged marriage between India and the United States. Another St. Mary's Project Dr. Finkelman supervised was about superstitions and athletes, and another looked assisted suicide and competency. This is a wide range of topics that just highlights the diversity of projects that he has been a part of over the years.

Dr. Wes Jordan

Dr. Jordan was very involved in research with undergraduate students. The goal of working with undergraduates was to convince students that the term "research" did not signify laboratory work. Additionally, Dr. Jordan wanted to convey the importance diversity within research.

In working with undergraduate students, Dr. Jordan mentored numerous students in St. Mary's Projects. He estimated to have guided research for one hundred and fifty to two hundred students. In addition to semester research, Dr. Jordan was involved in the summer research program known as SURF. This program typically consisted of one to two students working on psychology research during the summer on the St. Mary's campus. Dr. Jordan mentioned that during this time relationships were established between professors and students. An average of forty hours a week were spent in collaboration. Students and professors would occasionally go to lunch together or casually sit in the lab discussing research strategies. Dr. Jordan suggested that this type of "informal activity was centered around the shared experience of doing research".

Separately, when Dr. Jordan would teach small classes of five or six, he would facilitate social gatherings. He stated that he would host students at his house for an end of the semester dinner. Similarly, during the holiday season, Dr. Jordan invited students to his house for Christmas cookie parties and a festive dinner. When events weren't being hosted at a professor's house, the pub on campus was a convenient space for personal meetings. Professors and students could get a snack and discuss academic material. Thus, small class sizes allowed for more personal relationships between professors and students.

Dr. Richard Platt

Dr. Platt felt like the student-teacher relationships have "always been pretty close," especially when it comes to including students in research. He noticed that there are more research opportunities now than before. He also keeps an open door policy and talks with students when they come to his office.

Dr. Elizabeth Williams

Dr. Williams noted that the small class sizes have always allowed for her to have close relationships with her students. When she previously taught at the University of Maryland, it was typically in a lecture hall setting so she had fewer personal interactions with her students. At St. Mary's, however, she's been able to have closer relationships with students. She's enjoyed speaking with them, having them stop by her office, and getting to know them on a personal level. For the most part these interactions have been in person, but she noted how more communication now occurs electronically. She also remains very close with many alumni, many of which she has friended on Facebook. She has also conducted research with some of her former students. Currently she is working with three alumni on a research project on feminist mentoring.