Show i Teaching from the heart is important to her style if Our latest review indicated that we have the finest associate of o f arts program in the state I Connie Stowe Burrup Staff Writer AM Gardner seems to be beI bethe PAM I the em embodiment of a synergistic combination of the mind and heart Her Hermany Hermany Hermany many accomplishments both personal and professional contribute to the overall excellence excellence ex ex- of education at Salt Lake Community College As current division chair for the Department of Humanities and arid as the director director director tor of activities for a portion of the federally funded million Title III grant awarded in 1988 Gardner has revamped the General Education requirements requirements requirements require require- ments to enable students transfer transference nce ability to other higher education facilities and developed Associate of Arts degrees in humanities and general education During the last four-and- four one-half one years Gardner has worked for consensus on revamping 20 of the current class courses and the development development development develop develop- ment of 40 new offerings in inhumanities inhumanities inhumanities humanities and general education Prior to this endeavor students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents attending may have been able to take course coursework coursework coursework work specific to their major but were unable to transfer the credit or take contiguous classes associated with their major or meet any overall general education require require- ments When Gardner began her quest in 1987 she knew it would either be the salvation salvation salvation salva salva- tion of the curriculum or the destroyer There were classes listed as general education education education tion now there are 60 said Gardner Working with a broad- broad based campus task force said Gardner we worked for consensus consensus consensus con con- not a majority We would not move until consensus consensus consensus con con- was reached Prior to 1982 there were no humanities no science no calculus Our latest review indicated that we have the finest associate of arts degree program in the state she said Our whole purpose was to tom make a ke sure sur ewe we had a general education program not just a bunch of classes she said Our credibility has increased increased increased in in- creased tremendously as wella well a as s the s students student's t u den t s t trans trans- ran s- s fer ability By the end of the Title III program this fall we will have reached all our goals I am extremely proud of that We have created a cohesiveness to our program program program pro pro- gram she added Gardners Gardner's 17 year association association association tion with has made her a strong advocate of the community college concept U Utah tah has enough four year colleges If we were to become become become be be- come a year four-year institution we would leave a large gap gapin gapin gapin in education Having too many year four-year institutions creates a very expensive system system system tem that doesn't meet the needs of the majority of the students A nationwide trend indicates indicates indicates indi indi- cates th that t 80 of n new w jobs will require less than a baccalaureate baccalaureate baccalaureate bac bac- or a technical de de- de- de gree w Many are over-educated over and under Community colleges do a better job of teach teaching g beginning beginning begin begin- ning fling classes and career preparation We do a better job of offering a successful educational experience that will enable students to continue continue continue con con- on at a year four-year institution institution institution tion Gardner said Our students do better because we do a better job of the teachers we hire are professionals and for forthe forthe forthe the most mos part experienced teachers Gar Gardner attempts to work closely with the many adjunct adjunct adjunct ad ad- professors on campus We monitor the student evaluations very closely If there is any concern level level- we take remedial action If the problem is not solved that teacher is gone she said Recently Gardner has completed all aIr her coursework coursework coursework cour- cour for a PhD Ph.D. in Educational Educational Educational Leadership A joint effort effort effort ef ef- ef- ef fort with her colleagues has produced a comprehensive report on a unique aspect of leadership detailing the impact impact impact im im- im- im pact of melding the learning experiences of both the mind and heart as the impetus impetus impetus im im- im- im petus for the actual acquisition acquisition acquisition tion of knowledge Gardner refers to it as restoring restoring restoring re re storing the tle heart to leader leader- ship A Chinese character symbol shows that the sign for the heart and the mind is the s 's same a me II There Th ere is no nodi di dichotomization h said Gardner Gardner wants to be able to use her new-found new understanding understanding under under- standing of the educational T f at rs r o 0 f- f h. h Ed ule Pam Gardner process to help create a better environment for education She advocates development of an entrepreneur environment environment environment environ environ- ment which fosters creativity and innovation Her idealistic goal is to es UeS establish establish es a shared vision with her teachers th then n turn them loose Teachers need to remember that they bring to the classroom everything they have ever been through heard or learned all that baggage If teachers are going to try t to make sen sense e out of that experience they have to open up the b bags g and share with their students all that they are She has somehow successfully successfully successfully success success- fully balanced her personal and professional life Gardner became an adjunct professor at in 1975 Teaching during the day she worked on her masters master's degree degree degree de de- de- de gree at night Her children were 5 and 7 years old at the time She finished her masters master's degree in 1 2 1 years Currently she is in inthe inthe inthe the final pro process ess of her doctoral doctoral doctoral doc doc- toral pursuit in Educational Leadership at BYU An accomplished artist and musician Gardner Gardn r paints Japanese Sumi-e Sumi art One of her paintings was recently purchased by the college and hangs on the upper level of the College Center Gardner cautions her students students stu- stu den dents ts to be wary of the challenge of women to be super mom and super stud stu stu- stu- stu d dent n The guilt trip can be pretty intense warns Gardner It is the darkest of lies to make you feel unworthy unworthy unworthy un un- worthy and unloved The process of surrender and that leap of faith is to face your fear of the unknown An important growth process for her was to discover discover discover dis dis- dis cover that When I feel most destroyed I am about to grow she said What is really important to remember is that in the end we will be judged o on how we we trea treated t d one another a. a a. a d 1 N e 1111 e e tt II A |