Stu Shafer

Professor of Sociology and Chair of Sustainable Agriculture
JCCC Box 36
12345 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS 66210 sshafer@jccc.edu

Phone:785-691-5006

Background Information

I have been a professor of sociology at JCCC for 24 years, and for the last 4 years have also taught in a new sustainable agriculture program. My expertise for that discipline comes from an even longer practice as an organic farmer. The two foci intersect in my specialization in the sociology of agriculture and food. Most of my research is in those areas, but I have also done some work in the area of curriculum development, which has included interpretation and application of competency based learning standards to our college's curriculum approval process, as well as work with a statewide committee of representatives from all of the community colleges and state universities in developing core curriculum outcome standards.

Related Pedagogical Projects

The Core Outcomes Project of the Kansas Board of Regents has met almost annually for the past 10 years or so to develop competency-based outcomes for core courses at the entry level for sociology programs across the state. I have been chair and now co-chair of the sociology group for the last four years, in which time we have developed a recommendation for a new core course in inequalities and diversity. I have also participated in the annual Chairs Conference of the American Sociological Association (ASA) for several years and led a breakout session three years ago on chairing a community college sociology department. I have also served on several panels at the ASA and Midwest Sociological Society annual meetings discussing the teaching of sociology at community colleges, as well as meetings of community college faculty at those meetings where we shared experiences and discussed issues specific to our positions in the discipline.