What works well?

Katherine Rowell, Sociology/Center for Teaching and Learning, Sinclair Community College

As a community college faculty member of the American Sociological Association, I think the ASA Section on Teaching and Learning has worked well in supporting me as an educator. This section has over 800 members and these members come from various types of institutions (not just community college faculty). This section has also offered opportunities for leadership specifically targeted to community college faculty. The section chair rotates every three years to an elected community college faculty member and there are also three elected (three year terms) council positions designated for community college faculty. I believe this is the only section within ASA where community college faculty leadership is part of an intentional institutionalization. I enjoy being a member of this section in part because I am not singled out as being from a community college. The focus of this section is good teaching and all the members (no matter their institutional affiliation) are dedicated to good sociological teaching. In fact, this past year the focus was on teaching introductory sociology and I had an opportunity to learn from all faculty not just community college faculty.