Alan Mauch, alumnus and Baker University Board of Trustees member, took on the role of a student and attended classes for three days to personally experience the Baker classroom atmosphere.
Mauch decided to spend some time on campus after a panel of faculty members peaked his interest during presentations explaining teaching methods and learning approaches being applied in various areas of study at the BOT meeting in February.
“I was particularly impressed with some of the research being done by undergraduates here at Baker that were competing with graduate students in some sort of competition in political science,” he said.
Mauch graduated from Baker in 1972 as a political science major and has been on the BOT for the past nine years. He worked with Rand Ziegler, vice president and dean of the college of arts and sciences, to set up a time to sit in on classes.
“I told him I wanted to see history and political science since that was my major when I was here, but whatever else he wanted to put me in to feel free, and I was really impressed,” he said.
Mauch attended 10 classes total March 30, April 2 and April 3, including Statistics, Contemporary German Culture, General Psychology and French. He said he was excited to attend some classes more than others, but enjoyed them all.
“I’m glad I don’t have to take Statistics, but (Assistant Professor of Mathematics) Kelly Bach made that really interesting for someone like me who isn’t a major,” he said. “Psychology was interesting, the history courses obviously, and even French was kind of entertaining.”
Mauch said he sought the classroom experiences because he is interested in how teaching and learning methods have changed and are impacting students.
“It gave me a chance to see very different teaching techniques than I was used to when I went here – a lot more informal, a lot more energetic,” he said. “Every class I was in there was a good rapport between students and faculty. “
Mauch said he plans on relating his experiences to other trustees, alumni and donors, as to improve Baker’s image.
“As a trustee trying to help raise money for the university, I can always go to people who graduated in my era and we can reminisce about how it was, but I want to be able to talk about how it is now,” he said. “It excites me to see what’s happening with both the students and the faculty, and it gives me stories I can go tell prospective donors and existing donors.”
Associate Professor of French Erin Joyce said she enjoyed having a trustee member sit in on her class.
“I was really happy that he was interested enough to come and see our classes, and I was really honored that he was able to come and observe my class,” she said.
Ziegler said he was pleased to set up a schedule for Mauch.
“His reaction to it made it all worthwhile,” he said. “I invited him to come down and visit with me before he went to his first class and then to visit with me after he was done visiting all the classes, and he was just jazzed; he really enjoyed himself.”
French student Katie Adams said she was impressed by Mauch’s visit.
“If anything, board members should visit more often to really know what Baker is like. That way, they can make better decisions for the students and professors.”
