As the fall semester nears, 好色先生TV鈥檚 distinctive Core program will have a new leadership structure with Dr. Judith Levy joining current director, Dr. Stephen Herschler Mattern, to serve as co-directors.
As Co-Director, Levy will work side-by-side with Mattern as a leader for the Core program, considering the needs of students, faculty, and staff to ensure the success of the program. She will work on staffing, strengthening learning outcomes and program assessment, and facilitating events, along with modernizing and diversifying the Core.
鈥淪tephen and Judie will make a strong team,鈥� said Dr. Kendra King Momon, interim provost. 鈥淭he Core is integral to how we approach education at Oglethorpe, and it鈥檚 important that it have committed leadership. Stephen鈥檚 history at Oglethorpe and Judie鈥檚 fresh approaches are the perfect complement to ensure Core stays fresh and vital for our students.鈥�
Levy has been a lecturer in the Core program for two years. She earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Emory University and has an M.A. in English and a certificate in teaching writing from California State University, Fullerton. While at Emory she served as the Interim Assistant Director to the Honor Council and worked on curriculum development, assessment and other initiatives with the Emory Writing Program and Writing Center.
鈥淚t鈥檚 energizing to have someone of Dr. Levy鈥檚 caliber serve as co-director,鈥� Mattern said. 鈥淲e work well together, and I look forward to continuing to grow and evolve the Core to better bridge the needs of Oglethorpe students and their potential.鈥�
Mattern, professor of politics, has taught at Oglethorpe for 22 years and has served in a variety of administrative roles, including provost and director of the Honors Program. Levy has taught 100- and 300-level Core courses as well as First-Year Seminar. She has participated in Honor Council, served on the Core Oversight Committee and helped facilitate Core program assessment.
鈥淭eaching Core across the 100 and 300 cohorts has grafted onto my insight how students learn skills and develop across years,鈥� Levy said. 鈥淎s a lecturer, I have learned that when instructors feel heard, supported, and have access to helpful resources, it enhances our teaching. Pairing my experience as a lecturer with former experience in service and administrative roles, I like to call myself an 鈥榓cademic liaison鈥� and a 鈥榳rangler of information.鈥� I plan to assess Core and see where we can give it a boost by analyzing data to show strengths and weaknesses, organizing and expediting processes, and clarifying communication to students, faculty, and staff along the way.鈥�
The order of the 100, 200, and 300 level themes create an engaging learning experience, and because the Core engages students at every classification, they can have cross-discipline conversations about the texts. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淐rime and Punishment,鈥� and the faculty are working to challenge students鈥� critical thinking skills by looking at contemporary issues through multiple lenses.
Levy and Mattern are looking to strengthen how the Core鈥檚 learning outcomes build from year-to-year and articulate the uniqueness and benefits of such an approach to current and potential students. They are also exploring ways to modernize and diversify the Core, from assignment types to texts to study.
鈥淐ore is the ultimate manifestation of OU鈥檚 investment to 鈥榤ake a life, make a living, and make a difference,'” Levy said. 鈥淭he shared experience crafts a community at Oglethorpe, while the inquiry practiced in each course stimulates critical thinking to support positive and inclusive world-building.鈥�
