2012 ICCTA Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member Award Nomination Form Name of nominee Jennifer H. Huggins Community college Kankakee Community College Discipline taught Developmental Writing, Business Communication, and Journalism Nominee’s mailing address 420 Meadows Rd South, Bourbonnais IL 60914 Telephone # 815-932-1316 E-mail address jhuggins@kcc.edu PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW THE NOMINEE MEETS EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: 1. In what ways has this educator demonstrated excellence in teaching?

Jennifer has a strong connection with her students. She believes teaching is a learning opportunity to prepare students for the work force. Instructional activities are designed for practical application and relative to real word and workplace scenarios. Jennifer’s assignments are creative and allow students to become part of an individualized learning environment and community classroom at the same time. In addition, she believes in returning to students all submitted work by the very next class period, providing immediate feedback to be used by students in preparation for the following assignments. Jennifer also demonstrates excellence in teaching by holding two office hours every day, which is not a requirement for adjunct instructors; these office hours allow her students to discuss classroom goals, coursework, and other learning opportunities.

2. What has this educator initiated or helped to develop in the area of innovative programs used in two-

year postsecondary institutions?

Upon taking the helm of the Journalism course on campus, Jennifer called on her experience in the business to design assignments around real-life experiences, asking her students to cover actual events and applying journalistic principles to real-life situations. Because the course had no objectives, Jennifer, with the permission of her dean, worked to write objectives that would meld with planned activities, including those asking students to review bodies of journalistic literature and then explore and write upon these subjects. She welcomed the opportunity to pair her students with a local fire protection district to plan and write stories for publication in their bi-annual newsletter, giving students practical application of the skills they are learning and a way to build experience for future job opportunities.

3. How has this educator served on technical or special committees serving two-year postsecondary

education, and how did this effort affect the college program in the community, state or nation?

Jennifer participates in several college and community oriented groups. As a volunteer tutor for the KCC Alive Literacy Program, Jennifer has tutored students of all abilities and reading levels and encourages their participation when ready in college level coursework to continue their education. She helped to create and leads a weekly book club with the female inmates at the Jerome Combs Detention Center. The ladies in the book club are discovering and re-discovering a love of reading and have expressed interest in enrolling at KCC when able. Jennifer is a member of the KCC Faculty Growth and Development Committee and has worked to provide professional development opportunities for full-time and adjunct faculty through the in-service events each semester and throughout the year.

4. How has this educator provided leadership in helping to solve challenges to two-year postsecondary institutions?

Jennifer instructs three developmental writing courses, which help underprepared students prepare for entrance into college level writing courses. At KCC, and around the country, college preparedness is at an all- time low. She provides the basic skills necessary for students to build a strong writing foundation that will carry them throughout their college careers and beyond. In addition, Professor Huggins’ developmental courses also center on the realm of academia in general. In other words, a key aspect to success in her courses is knowing how to use and gather course information from properly reading the syllabus and understanding course goals and expectations. This allows the student to be better prepared for other college courses and hopefully to be academically successful.

5. How has this educator been active in developing, organizing, or supporting state and/or national two-

year postsecondary education associations?

Jennifer is currently working with the Northern Illinois Network for Staff Development in hopes of providing a broader range of professional development opportunities for faculty on campus, based on the wonderful resources that organization has to offer and so willingly shares.

6. What awards or honors has this educator received in recognition of leadership in the college or

community? Jennifer has played an active role in the education community in the area, having served as president

of the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Academic Foundation since 2005. The foundation raises monies to support programs for students not included in the school’s departmental budgets. She received the Friend of Education Award from BBCHS in 2007 for her work as chairman of the Friends of BBCHS Committee, which was to help pass a referendum to build a second high school for the students in District 307. In March of this year, she was nominated for the Illinois State Library 2012 Spotlight on Service Awards in recognition of her work in literacy training and weekly book club meetings with the female inmates at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee. Despite her hectic schedule, she still finds time to make a difference in the lives of these women. She is instilling a passion for the written word and giving them a confidence boost that they have never had.

7. How does this educator keep pace with current theories and practices in the nominee’s discipline?

Jennifer has maintained contact with the faculty and staff in the School of Communication at Illinois State University and continues to gather information and to review existing research on new and emerging communication theory, theory application, and communication in and around organizations. Although no longer working actively as a journalist, Jennifer has continued writing daily to keep her skills fresh and maintains an avid interest in “news” in any form. She works to ensure that her journalism students are receiving the most up-to-date information regarding the discipline and has called on fellow journalists with whom she formerly worked to speak with her class. New to the developmental writing staff at Kankakee Community College, Jennifer is hungry for any techniques that will help her students succeed and has developed relationships with full-time instructors in her division who serve as her unofficial mentors. Their advice, combined with her own unique assignment designs, provides her writing students with the practical knowledge they need to be successful at college level writing in her class and outside the classroom. Through her work with the college’s ALIVE literacy program, Jennifer takes advantage of any online opportunities made available to review successful strategies for teaching the adult learner.

Jennifer H. Huggins Philosophy of Education

Pursuing an education beyond high school ensures students have choices in life. I work to give my

students the tools necessary to be successful in life and to teach them to use those tools to their advantage. I embrace the many challenges with which students enter my classroom and work to build their confidence so those challenges no longer seem so threatening. I believe in encouraging my students to fully embrace what Kankakee Community College has to offer. I work to help them understand the value of an education in making their lives and the lives of their families better. You have to be accessible to your students, even if you are not a full-time faculty member. They have to know you care and are willing to partner with them to ensure they are working to the best of their abilities and to push them out of their comfort zones to see all things around them in a different light. At this level, an instructor is not simply a teacher, but a role model, a life coach, a sympathetic ear, a motivator, and, at times, a taskmaster. I accept these roles readily. It is my job to lead my students to success and provide them with the knowledge and support necessary to achieve their goals. To be a good educator, one must first love learning and be willing to share that love of learning with students in the hopes they, too, will catch the bug.

What our students say about Jennifer

Very helpful and concerned

instructor

Gives excellent examples and is

always willing to take the time to help

a student with questions

I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great teacher. To be honest, I did not go into this class thinking that it was of importance to me but I learned so many valufuture. Not to mention that you were able to make us laugh and keep the lessons interesting. I do not know if I would have been as dedicated to the class if a different teacher had taught it. So thank you for making a lasting impression on me, I will always remember my Business Communication course!

Mrs. Huggins is an awesome teacher and person. I am in her 8:00 am class, and those 55 minutes go by too fast. She is down to earth and understanding. She’s real easy to talk to, and she cares what you say. As a teacher she cares about her students. Ifget help it is your own fault. There are not enough teachers in this world like her. If there were more teachers like her, school would be better. I found out that Mrs. Huggins was tecollege writing this summer and I had to sign up because that is how good she is. When I sign up for my next classes I will see if she is teaching them, and if so, will sign up and telteacher. I have a son that will be going to college soon, and I will tell him about her.

You're class was my favorite class I've taken duteaching style, and I look

What our students say about Jennifer…

She’s very good at explaining things

Very helpful and concerned

Very enthusiastic, she really connects to her students and makes sure we understand

She is great and I hope she stays here for a long

time!

I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great teacher. To be honest, I did not go into this class thinking that it was of importance to me but I learned so many valuable things that will be useful in my future. Not to mention that you were able to make us laugh and keep the lessons interesting. I do not know if I would have been as dedicated to the class if a different teacher had taught it. So thank you for making a lasting impression on me, I will always remember my Business Communication course!

Mrs. Huggins is an awesome teacher and person. I am in her 8:00 am class, and those 55 minutes go by too fast. She is down to earth and understanding. She’s real easy to talk to, and she cares what you say. As a teacher she cares about her students. If you don't understand something, she is right there. So if you don't get help it is your own fault. There are not enough teachers in this world like her. If there were more teachers like her, school would be better. I found out that Mrs. Huggins was teaching the second part of college writing this summer and I had to sign up because that is how good she is. When I sign up for my next classes I will see if she is teaching them, and if so, will sign up and tell other people how good she is

have a son that will be going to college soon, and I will tell him about her.

You're class was my favorite class I've taken during my college career so far. I really appreciated your teaching style, and I looked forward to class every day.

Very enthusiastic, she really connects to her students and makes sure we understand

She is wonderful! I love her teaching

methods

- Photo by velkr0

I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great teacher. To be honest, I did not go into this class able things that will be useful in my

future. Not to mention that you were able to make us laugh and keep the lessons interesting. I do not know if I would have been as dedicated to the class if a different teacher had taught it. So thank you for making a

Mrs. Huggins is an awesome teacher and person. I am in her 8:00 am class, and those 55 minutes go by too fast. She is down to earth and understanding. She’s real easy to talk to, and she cares what you say. As a

you don't understand something, she is right there. So if you don't get help it is your own fault. There are not enough teachers in this world like her. If there were more

aching the second part of college writing this summer and I had to sign up because that is how good she is. When I sign up for my next

l other people how good she is as a

I really appreciated your