My ultimate goal is to help each student learn to analyze complex human behavior and enterprise so that they come to understand issues they may find important or intriguing, but initially baffling. Armed with logic and a general sense that every course of action has both intended and unintended consequences, I hope to help each student become a more informed, thoughtful member of society.
My immediate goal is always first to present the economic intuition and methodology clearly and concisely and then to show the relationship to public policy. Each topic begins with an intuitive explanation of a basic economic problem. We then develop the logical structure economists use to analyze the problem. Finally, we use this methodology to analyze practical problems while critiquing public policy initiatives that attempt to correct these problems. Although undergraduate economic methodology is not overtly mathematical, it is predicated upon mathematical logic. As such, students often find this aspect of economics quite challenging. However, with a consistent effort, virtually all students develop the ability to understand and apply the theory to practical problems. Written assignments are structured to force the students to employ economic language and structure to a practical problem. The exams are designed to measure students' ability to understand and apply these tools in several situations with varying complexity. Students leave the course with a greater appreciation of the socioeconomic problems policy makers face and a greater ability to recognize causes and predict effects.
As an educator, I firmly believe that, upon completing a course, students should retain general knowledge, with the ability to logically critique similar situations as they arise. It is my hope that these skills transcend applications to any specific course. Thus, I attempt to structure assignments so as to also improve students' general communication skills and cognitive abilities. In short, it is my overt desire to provide an academically challenging environment where the students understand both the importance and the limitations of theory. Nevertheless, I also hope that some students will develop an aesthetic appreciation for theory as well as an appreciation of the complexities one faces when searching for practical solutions.
I strive to challenge the students while providing them with an academically enriching experience. This is my constant personal challenge and source of satisfaction. As evidence, I have found that even those students who are quite apprehensive at the start of a term often prove themselves to be capable of much more than they had initially imagined. To this end, I strive to present the material clearly, and in an enthusiastic and engaging manner. One must then increase the probability of student success on challenging assignments by offering time, patience and understanding. By helping to formulate strategies leading to accomplishment and self-fulfillment, one engages the students productively with long-term results.
Finally, with every class I try to ensure that my enthusiasm for the material is contagious. Plus, I have found that Bellarmine students in particular respond very well to encouragement, especially when they are struggling through conceptually challenging work. I constantly remind them that I know that the material is difficult, and that it may require developing new study habits and thought processes. However, I also tell students that they are no different from previous classes that had successfully learned the material, so that with a little hard work they are up to the task. I have found that the combination of a respectful, enthusiastic approach with proper encouragement keeps the students motivated and fosters success.
Colleges across the country continue to develop more rigorous academic expectations. Today, the exceptional high school student is well aware of discrepancies in academic quality among colleges and universities. Colleges recognize that a challenging curriculum with diverse educational opportunities attracts the best students. The very act of attracting better students perpetuates itself by forcing the curriculum to evolve in a manner that fosters greatest personal and intellectual growth. In my opinion, Bellarmine University's comparative advantage is that it strives to provide a challenging academic environment within a culture that promotes social awareness and scientific discovery. This satisfies the primary mission of the Economics Department as stated in the University catalogue. I try to fulfill the mission of the Rubel School of Business by extending these ideals to the courses I teach in the Business core curriculum (Econ 111, 112, 314, 410) and the M.B.A. program in an effort to consistently provide a quality, student-centered, education in the Catholic liberal arts tradition.
Therefore, in order to help promote and facilitate the educational missions of the University, my classroom goals are:
- to clearly illustrate the connection between theory and practice, emphasizing the tension between ethical responsibilities and the relative feasibility of objectives,
- to help improve students' abilities to reason and communicate,
- to provide a challenging academic environment, and
- to motivate students to eclipse previous expectations of personal achievement.
I sincerely believe that these goals, executed within the economics curriculum, help each student to become a critical thinker with thoughtful appreciation of the complexities of society.
