New dean eager for future

Since assuming her duties Aug. 1, Joanna Forstrom, Chadron State’s new dean of Teaching and Learning and the School of Liberal Arts, stands ready and is optimistic to meet the challenges posed by a rural institution.

Forstrom, daughter of an air force pilot, is a native of the Midwest who was raised in Rapid City, S.D. Forstrom said she became familiar with CSC when she participated in the college’s scholastic day competitions, an annual academic contest for regional high school students.

Returning to the college as dean instead of high school competitor, Forstrom is still trying to find a balance in her dual roles as dean of Teaching and Learning and the School of Liberal Arts, something that the more than 20 candidates prior to her failed to do to the satisfaction of the seven-member search committee.

“I’m still sorting out my roles,” Forstrom said, noting she has only been in Chadron since late July.

The new dean said she is gaining feedback about the needs of programs she oversees, and is obtaining it from a wide cross-section, including faculty and administrators.

Forstrom oversees the Center for Teaching and Learning; First Year Inquiry courses; study abroad/away programs; and the campus radio station.

Forstrom said she views the available pool of local adjuncts as one of the greatest challenges to a rural college in the Midwest.

“Most colleges are using more adjuncts than ever, and that’s not a bad thing, as long as they are providing quality instruction,” Forstrom said.

Forstrom said that, compared to their on-campus counterparts, distance adjunct faculty present unique issues and opportunities. Whether faculty are on- or off-campus, Forstrom said she maintains high expectations.

“I would expect quality teaching from all faculty, regardless of their location,” Forstrom said. “It shouldn’t matter conceptually whether they are [adjunct or traditional faculty].” She said evaluations are an important component of measuring how adjunct faculty are performing, and is unsure how the evaluations process differs between them and traditional faculty.

“Evaluations are still in transition,” Forstrom said.

Speaking about the college’s newly-revised general studies program, Forstrom credited the faculty and said she feels confident about the new system.

“The faculty have done a great job,” she said. “I suspect upperclassmen may be jealous of the freshmen [who are taking these courses].”

CSC is responding to a national trend in higher education by offering its FYI courses in a collaborative format, Forstrom said.

“Students learn more when they learn in an interdisciplinary way,” Forstrom said. “CSC is ahead of the curve.”

Looking ahead, Forstrom said a new committee, the Essential Studies Taskforce, formed by Interim President Randy Rhine, largely influences essential studies in the future.

“There seems to be a great energy about them [FYI courses],” Forstrom said.