Kim Hoosier Talks Awards, Students, Sociology
Joe Fowler, online editor
Piedmont Virginia Community College Professor of Sociology Kim Hoosier won the Susan S. Wood Professorship for Teaching Excellence last week at the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) New Horizons Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony.
On Wednesday, April 19, 2017, Hoosier met with a reporter from The Forum to discuss her award, along with several other subjects.
The VCCS awards the Susan S. Wood Professorship for Teaching Excellence annually based on an extensive application and eligibility process. “Through a competitive selection process, a VCCS faculty member will be designated as the Susan B. Wood Professor,” according the VCCS website.
Hoosier said that she applied for a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) award in 2016 and was a finalist for the award.
Though she ultimately did not win the SCHEV award, Hoosier explained that she already had most of the key components for the Susan S. Wood application process as a result of the SCHEV application process.
“It’s an honor to get the award. I feel humbled by it,” said Hoosier. “Plenty of other teachers here deserve to be recognized.” Though the award process entails a great deal of feedback from VCCS directors and faculty, a large component of the award involves academic leadership and dedication, according to the VCCS website.
Hoosier received an overall 4.8/5-star rating among 57 students during her time at PVCC, according to the Rate My Professors website. Additionally, she co-authored a journal article with former PVCC Professor Sam Pincus in 2014 titled “Student Engagement and Professional Development in an Innovative Learning Community,” which can be found on the VCCS Digital Commons website.
Hoosier spoke fondly of her students and teaching saying that “it’s important to take something away from the class,” as opposed to simply getting a grade and moving on. “It’s nice to be recognized. You don’t always feel you’re making the impact you want to,” she said.
Speaking on her area of expertise, sociology, Hoosier commented on the growing divide in the United States beyond the academic realm. “The trend that bothers me is the divide between the haves and the have-nots,” she said in regards to financial inequality.
She said, “Poverty and inequality are huge issues systemic to a lot of other problems.” On that point, Hoosier praised the teaching environment at PVCC in that and other regards. “I feel like it’s a gift to teach such a diversity of students from different backgrounds who are willing to engage in the class,” she said.
