The School of Arts and Sciences appointed its first professor of the practice, Penn Loh, to the Department of Urban Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) at the beginning of this semester in hopes of enhancing its curriculum with real-world knowledge.
Professors of the practice are real-world practitioners hired by universities to bring their skills to the classroom.
Loh brings to Tufts years of experience in the field of environmental justice. His work as executive director of Alternative for Community and Environment (ACE) aimed to empower low-income and minority communities to challenge the environmental inequities they face.
Loh's work with these communities lends itself naturally to teaching, according to UEP Chair Julian Agyeman. "His work in environmental justice is an educational approach, but a community educational approach as opposed to a university approach," Agyeman said. "This transfers very well, especially to students who want to work with communities."
The School of Engineering has benefitted from professors of the practice for years and currently employs 14, according to Dean of Engineering Linda Abriola.
"The whole reason for creating the position was for practitioners to bring their expertise and knowledge to students so they can understand how what they're learning here can be applied," Abriola said.
According to Abriola, the value of professors of the practice lies in their ability to excite and engage students in real-world problems. Through internship opportunities and project involvement, these real-world professionals are often able to involve students with their own research or work.
The addition of Loh will complement the nature of a UEP degree, Agyeman said, explaining that the department is mostly comprised of students who already have work experience and is focused on offering concrete methods to create sustainable communities, in addition to providing theoretical knowledge.
"We are training people to do a specific job," Agyeman said. "[We are] much more focused on giving them the professional tools to help communities. To have someone with this experience, that is a real value to our students."
At Tufts, Loh will channel his experience in the field into two courses: Environmental Justice, Security, and Sustainability; and Foundations of Public Policy and Planning.
"[Loh] follows the Tufts creed of helping students to become active citizens," Agyeman said. "That's what we do in this department … building better societies, more just and sustainable communities. Penn is a great addition to our team in doing that."
Although professors of the practice often do not have any prior experience as educators, the School of Engineering has not noticed any significant problems with teaching ability. In fact, in the last few years, students have voted to give the School of Engineering's yearly best teaching award to these individuals, according to Abriola.
"So far, the majority have taken well to the classroom. Occasionally there are problems, but the frequency is not any more than we see with our regular faculty," Abriola said.
She said their professional experience lends itself to teaching. "In the business world, you often make presentations," she said. "These experiences serve them well in the classroom"
The School of Engineering evaluates its professors of the practice at the end of the semester through student evaluation forms, as it does normal faculty members, and conducts a thorough review before asking them to return in following years.
Drawing from a pool of professionals for decades, the Experimental College has benefitted from this method. The ExCollege makes use of real-world practitioners to teach classes not offered by the university.
One such example is the course entitled, "The Business of Sports: A Study of the NBA," offered this semester. It is taught by Jan Volk, former general manager of the Boston Celtics.
"There is something to gain from people who have been in the field and have experience that is not necessarily theoretical but more practical. It is a way to bridge the real-life experience with what people have learned in their liberal arts courses," ExCollege Director Robyn Gittleman said.
The ExCollege has developed an extensive evaluation system for its outside faculty over the years. Each potential course instructor is evaluated by a faculty member and two students, as well as through outside recommendations from practitioners in their field, according to Gittleman.
"Students have a good idea of who makes a good professor," Gittleman said. "By having the interview with students, we feel that we are looking at their teaching potential or ability."
