Stephen Willand Ph.D.

Stephen.Willand@nichols.edu

As a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Nichols College I have developed a deep respect for the academic excellence of the school's curriculum and the Nichols commitment to maintain the highest level of scholastic standards and state-of -the- art course offerings for its adult students. I am equally impressed with the caliber of the adult students and their dedication to the goals of personal and career enrichment through the Nichols College Division of Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS). It is not surprising, therefore, that I am extremely pleased to be a member of the Adjunct Faculty, to have taught a number of classes in both the MBA and undergraduate sections of the Nichols GPS, and in some small way to have contributed to the continued success of the finest academic institution of its kind in the region.

By way of academic preparation, I hold a BA from the College of the Holy Cross, an MA from the Center for Advanced International Studies at the University of Miami, and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. I have been fortunate to have taught some 260 college courses here and at a number of other colleges and universities over the past 27 years. During this time I have always been impressed with the level of discipline and dedication of the adult student population that somehow balances the commitments of career, family, and social responsibilities with an unsurpassed level of devotion to their academic endeavors. This is an exceptional population of "non-traditional" students and I am privileged to have come to know so many of them.

My "industry" experience includes some 30 years as a senior level executive manager and department head for city government which involved strategic planning, multi-million dollar budget preparation and maintenance, supervisory management for a staff of 60, establishing and sustaining excellent relationships with a board of directors, and the development of the leadership skills necessary for any organization to maximize effectiveness and efficiency in the 21st century. It is this unique blend of academic preparation, college teaching and administrative industry experience that I try to bring to the classroom so that each and every student can learn from a combination of theoretical and practical academic approaches.

My teaching philosophy is quite simple: to be engaging and empowering in every class and to help every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to establish and reach the highest level of academic and personal goals. I have long said that the heart of this great Republic beats to the rhythm of free speech and is nurtured by one's ability to express a thought, opinion or point of view openly and freely. Nowhere is this more important than in a college setting where intellectual curiosity and critical thinking are brought forward by an adult population that can share and learn from the wealth of knowledge that they and their classmates possess. I have great passion for teaching which, I am told, I do not disguise. This passion is nurtured and expanded by the audience of lifelong learners and dedicated students that I am privileged to be associated with at Nichols College. My favorite word to read on student evaluations of my classes is Inspiration. However, this inspiration is mutual as I seek to inspire students I am simultaneously inspired by them in an environment of academic enrichment and mutual respect.