Merrick Tillman

It is very important for the faculty to have experience in their fiels in order for them to relate the infomration to the field. As a student it is important that they know what they are beng taught is going to benefit them on their chosen profesion. So they want the instructor to know the profeasion to make that happen.

Richard Karstien

This is a subject that drives me crazy as an instructor....How can someone be qualified to teach something if they never actually "did it". I am in the Criminal Justice field and have been for 20 years and it really irks me to see some instructors that have these advanced degrees that went being a student in a classroom to in front of the classroom as an instructor, with little or no "real world experience. I think having experience in the field you are teaching makes you much more credible to the students. The examples I can speak of beat any examples from a textbook that someone with no experience just relays to the class.

Melissa Gainey

I agree. There is nothing like having an instructor with real world knowledge. They have lived the experience and acquired skills that students aspire to. What better motivation can there be?

Susan Backofen

Teresa,

Well, while faculty certainly can teach on a subject for which they have studied but have no professional experience, I think that the 'stories' they bring to the classroom and examples of real life situations is helpful to students.

Susan Backofen