This year’s recipient of the George B. Barbour Award for promoting good faculty/student relations at the University of Cincinnati is RWC’s own Professor H. Michael Sanders. Professor Sanders is the director of the Media Services Center and Professor of Electronic Media Technology.While attending Ohio State, Sanders received his Masters in Art Education and his Bachelors in Fine Art and Photo Cinema. He has also taught video production and media skills to student teachers at OSU.
Besides designing the Electronic Media Program curriculum here at RWC, Sanders has been the Production Manager since 1984. In 1988 he was appointed as a Library faculty member and taught library technology until 1994.
When asked what first interested him in Electronic Media, Sanders said, “I watched a lot of TV as a child, too many Saturday morning cartoons and Howdy Doody.”
Since Michael is the recipient of an award for promoting good faculty/student relations it’s important to analyze qualities that are important for faculty and students to have.
“All faculty members should think about whether or not their students are learning something valuable,” says Sanders. “They should learn from their students as their students learn from them, and try to find a way for students to use what they are learning in meaningful ways.”
As a professor, Sanders has his students work in teams on real professional projects to nurture professional work experiences that come from reality and not simulations. “Students should take responsibility for their learning,” he says. “Professors can inspire their students to engage in independent thought, but they cannot just hand students knowledge. Students take on the responsibility of learning.”
Professor Sanders and his students are presently working on a project for RWC Chemistry Department. “We’re making a lab safety video,” he says, “but we want to produce it in a way that is entertaining as well as informative.”
The project started in fall quarter and will be finished this summer. “My students have interviewed faculty, done research, and finished most of the principal editing and special effects,” he says.
Through using real business projects, and his understanding of student life, Sanders has been able to see his fourth Electronic Media graduating class. On behalf of The Activist we congratulate Professor Michael Sanders on his accomplishments.