By Randi Priluck
 Associate Professor of Marketing

As faculty we play an important role in the development of our students in a number of ways.  We guide students in mastering the material in our disciplines, we assist students in developing skills that can be used across disciplines and we serve as role models, friends, advisors and even counselors.  Though often not consciously aware of our influence, it is undeniable that teachers make a difference in the lives of others. 

            Richard Light’s 2001 study of Harvard students in Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds suggests that faculty make more of a difference than they realize.  Over 1600 undergraduates were interviewed by Light, other faculty and trained students for periods of between one and three hours.  The depth interviews yielded a rich set of anecdotes and stories and often probed to determine the reasons behind behaviors and emotions. 

            The findings suggest that students learn the most outside the classroom when engaged in extracurricular activities or working with a group to complete homework or projects.  Light’s undergraduates say they learn more in courses that are very structured with many quizzes and assignments, provided that they receive feedback that is instructive in nature and allows them to revise their work.  One-to-one activities with faculty are particularly treasured and many students in Light’s study indicated that their most rewarding experiences occurred when they were mentored by faculty in internships, even when they did not receive credit for their work.  

            Do the findings of Light’s study apply to Pace students?  My personal experience suggests that our students also want our attention and appreciate our commitment to them.  This semester I instituted a new activity in my capstone advertising course, Advertising and Communication Strategy.  The course is the final course for graduating seniors who are understandably nervous about the job market and their futures.  I invited Cooperative Education and Career Services to discuss resume writing and interviewing skills with the class and I developed my own mock resume representing my personal experience as a graduating senior.  Each student was required to turn in a copy of his or her resume, hold a one-to-one meeting with me to discuss the resume and then revise it based on our discussion.  So far the experience has not only provided the students with a greater sense of security and confidence in their abilities to go out into the job market, but it has added a new dimension to class discussions.  Since I now know about the students’ personal experiences in internships and other jobs, I can refer to them to answer questions and provide anecdotes that relate to the topics in the class.  Further, I have a personal relationship with each and every one of them, which leads to a more open exchange in class discussions.  Finally, I am making connections with the students who some day might return to share their experiences.

            In closing, this has been one of the most personally rewarding semesters I have taught here at Pace and I have come to the clear conclusion that I really do matter.

Randi Priluck
Associate Professor of Marketing
Pace University

Light, Richard J. (2001), Making the Most of College Students Speak Their Minds, Harvard University Press: Boston, MA.

" My personal experience suggests that our students also want our attention and appreciate our commitment to them."

"Further, I have a personal relationship with each and every one of them, which leads to a more open exchange in class discussions."