Self-Assessment Statement: Service

Lois Oestreich
January 2016

Service? Welcome to my post-tenure life! For the last three post-tenure years, I have reenvisioned my philosophy of service. Service continues to begin and end with students; how
service makes those connections has radically changed. Service improves student success as
faculty and others revise and refine systems (teaching). Service also enriches faculty
(professional development). Service is exhausting.
Reflection note: If service is so exhausting, why do it? A faculty members primary role is to
teach. Service is a contractual requirement. How many service hours each semester are ample;
what is the Lois definition? Looking at teaching as a faculty members primary role and the
fact that service is required of the position, how might I combine the two?
I engage in service activities that most effectively connect to my professional knowledge,
unique skills, interests, and personal life experiences. for the enrichment of the college and
community. To meet this philosophical goal, I take every opportunity to volunteer, especially in
areas that I can make a significant contribution to my profession, to students, to the college, to
the community, and beyond. It is my belief that having a strong commitment to service enhances
our preservice teaching students professional and personal growth, I grow as well.
Service also provides networking opportunities at college and community levels. Through
collaboration and mentoring opportunities, service has strong connections to teaching. Service
also provides layers of professional activity to my work life.
Reflection note: With this in mind, service can become the thing. Careful planning has the
possibility of positioning service commitments to improve student learning, teaching practice,
and professionalism.
For two of the past three years, the majority of my service hours have been invested in
the Faculty Senate. In addition to conducting the business of the Senate, it has been my
responsibility to finish two large projects crafted prior to my time in the Presidents chair. The
success of this service depends on the service of others. Senate activities are common knowledge
so I will not belabor the point here.
Reflection note: I inherited a massive faculty professional systems reorganization. As a result, I
have not had the pleasure of moving forward a Lois agenda. Last month, in a brazen move, I
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did convince a reticent Faculty Senate Leadership group to support crafting new faculty
classroom evaluation/professional tools, bringing faculty evaluations in line with the new rank
promotion and tenure processes. Finally, a project of my own..the internal pushback was
intense, spearheaded by reactionaries who resist new vision or at least refuse to ask the question,
How might we improve practice? Because I am a lame-duck Senate President, I threw all
caution to the wind and plowed forward. In the next post-tenure review, I will examine the
project outcomes.