Many courses at Illinois State encourage collaboration, but Fitzgibbons’ Teams and Team Development class (MQM 380) extends team building well beyond the typical group project in a way that gets results for his students, and the Bloomington-Normal community. “It’s more hands-on than most courses, and attempts to connect theory and practice. It’s important for students to practice being more observant but also reflective so they can become more aware of their impact on the world around them,” Fitzgibbons said.
“I think it’s quite rewarding for the students…. When we helped open the Compassion Center two years ago, which is the homeless shelter in downtown Bloomington, that was the first time that those students had come face to face with homelessness,” Fitzgibbons said. “They couldn’t imagine how people could be homeless in a community as affluent as Bloomington-Normal.”
He notes that these projects also provide much-needed services to local agencies, which are often understaffed, and may not have the time or resources to complete such tasks otherwise. Groups his class has worked with over the years include the Compassion Center, the Bloomington Housing Authority, Midwest Foodbank, and the Unity Community Center.
Fitzgibbons emphasizes that service learning is distinctly different from volunteer or community service. “We think the Student Volunteer Office and other places on campus that offer students ways to volunteer are really great. But that is not what this is. What we’re talking here specifically about is service learning, which means that the course concepts have to be explored in the project. The project becomes the laboratory for students to see, practice, and hone their understandings and skills.”
Fitzgibbons recognizes his approach is unique and can be a challenge for some students, but feels the results are rewarding. “Learning is tough work. It’s as tough as any other occupation or trade, and sometimes students don’t recognize how hard it has to be. “There’s a great deal of interdependence that goes on in complex organizations and most students don’t have experience with that.”
Upon completing the semester, Fitzgibbons is often impressed by the students' progress. “Some of the insights they’ve had have just been almost tear-producing. They’re quite moving. They really do come to see that what they’ve learned is applicable to the rest of the world and that not everybody has the skills. So they learn to deal with people who are not business people, who may not be as organized as they are or know how to attack a project the way they do; things they take for granted over their two years in the College of Business that lots of other people don’t have.”
Fitzgibbons’ course has been so successful that the Provost’s Office has incorporated his model into a university-wide initiative called the Redbird Outreach Program. Community agencies can post their ideas or needs onto the Redbird Outreach Web site, and faculty members can view a list of all available projects and contact community agencies to implement a project in their classroom.
Redbird Outreach is part of a larger initiative to promote civic engagement known as the American Democracy Project. “I was very pleased to see when the Provost promoted Redbird Outreach to the campus because it fit very nicely with what I’ve been doing for the past eight years. It was a nice overlap.”
When he began his career as a part-time faculty member, Fitzgibbons thought this would only be a temporary job. He soon fell in love with his position on campus and realized in what seemed like no time at all, he was celebrating his 10th anniversary in teaching. “ISU has a very strong teaching ethic and a good balance between teaching and research. Since I had discovered my love of teaching in graduate school, I thought this might be a pretty good place to stay. For me, my teaching and research are complementary and mutually reinforcing.”
Since his early days at Illinois State, Fitzgibbons has seen many improvements across the University. “The College of Business and Department of Management and Quantitative Methods have a lot of good teachers and researchers,” said Fitzgibbons. “Personally, I think ISU is exceptionally well-placed to be the premier undergraduate institution in Illinois. It should be the school of first-choice for students in Illinois who value a quality education on a campus that allows them to be as successful as they wish to be.”
With all that Fitzgibbons has accomplished over his 24-year teaching career, one would think he would be ready to relax, but he insists retirement is nowhere in sight. “I don’t think about retiring. I love teaching so much that if I don’t die in bed with my wife, I’d rather die in a classroom making a point in front of the students…as shocking as that would be to them. Being in a classroom at the time would be perfectly symbolic.”
© 2010 Illinois State University • An equal opportunity/affirmative action university encouraging diversity.• Privacy Notice • Identity Standards • Appropriate Use Policy • For questions, contact us.
