2014 is ‘Year of the Faculty’
As a part of its Second Century Celebration, SMU has declared 2014 “The Year of the Faculty,” during which the university will recognize extraordinary achievements by its staff.
By Claire Kelley
The bells of SMU’s Fondren Science Building ring out an old hymn, reminding the campus that it’s noon. Gordon Birrell walks into his German literature class, chats with a few students individually in German, then begins the hour by announcing that he won’t be administering a midterm, a statement that’s met with a cheerful chorus of “dankes,” “thanks” in German.
Today, the professor is sporting one of his signature unusual neckties, a maroon one covered in lions, zebras and giraffes. . .
Whether it’s their clothing or their kind gestures or their senses of humor, professors at SMU in every department are inspiring their students. As a part of its Second Century Celebration, SMU has declared 2014 “The Year of the Faculty,” during which the university will recognize extraordinary achievements by its staff.
The faculty is made up of more than 700 full-time professors, so it’s impossible to give each one a shout-out. The efforts of good teachers, however, do not go unnoticed by their pupils.
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