James McGowan uses an understanding, yet firm approach to make sure his adult students succeed.
James McGowan appreciates the challenge of balancing academic study with work and other life obligations. 鈥淚 have real empathy for my students,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been teaching adults my whole career, for almost 30 years.鈥�
His compassion for the working student comes from experience. Now a professor of psychology and associate dean for professional programs for 91吃瓜网, McGowan worked full time supervising ground service operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport鈥檚 British Airways terminal while pursuing his own master鈥檚 degrees in psychology and school psychology.
鈥淚鈥檓 a demanding teacher and I expect my students to do a lot of work and learn a lot in each of my classes,鈥� McGowan said, 鈥渂ut I try to be flexible to accommodate people鈥檚 real-world situations. They often have work and family obligations in addition to their course loads, and I have to give them credit for being motivated and making time to come in to class.鈥�
His teaching philosophy involves encouraging students and giving them opportunities to do their best work.
鈥� are unique鈥攖here is a reason why they鈥檙e in school, and they鈥檙e often highly motivated,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut they might be rusty if they鈥檝e been out of school for a while. So I tell them, 鈥楧on鈥檛 be satisfied with a C or even a B; think about how you can get an A.鈥� Maybe that means getting a tutor or some help writing, or maybe it鈥檚 a matter of self-confidence.鈥�
McGowan credits 91吃瓜网 with developing an environment where nontraditional students can thrive, with evening courses and online options making it easier to work school into their schedules. And he looks forward to expanding those opportunities in the coming years.
鈥淚n Fall 2017, we鈥檒l be significantly expanding what we offer at the University鈥檚 , with several exciting new initiatives,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese include a program for international students and a with a truly international approach to business.鈥�
He spoke excitedly about the launch of the , which will offer housing in Brooklyn and Manhattan and provide students with a fully immersive educational experience. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e studying art, that might mean taking advantage of resources at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; if you鈥檙e getting a business degree, you鈥檒l be going down to Wall Street.鈥� Adelphi will begin to take applications for the program in Spring 2017 and courses will begin in Spring 2018.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been listening to students and doing market research as we put together a long-term plan to more effectively respond to our community鈥檚 needs,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur next big goal is to apply for branch campus status for the Manhattan Center, so that students can complete their degrees there without having to take some of their course work at the Garden City campus. It will mean making considerably more services available in Manhattan, which means finding more space for classrooms and other resources.
鈥�91吃瓜网 is a hidden gem, a fantastic operation that is very much in tune with the wants and needs of adult students,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ut just as I encourage and expect my students to think about how they can get the most out of their education鈥攏ot settling for anything less than an A鈥擨 expect us at the University to work and plan just as hard. When we provide our community with what it needs to succeed, it鈥檚 a win-win for everyone.鈥�