Faculty Excellence at UMUC

Interviewer:

Please tell us about yourself—what made you decide to teach at UMUC? What kind of work do you do when you are not teaching at UMUC? Are there any life experiences that have influenced your teaching at UMUC? If so, please share one story.

Barbara Puffer

I think I’ve always had teaching in  my blood, but a three-decade, full-time, corporate communications career kept  me far too busy to teach in a traditional classroom. Through the '90s, I served  on the Board of Directors, executive committee, and as an officer of the American School  for the Deaf, rising to be their first female Board president. Helping guide a  school, particularly for children with special challenges, taught me a great  deal about teaching.

An early, semi-retirement in 1998 brought  the teaching bug to the forefront for me. As a consultant, I assumed it would  be easy to juggle teaching, consulting, and travel. But it didn't prove to be so  flexible an idea. My first formal offer was to teach a fall semester as an  adjunct in communications for a Connecticut university. I had begun spending a good deal  of time in Florida,  and the idea of a 15-week schedule cutting into my Thanksgivings on the beach  didn't sit well. I declined. Soon after, my professional colleagues told me  about UMUC and the idea of teaching in the online world drew me here in 2002.

Looking back now, I realize that I had taught before and felt genuinely good about the experiences. These peeks  into the teaching world all helped mold me into the teacher I am today.       

• The first time I remember ever teaching someone  was when I was a very young Girl Scout. My little student was my own age, but  had mental retardation and needed a buddy to give her help in earning with our  cooking badge. I devised a way to make and keep her interest yet help her  understand the measuring by using colored cups. It was a delicious outcome.

• The next time I remember teaching was at age 19  when I was the paid summer day camp director for our small town's Park  and Recreation Department. I remember teaching the "newspaper" group of kids how to write a  newsletter. Charlie Brown played a large role in their stories and we all had  blue fingers from mimeographing our copies in those days.

• Later, just out of undergraduate school myself,  while working as a full-time reporter and attending graduate school, I was hired as  a teaching assistant for my alma mater’s journalism workshop. My style was  learning while doing, as I had done in my favorite journalism classes. We  produced our own classroom publications from scratch.

• Next, I am reminded of the years I taught adults  with mental retardation how to give speeches about Special Olympics. Some used  words, and others used pictures. Everyone selected his or her audience from one  of the pieces of papers in a hat and all orators were videotaped and critiqued.  The completion certificates were no match for the briefcases and business cards  they earned.

• The last example I'll share comes from the  corporate world. I was always told that I had a "good standup act" and was invited  to become certified in many corporate programs. I enjoyed that so much that I  often used teaching, or a workshop, to strategically convey messages for senior  management. A modified classroom often fit well into the communications mix.

I am a public relations consultant,  consulting under my own name – Puffer Public Relations Strategies. I handle a broad range of public relations, development, and marketing  projects, as well as board training and facilitation for profit and non-profit  organizations throughout the U.S.  and occasionally in Canada.  I also sub-contract for larger agencies, particularly in the area of media  relations and media training.

Interviewer:

How would you describe your teaching style or philosophy? What experiences or person(s) have influenced your style or philosophy?

Barbara Puffer

I am a storyteller by style and that’s how I try to teach. My success  in corporate and organizational communication has spanned nearly four decades  now and I pride myself in finding relevant examples, meaningful connections,  real stories, and practical solutions in my work and teaching. I work every day  on bringing that style to my classroom.

My colorful professional career in news,  banking, insurance, telecommunications, and manufacturing certainly refined my  professional skills. But I think it was my parallel career in community  relations and as a volunteer leader in the non-profit world that molded my  spirit and people skills. The most notable for me were leadership positions in the  International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), president of the  American School for the Deaf, leadership at all levels of Special Olympics; founder,  start-up and leadership roles for Very Special Arts Connecticut, The Bristol  PLUS Awards, ImagineNation Museum and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure  Connecticut. That's a partial list. Many people and experiences are painted  into my canvas.

Interviewer:

What do you think it is about your teaching style that appeals to students?

Barbara Puffer

I think students fear my toughness at first but then bloom like freshly  watered spring flowers as they encounter many "ah-ha" moments.

I long served and still serve in the leadership of the International  Association of Business Communicators (IABC). I bring a rich array of worldwide  resources to the table and know anyone who is anyone in this profession.

I remember the thrill that my graduate students had when I brought Shel  Holtz (Accredited Business Communiator), to class. He was the author of one of the textbooks that had been  selected long before I came on the scene. One student said, "Do you really KNOW  Mr. Holtz?" Not only do I know him but that week I was attending his birthday  party in L.A. You would have thought I was  talking about a movie star. The students loved his week in conference and I’ve  used him several semesters.

I’ve brought editors to my classes. I’ve brought the latest research  studies. I have added Webinars and white papers that are often sold to  professionals but loaned to me for my classrooms at no additional charge.

I read something recently that a teacher had written outside of UMUC.  He said that he teaches his students to perform…that he’s not there to punish  the student who "does it wrong." I like to think that’s me! I am strict with  the writing. After all, it’s the underpinning of my profession. But my students  often tell me they learned a great deal in my class.I try to bring new material and concepts to my students with high  energy and hope that they will always think I am tough but fair. The most important  thing to me is fairness.

Interviewer:

Do you teach face-to-face, online, or both? Do you have a preference between teaching face-to-face and online? If so, please explain.

Barbara Puffer

I only teach online. I live in Connecticut  and Florida.

I have no scholarly insight here. I simply  teach online because I live far from UMUC and maintain dual residences/offices.

Interviewer:

Please tell us about your chosen discipline-i.e., what made you interested in the area initially? What do you do to stay current in your discipline? What do you like best about teaching in your discipline?

Barbara Puffer

I have been writing since I was seven. I had my first work published  then -- a Halloween poem in a teachers' magazine. I also enjoyed theater,  speech, and cinematography. My career has allowed me to swim in all of those  directions – a big fish in a big pool.

My company mission is to enhance the  reputation and security of organizations through strategic and creative efforts  that articulate their strengths and goals to their targeted markets and  audiences. I've been working at that for most of my life. My discipline is always changing and evolving  and the subject matter is always fresh, too. 

My work has been my hobby, and teaching what I have learned fits right  in.

Interviewer:

What is the most challenging to you in teaching in this area? What teaching strategy do you use when you encounter the challenge? Are  there any special challenges in teaching this subject matter online?  If yes, please explain what could be done to  meet the challenges.

Barbara Puffer

There is a need for enormous flexibility. I try to put myself in our  students' shoes and look for mutually beneficial solutions. I believe public relations, journalism and communication are best taught  with real life examples, cases, and best practices. These are easily conveyed  online.

I think we can do better by adding more video, but real-time would be  an issue with the vast expanse of time zones among students in a single class.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to students who are interested in majoring or working in your discipline?

Barbara Puffer

I have three suggestions:   

• Try all  of the various specialties. Some like a little taste of it all, as I have in my  career.

• Volunteer  for an organization that needs communications assistance. It builds your  portfolio and assists a worthy cause.

• Join a  professional association(s). Most have student options and perks. My  professional association has been my best investment in my career and is the  beginning and nourishment for my professional network.
  

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the college of choice for students?

Barbara Puffer

My favorite element about this school is the mix of active duty  military and spouses along with other non-traditional students working hard to  eke out a degree. Most bring a unique maturity and bold personality into their  studies.

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the employer of choice for future faculty members?

Barbara Puffer

If you are in my situation, with a flexible lifestyle, online teaching  at UMUC might be for you. I also have learned a great deal earning my basic and  advanced faculty studies certificates at no charge to me. I cannot address  other elements.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to new faculty who are interested in teaching in your discipline at UMUC?

Barbara Puffer

UMUC will not be bringing you aboard unless you have at least a  master's degree and a strong, long professional career. You also can't be  thinking of this as a retirement stint. Some of the students are already  working in this field and just never earned their degrees. You must know what  you are doing and be currently active in the profession to understand and bring  the latest to the table.