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.

Marvin Turner

I have always had the belief that  to whom much is given, much is required. I am the Director of the  Washington, D.C. Field Office for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban  Development.  However, with respect to my  discipline, I am a former Chief Financial Officer and Mergers and Acquisition  professional with transactional experience on several continents.

Interviewer:

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

Marvin Turner

My classroom style is  interactive. I prefer a classroom that  is energized by a participating student body, not just by me. I am very familiar with the use of  PowerPoint, overheads, etc., but my style is to post them online and dialogue  with the students. I provide opportunity  for participation through homework, examinations, essays and papers.  While admittedly, my examinations are  challenging, they are designed both to test the student and to build confidence  that the student is flexible enough to handle situations that might be non-routine. Examinations often parallel life events that  I have experienced in my classroom, or events that are prominent in the news.

I have had good and bad professors  in the many years that I have studied. I learned what not to do from the bad  professors. I gleaned a potpourri of good  techniques from the good ones. Those who required participation kept me on my  toes.

Interviewer:

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

Marvin Turner

I have a sense of humor when I  teach that makes the class enjoyable. I  also have great stories about transactional work that I performed on deals both  domestically and internationally.

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.

Marvin Turner

I have taught in both formats, both  online and face-to-face. I have also  taught interactive video and interactive TV. I prefer the interaction, so  face-to-face is my preference.

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?

Marvin Turner

When I obtained my MBA, I initially  had a disdain for finance. I had some professors who I just did not enjoy. When I went for my MBA I had professors that  pushed me to excel.  It was the 1980s, so  I was craving a Wall Street career, then the crash  happened during my senior year.  I re-tooled into a financial transaction  professional and worked internally on business combinations for Bell Atlantic.

I attend presentations from various  groups, including the Washington Area Money Managers, the Chartered Financial  Analyst group, National Economist group and the Wharton Club.

I enjoy seeing the light come in  students’ eyes when I teach.

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.

Marvin Turner

The most challenging thing is  keeping students motivated when they’ve failed the midterm exam. I make certain that they comprehend the  subject matter and then make certain that they know that that can  mathematically still make a decent grade. I also don’t get to see the  student faces and interpret their comprehension of the materials.

Interviewer:

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

Marvin Turner

Pay attention to the details and  pay attention to the big picture.

Interviewer:

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

Marvin Turner

UMUC provides students with the  ability to interact with professors of great caliber. 

Interviewer:

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

Marvin Turner

The thing that makes UMUC the  employer of choice is the flexibility of the university and their ability to  interact with students.

Interviewer:

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

Marvin Turner

Recognize that the students you are  seeing are leaders in their own right and the learning (and teaching) will be  mutual.