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.

Roger J. Jaffe:

Teaching is part of what I "give back" to the community for my past experience and success. The immediate cause was that I was asked by the department chairman of the then Information and Telecommunications Studies department to teach for him. I have been teaching since 1981 and enjoy the stimulation and interaction of the students.

I do senior executive professional services; I coach senior information technology executives on how to perform aspects of their jobs where they have weaknesses. I also serve as an interim CIO for companies that are in transition.

As a senior executive in a field that is changing at an extremely rapid pace, the challenge is keeping abreast of the changes and answering the question "how do I capitalize on those changes to the competitive advantage of my firm or client?" With each class that I teach, there is always something new that I learn from my students (who are current practitioners in the IT field). By-and-large UMUC's students are working adults and many of whom are experts in their field.

Interviewer:

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

Roger J. Jaffe:

I teach the capstone course in multiple curricula (executive MBA, executive MS IT, and the MS IT degree programs), by the time the students get to my course they have completed their core courses and are ready to graduate. The capstone course is taught in a seminar format which lends itself to my teaching style which is Socratic.

Almost 40 years as a practitioner in IT including over 30 years in management or senior management roles have shaped my style and philosophy (24 of those years included a minimum of 40 classroom hours on management or leadership each year as a senior manager at IBM). My style works well for me or to use the expression "I am comfortable in my own skin."

Interviewer:

Please explain if you do something special or unique in your teaching and what made you develop this.

Roger J. Jaffe:

When I started teaching the capstone course in 2000, I had the opportunity to co-teach the course with the course developer and the class was a lecture class with little student interaction. As I started to teach it on my own, I challenged myself on how do I make this, the student's last class at UMUC, a better experience? I decided that since the subtitle of the class was A Seminar in Managerial Decision Making, why not teach it as a true seminar? I now teach it by leading a discussion of case studies where the students do the analysis and discuss their conclusions; I require all of the students to contribute to the discussion—many times the students take opposite sides of the issue and I have to referee the discussion. My object is for the students to put together the 33 or so credit hours of graduate studies that have preceded my course and to understand how much they have learned while they were at UMUC.

Interviewer:

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

Roger J. Jaffe:

My students are active participants in the class rather than receiving a lecture. No topic is sacred, and we discuss issues that senior mangers face on a daily basis.

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.

Roger J. Jaffe:

I teach face-to-face only. My style requires interaction and feedback that includes non-verbal feedback; an online class does not lend itself to my style.

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?

Roger J. Jaffe:

I have over 30 years of IT management and senior management experience of which more than 13 have been at the CIO position. Teaching at UMUC plays a large part in my personal education plan on how to stay current.

I like being able to "give back" some of what I have learned to our students. I have been teaching form UMUC for over 6 years and there has not been a single class where students have not kept in touch with me. I continue to be a mentor and sounding board for many of them as they grow within the industry.

Interviewer:

What is the most challenging to you in teaching in this area? What teaching strategy do you use when you encounter the challenge?

Roger J. Jaffe:

The most challenging aspect of teaching is when a student is not working to their potential. By the time they get to my course some of the students have "hit the wall" and are too tired to put in the amount of effort that I demand of them. To overcome the issue, I give the students the opportunity to discuss topics that are not on the syllabus, but are on their mind. Prior to even meeting the students, I send them a note with the following question: "Now that you are completing your Masters degree and we have prepared you to be successful as a senior IT manager, are there things that you still need to know or we did not address during the program?" During my course I will address the issues, or if I am not qualified, I will bring in a guest speaker who in an expert in the area to discuss the topic.

Interviewer:

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

Roger J. Jaffe:

IT is an ever-changing and challenging field. Obtain a realistic view of the field and be prepared for its challenges.

Interviewer:

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

Roger J. Jaffe:

UMUC gives the student a unique opportunity to learn from current practitioners who are experts in their field and at the same time be flexible in the delivery face-to-face where it is convenient or online when the work schedule or work location does not permit being in one place at a fixed time.

Interviewer:

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

Roger J. Jaffe:

UMUC has adult learners who are current practitioners and are eager to learn as well as advance their careers.

Interviewer:

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

Roger J. Jaffe:

For someone interested in teaching my course, they will have to wait until I move or retire, since I have no intention of giving up the capstone course!