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Merrily Stover

Faculty Interview
Merrily Stover
Anthropology

Hear an audio clip on how anthropology offers a new perspective to different disciplines and fields. (1:03)
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? What life experiences have influenced your teaching at UMUC?
Merrily Stover :

I started teaching with UMUC in 1990 when my husband and I were stationed in London. My husband was a Naval Officer, and I had a newly minted Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii. I was delighted to become a part of the “Maryland” European community.

When we moved back to the States, I immediately applied at UMUC at Adelphi. I worked initially for the Overseas Programs, interviewing applicants for overseas teaching. I then got a long-term position with UMUC as an Academic Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences (BEHS) and Humanities in the Open Learning Program, UMUC's first distance learning program. In London, I also taught for the British Open University which was the model for Open Learning. So my experience with “ Maryland ” and with the BOU came together perfectly in Open Learning. I was with Open Learning from 1993 – 1997.

I had a brief hiatus at Northern Virginia Community College, as Director for the Extended Learning Institute—one of the nation's largest distance learning programs. I was there from 1997 – 1999. I then returned to UMUC as Assistant Dean for Communication Arts and Humanities. In 2002, I moved with my husband to rural northern California . I have been teaching for UMUC since then: first as Adjunct Professor, and then as Collegiate Professor. I also serve as Course Chair for Humanities and for Anthropology and BEHS.

Other life experience that influenced my teaching include living and working in the Pacific: in Hawaii , Samoa, and New Zealand
Interviewer: Please tell us if you teach face-to-face, online, or both and explain what made you choose that format of teaching.
Merrily Stover :

I started my career teaching face-to-face. Now, I teach totally online because it enables me to stay connected to UMUC from where I live on the West Coast.
Interviewer: What do you find most satisfying about teaching in your chosen format(s)?
Merrily Stover : I love interacting with the student. Even though I never meet them, I feel like I get to know them in class. This is very special.
Interviewer: What do you find challenging about teaching in your chosen format(s)?
Merrily Stover : The time it takes to thoroughly grade all the many papers throughout the term. At the BOU we were trained in giving full feedback on writing assignments to Distance Education students. Each paper takes me several hours to complete grade. I have over 100 students, so this is a challenge.
Interviewer: Please tell us about your chosen discipline—how long have you worked in or taught it? What made you interested in the area? What keeps you interested in the area?
Merrily Stover : My chosen discipline is anthropology. I took my first anthropology course at the University of Auckland in New Zealand . I was there with my family for a year during my first year of college. My father was a university professor on a Fulbright scholarship. When I returned to Kansas , I decided to major in anthropology. It had elements I loved: biology, language, and cross-cultural awareness. The questions at the base for me were: What does it mean to be human? What is the range of ways that human beings organize themselves?
Interviewer: What joys do you experience in teaching in this area?
Merrily Stover :

I really enjoy opening students' eyes to new perspectives….to new cultures and new ways of viewing things. When teaching physical anthropology, I want students to understand the many facets of human evolution including the role of the environment in human diversity. I want students to see that races are not fixed biological categories but social configurations. When teaching cultural anthropology, I want students to know that there are many ways of viewing the world and organizing life.
Interviewer: What challenges do you experience in teaching in this area? Please describe any special challenges you face if you teach online in comparison to teaching in a face-to-face classroom.
Merrily Stover : A challenge has been to teach archaeology and physical archaeology labs to upper-level students. I feel it is important for students to have hands-on experience at this level. We have two CD-ROM virtual lab programs which work well. The good students excel and enjoy doing the labs. The weaker students often require guidance that is hard to give in the online environment.
Interviewer: How would you describe your teaching style or philosophy? What experiences or person(s) have influenced your style or philosophy?
Merrily Stover : I see myself as a partner in the students' education. I try to set up the class, through the syllabus, in as detailed a way as possible. I see that it is students' responsibility to follow the syllabus, but I will make it as complete and clear as possible. I am also always available to answer questions and to clarify any points, and to help students along. I also see that it is my responsibility to share my knowledge to help raise students to new levels of thinking, writing, and understanding the materials.

British Open Learning was important for me in opening my eyes to giving written feedback to students and introducing me to the range of experiences and needs of distance students. The Assistant Dean for Open Learning, Ruth Ann Fagan, served as a role model for thinking through situations and serving students.
Interviewer: Please explain if you do something special or unique in your approach and how you developed that approach. What do you think it is about your approach that appeals to students?
Merrily Stover : I try to give preliminary assignments to help ensure that students have the basic tools they need for the major assignments. I give credit for the two tutorial “How to Avoid Plagiarism” and “Citation Explained” so that students understand these areas. In advance of major term papers, I have students share reference citations using APA style with Study Group member. Students gain confidence in the use of APA through submitting their own references and reviewing their classmates'. I also invite a librarian into class to help students with library resources and to help students move forward with their projects.

For technical reports (e.g., Archaeology, Linguistics) I ask students to submit a single exercise to their Study Group for review. This helps the students think through what may be a complex exercise. Students can view how others approached the same exercise and as well as others. In this way, students gain confidence in their abilities and additional knowledge of the other exercises.
Interviewer: What suggestion would you give to students who are interested in majoring or working in your discipline?
Merrily Stover : I suggest that students consider graduate school in the area of their special interest. I encourage volunteer activities, e.g., archaeological digs or museum work to explore talents and interests.
Interviewer: What suggestion would you give to new faculty who are interested in teaching in your discipline at UMUC?
Merrily Stover : I would suggest taking part in CTL Faculty Development workshops to become the best teacher possible, regardless of discipline. For Anthropology faculty, I would encourage them to be in touch with other faculty in order to learn about and share with each other those practices that have been successful in reaching students.

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