The Adjunct Files
Adjunct faculty are a growing majority in higher education, shaping student experiences while navigating the challenges of contingent employment. As adjuncts at a regional public university, we know firsthand the realities, rewards, and roadblocks that come with the role. That’s why we’re here—to boost your mood and pedagogy with insightful dialogues on current challenges, practical strategies, and pathways forward for you and your students.
The Adjunct Files
Lost on Campus? Tami Tassler to the Rescue
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In this episode of The Adjunct Files, John and Maggie sit down with Tami Tassler, Associate Director of Admissions and the energetic force behind FGCU’s Welcome Center and campus tours. With 25 years of experience introducing future Eagles to the university, Tami shares what makes FGCU stand out, the hidden gems many faculty never discover, and why connection and community remain at the heart of the student experience.
From residence halls and waterfront views to campus traditions, student belonging, and the challenges facing today’s students, this conversation offers a fresh look at FGCU through the eyes of the people who see it for the first time every day. Along the way, Tami challenges adjunct faculty to get out of the classroom, explore campus, build community, and better understand the students they teach.
Whether you’re new to FGCU or have been teaching here for years, this episode may inspire you to see the university—and your role in it—with fresh eyes.
Theme music composed, performed and produced by James Husni.
Adjunct Nation is a collaborative podcast under the auspices of The Lucas Center for Faculty Development at FGCU. You can learn more by clicking on this link:
https://www.fgcu.edu/lucascenter/
Welcome to the Adjunct Files.
We're a growing, diverse community who face challenging work in an ever-changing, higher
education landscape.
Your co-hosts for this podcast are with you in this.
I'm John Roth.
Adjunct since 2015 and now a coordinator for Adjunct Faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University.
I'm Maggie Hohne, Adjunct since 2022 and currently work in the Office of First Year Seminars.
Together we hope to have conversations to empower, support, and elevate Adjunct faculty.
This conversation today is one to do just that.
Hello everyone.
Welcome back to the Adjunct Files.
John, how are you?
Doing well.
Remember Bee just started, which is a little on the turbocharged side of things.
You know, 35 students, six weeks, three credits.
Here we go.
All hands on deck.
I had a student today show up in a full suit and tie.
What?
It is 95 degrees outside.
Yeah.
Can you give me his name?
I'm assuming his.
And let me see if I can recruit him for my classes because it sounds like he's going
to be a serious student.
Yes, I have a fantastic group and it's great.
It's our Eagle Summer Bridge program.
So it's a great group.
Well talking about great.
I can't think of a greater guess than we could have today.
Do you think?
I don't think so.
She's legendary.
She is.
And I guess she was your.
She was my alternative Break Trip advisor my junior year.
So we went to New York City and did service throughout the city for different organizations,
different populations.
And we did that for a week and lived in a hostel and it was quite the time.
Was it hostel?
Uh, politely so.
We all said please.
Thank you.
Well, I've got to talk to Tammy and see if I can get any dirt on you or that trip.
I'm sure she's got stories.
It was a week long.
Awesome.
Well, Tami Tassler, thank you for being here.
You are a spark plug, a just wonderful like welcoming person here at FGCU.
And I guess that is part of your role.
Absolutely.
So tell us a little about yourself, how you got here in the first place, what you're
doing now.
And we do have questions.
I think adjunct faculty feel a bit on the marginal side of things at times, not knowing
what to even ask or how to get more involved and you're it girl.
I don't know if I'm it, but it's.
You know who to direct you to.
Yes, I can help you find who you need to find.
So, but well, I have been here at FGCU for 25 years next month.
She started at age eight.
What's the gift for 25?
I think it's a crystal eagle.
I haven't gotten mine yet, but yes, I think it.
I think that's what it is.
So very excited.
But yeah, so I, you know, was working in admissions at a small private school in northwest Ohio.
And I got my master's degree there and then started applying for positions in Florida,
ran across this little no name.
Why would you want to leave Ohio?
I know.
I know my heart is still there, but.
Well, it's those winters.
Yes.
Oh, definitely.
Yeah.
And it's not even the snow, Maggie.
It's the gray, dreary darkness.
Yeah, the trees have no leaves.
If we get three days of rain, I'm depressed.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I couldn't imagine.
Talk in the sunsets at what time?
Right.
Yeah.
About three 34 in the afternoon.
No, thank you.
And yeah, you may not see the sun for six weeks in a row.
It's very depressing.
People are built different up there.
Well, they don't even know.
I didn't know until I did my internship in Stewart, Florida.
I'd call back home and say, I'm going to the beach after work today.
And they go like, we haven't seen the sun for a month.
That's very true.
And then you go like, oh, yeah.
I guess you guys don't.
Yeah.
Seriously.
You just assume every place is like where you are, right?
Right.
I talked to my father yesterday, though, and I said, hey, how's the weather?
And he's like, oh, I had the slider open, the front door open for a good
breeze.
It's in the 70s.
Yeah.
I'm like, oh, my goodness.
I'm kill for the 60 days.
It's over 100 here.
The summers are nice.
Yes.
But six months is winter.
And yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Anyways, Tammy, so you applied to this school.
I applied to a little tiny 4,300 student university.
And we were a baby eagle.
We were.
We were just babies.
Still in the nest.
Deagulant.
Yes.
And then I was offered the job and came and really never looked back.
So I really enjoy it.
I started as an assistant director of admissions and was on the road recruiting.
I was a road runner at the time.
And all over the state, any time of day, every day of the week, because we were still trying
to get our name out there.
You can tell she is kind of an extrovert.
Just a little bit.
Just a little bit.
Just a little bit.
Just a little bit.
But now.
Perfect for that job.
Yes, definitely.
And then I took on some more responsibilities.
We opened the Waltham Center.
And I have been at the Waltham Center since.
So I serve as the manager of the Waltham Center and the associate director of admissions
for campus visits.
And I oversee all the campus tours and the tour guides, our e-golux book open house,
and say yes to the nest, our admitted student day, and all the other activities in between.
Awesome.
You are the front door.
We really actually have an institution.
Not me.
Definitely.
Your area.
Yes.
My area definitely is.
And we want people to stop there because we want to be able to give them the right direction
to wherever it is they need to be on campus.
We kind of sit off.
Nobody knows where we're at.
So we tell them and then they're like, oh, so.
But I have a feeling for at least for adjunct faculty, I have a feeling a lot of them don't
even know how to get around the campus.
Right.
Do you think that, Maggie?
Absolutely.
Or even just new hires when they got.
Because I know, thankfully I was a student, but here, but I studied that map.
Like the vertical aerial view where everything is because I don't know.
It's like a Mickey Mouse almost.
Oh, yeah.
Like with housing and North Lake South Lake and then you have.
Oh, I never even thought about that.
Yeah.
So just trying to get your bearings because otherwise you just keep driving in circles
and you're like, so how do I like get to the buildings?
Right.
I found every parking lot in the state, but I have not found a building.
The good thing is, is there is just one road around.
That you get to lost.
Correct.
Unless you keep going.
Yeah.
And going.
When you do give campus tours, what are three things you would most want every prospective
student and family to really know about FGCU?
That's tough because there's so much.
I think the highlights on tour are definitely housing.
Yeah.
Classman housing in South Village, families and students.
Why is that a highlight?
They're really, they're impressed with the fact that most students, almost all students
get their own bedroom.
Yeah.
Yeah.
With a locking door and only share a bathroom with one other person.
So.
Which let me tell you, right?
In my college days.
We were in the dungeon, you know.
Right.
And I mean, you walked down the hall with Caddy.
You had to wear shower shoes and got to go to the bathroom at night.
Absolutely.
Like your flashlight.
Yeah.
And just out the window, girl.
For you or me.
Yeah.
For you all.
If faculty or adjuncts have not seen our on campus housing, which I'm sure they probably
haven't, we would love to take them over there and show them that for sure.
That's awesome.
Maybe that's something you could add to the adjunct orientation.
We are, by the way, trying to put in, but not during the orientation.
Right.
But like after you can get on.
But we're looking at getting scheduled a few specific tours for adjunct faculty.
Yeah.
So that they do get to know the campus better.
It could be as easy as, you know, okay, my class is in this building.
I'm in Locker Hall.
How do I get to Chick-fil-A?
Right?
Because they're not certain.
Because that is important.
It is.
It is.
That takes you.
But it's one of those things that I think they need to, everybody needs to break out
of that same old routine and be able to find things on campus.
When you explore and you find out that there's, you know, mulberry bushes on the way to the
campus support complex.
When are they ripe?
In the spring.
Oh, I missed it.
We missed it.
There's also some in the food forest.
Food forest, yeah.
Yeah, I went during COVID.
We would come because nobody was picking anything.
And we would...
You're like, oh no.
Yeah.
We would pick all this fresh food.
I made my very first pie with a mulberry.
Yeah.
Very nice.
Very soupy.
But...
So housing is one.
Housing is definitely one.
I think just the general vibe, the general feel of campus, I think people really get excited
because they get a feel for the people of campus that really care.
And that is one thing we hear not only on tours, but from our events.
Everybody really seems to like it and care about the students.
And to me, that's something really special.
Yeah, I don't think every college is that way.
Now, and we can't necessarily train that, right?
Yeah.
It's in the culture.
And it's really something that honestly stands out.
I was just doing working on tour evaluations and reviewing them so I could see where we
need to improve here or there.
And the parents and students, like everybody's so friendly.
I love how you can access that and see that.
So those are two really big points of pride for campus, I think.
Awesome.
Many adjuncts only see, like you mentioned, their classroom and the parking lot, wherever
they park.
Whichever lot that is.
Yeah.
You mentioned Mulberry.
If they can go back.
Yeah.
Yes.
But any other hidden gems or traditions or programs or experiences that maybe adjuncts
would really benefit from knowing.
Oh, well, I think just in general, I think it's really good for them to just explore,
even if it's just their building.
Yeah.
Because there's all kinds of nooks and crannies and like discoverable areas that I'm still
finding, you know?
And I've been here and I'm like, oh, I didn't know this existed.
So did you know we have a virtual reality lab on campus?
Really?
Where is that?
It's in our ship?
No, it's in Holmes Hall.
Well, and entrepreneurship stuff too.
Yeah, they may.
In Holmes Hall, they can like do virtual reality welding.
Wow.
And so cool.
Yeah.
Right?
It's so cool.
And even like I was doing some videoing last week and the construction management lab,
like I don't know that people know that that's there.
And there's so many opportunities for our students.
It's up the outdoor facility.
It is.
Yeah, with a big shade.
Yeah.
The only shade.
Yes.
It's a classroom back there.
Yeah.
It's huge.
Yes.
It is huge.
Yes.
So I think just getting out and about and exploring a little bit, that's truly how I found
like the nooks in the water school or a lunker and, you know, finding some of the best views
on campus is just you have to step out of your comfort zone a little bit.
Take a little time to do that.
Absolutely.
And get to know your campus.
People are really happy to be here and there's a reason.
So adjuncts could come to the SUGD and welcome center and just say, Hey, I'd like to tell
me about this.
Tell me about it.
And I'd like to get to know the campus better.
What do you recommend or?
Absolutely.
I mean, our most trusted publication is the map, right?
Right.
Because everybody needs a map to get around.
But my tour guides know all the fun spots on campus.
And you know, they're going to recommend like photo opportunities and the best place to
eat neat places to to see, you know, if, if adjuncts have not seen our man made lake
and our beach, yeah, they need to go out there.
Oh, yeah.
North Lake.
Yeah.
The fire pit.
There's a fire pit out there.
The boardwalk.
It's gorgeous.
It's absolutely gorgeous.
That's a great point.
The boardwalk, I feel like is always, I don't know, I always forget it's there, but I don't
work in North Lake.
So I don't think about it anymore.
And then you can drool at the houses across the lake.
Absolutely.
It gives the students something to aim for.
Six million dollars.
Exactly.
But there's like, you know, there's benches all the way down.
I know we were talking about how hot summer it is right now, but I see people bike ride.
They have long boards, skateboard, go tan.
I see the coaches like doing their walks.
Yeah.
I think there's bike rentals and things there too.
Yeah.
High-acts and sailboats and canoes and all of that.
I mean, the students have access to a speedboat on campus so they can go wakeboarding and
water skiing.
So do you all give tours on Saturdays and the weekends?
We do not.
Okay.
And there's, there's a true reason for that.
Yeah.
When there's not a lot of activity going on.
You don't get a good sense of the campus.
You can get it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We want future eagles to see what campus life.
Like, would be like, yeah.
Right.
So that makes sense.
Yeah.
And even during the summer, I want them to come and some families, that's the only time
they can come.
Yeah.
But classes aren't going on and they're not in person.
There's not a lot to see of the true eagle experience.
And so we want them to come to campus.
We want to show them everything.
But they also want to see what's happening.
Yeah.
So what times of the year, you've talked about eagle.
Eagle X.
Yeah.
And other, I don't know.
Most adjuncts show up to these things.
Some of them are voluntary.
Oh, that they need to.
Now, it depends on your department.
Actually, yes.
And that may only be for full-time faculty.
I don't know.
You know, so they may.
Or if their staff and their adjunct.
Yes.
Eagle exposure, typically, well, for the last 25 years, it's been.
It's pretty typical.
The third Saturday of October and the third Saturday of February.
And it's in the morning.
It runs 9 to 1, usually.
And it's a fantastic day to just come see campus because students are excited to be
there.
We're excited to see what we have to offer.
Staff and faculty are excited because they want to show what we have to offer.
And it's just a really happy day.
It's almost kind of like a networking event, too, for us that work here.
Because we're talking to the students and families.
But we're also talking to different departments.
So we might not have seen.
Yes.
And bajillion years.
And it's a lot of fun.
It really is.
Now, from my standpoint, I'm just ready for the day to get over.
That's because you're in charge.
Yes.
I love to watch everybody interact.
And they're not sitting in their office.
They are truly interacting.
Like Maggie said, they're talking to each other.
And you may see somebody you haven't seen in a few months because of schedules.
And so they're fun days.
And I think that that's how those students really see our culture.
Because you are the welcome.
You are the front door.
You are that first impression.
Long term, we want the first impression to continue.
And we want students to feel like they really do belong here.
And I think we want to have everyone, staff, faculty, and adjunct faculty, no matter how
long you are on campus during a given week, to really feel like they do belong here.
Absolutely.
What are some thoughts?
You know, we encourage the students, first of all, we encourage them to get involved,
right, from the very beginning.
And a connected student, a student who feels that belonging is going to be more likely
to stay, more likely to persist.
Yeah, persist through.
And the same can be said for faculty and staff.
You know, get to know your colleagues.
Go to the various activities.
I feel like we've had more activities as of recent.
And I think the communications committee and the EEC, our committee, have really wanted
to push for that.
SAC has done a good job.
And just go to those activities.
That's where I initially, you know, I mean, we were a very small campus and very few
staff, but that's how you got to know everybody.
And so I think that just getting involved, it's not just for students.
I think it's for faculty and staff as well.
We need to have a dose of our own medicine.
Absolutely, you know, and feel that belonging.
We're going to be doing some meetups in the local area off campus.
Yes.
And so this is a great opportunity for me.
She must plug to talk about it.
One thing that brings people together is beer, right?
So American pastime.
Exactly.
So, you know, we're going to be doing, I know we've got some dates set for Fort Myers-Birring
Company and Gateway area.
Do you know where that is?
I do.
I do.
I may be very familiar with that location.
I may be a regular.
Yeah, maybe.
One of my neighbors actually asked me this morning.
They're like, Tami, do you have a favorite beer there?
And I was like, oh, yes.
And so, but, you know, we're also going to be doing one at Palm City.
Right.
Right down the road from campus.
And we're looking at other locations in Benita Springs, in Naples, in the county.
Yeah.
Wherever people are located.
I think that's a good point you bring up.
We are, I mean, we were created to serve the five county region, but it's like, oh,
we also all live in different counties.
Right.
We're all kind of far away.
Like I'm in Naples.
I know people, my professor lived in Port Charlotte.
Right.
It would drive down and for class, I'm like, what are we doing here?
Right.
But they were great.
They were committed, all the things, but still we are so spread out.
We are.
You know, and I know there's a whole community like at Babcock Grant.
Right.
And so get those people together and, you know, just hang out away from work.
Right.
And, you know, we don't have to talk about work.
No, because we're not getting paid.
We're not on the clock.
We don't talk about work.
Right.
Fun only.
Maybe it's just my level of insecurity or imposter syndrome.
When I first especially started as an Agile faculty member here, my sense is a portion
of Agile faculty don't know how they fit in and whether they feel as legit to be here
or to be a part of things.
And so between departments don't always ask us and invite us to some of their events.
And partly because we're not going to be making some of those huge decisions anyways, but
for these types of events, I have never felt like there are, let's say it this way.
There are very few people here who really are into that status game, whether you're
full-time faculty or part-time faculty, staff or whatever.
There are some.
Right.
And I would say those probably fall on the faculty side.
Yeah.
I think it's more a few faculty members, to be honest.
But it's not that many.
Some of the full-time faculty.
It's not what it could be.
The original faculty are absolutely not like that at all.
Yes.
When I talk to some of them who've been here almost a little longer even than you, they're
the ones that are the most friendly and the most outgoing and they could pull rank like
crazy and they don't.
It's more of the, I don't know, maybe it's from other universities settings.
I was just going to say, we're not a traditional university.
We don't have tenure.
It's not an R1.
It's a very different vibe that I don't think a lot of, I mean, this is just my perspective,
that I don't think a lot of faculty who have worked at larger institutions are prepared
for.
Right.
Like it's a huge shift.
Yeah.
Because if you bumper, like, bump around, let's say like UCF, FSU, UF, it's all going to
kind of be same, same little different flavor, size, services.
Right.
They have football, all the things, but we don't have football.
There's nobody near us.
We have UF out there and I owe you and everybody across the way, but it's literally just us.
As far as how do we improve or enhance our welcome adjunct faculty more into these things,
we almost have to overcompensate in a sense.
Don't you think?
Yeah, probably.
Yes.
Show up.
Don't worry.
Nobody's going to look at you like you got lobsters growing out of your ears because you
showed up to one of these events.
Right.
And there are some people who aren't comfortable at all or are like, you know what, I'm here
to teach my class and like, okay, we're okay with that.
Absolutely.
But yeah, but if you are looking for more, there's plenty to get involved with.
And if you want the support, we want to make sure that you have it.
Absolutely.
And I know that many, not all, but I know that many of the adjuncts are here more so in evening
hours.
They're working full time job.
Right.
And maybe our answer is to do something in the evening on campus.
Yeah.
And you know, I don't want to see you after dark.
Yeah.
On the library.
Yes.
That sounds a little anyway.
You know, I don't want to call it a mixer, but you know, something to bring people together,
even, you know, like SAC does the ice cream socials for staff.
Right.
You know, maybe.
We do the new hire lunches.
Right.
Yeah.
We have right now, we do have one event a year and adjunct faculty reception in the
fall.
Yeah, I think we can figure out some more meetups.
I mean, and we talked about this too, like a midterm mixer, like halfway through, just
like happy hour somewhere.
Yeah.
Like, hey, how's your semester going?
Just my trauma for the first eight weeks.
How's your class going?
And I think those meetups that we are working to organize.
Just like informal.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Could help with that.
And you know, I mean, you have a really, both of you have really good pulse of the adjuncts
and can really encourage them.
But there's opportunity.
And I think, you know, making new friends is sometimes hard.
And you know, you may sit in the seat next to them and you might have to talk to them,
but do it.
Yeah.
You know, just jump in.
Now that's an extrovert talking, but it's.
But still, I also am not like a huge people person.
Like I can talk to anyone, but I'd rather just be in my room alone crafting.
Are you watching documentaries?
Yes.
I do not ever see that side of Maggie.
I'm a great actress.
And just taking that leap and if you already know it's going to be uncomfortable, right?
Right.
20 minutes.
And that's what I tell my students.
I'm like, if you go to an event for 20 or 30 minutes and you were having the worst
time of your life, guess what?
You believe.
Guess what?
And they're like, Oh, I guess you're right.
I'm like, you went, you checked in, you talked to a few people, got the vibe, you gave it
a fair on a shot.
Right.
Then if it's not for you, you tried.
It's not for you.
And that's okay.
Right.
And now forgive me because I don't know this, but adjuncts, do they have office hours on
campus?
They don't have offices.
So we do have the adjunct workspace.
We have an adjunct workspace and they can use that.
And there are a couple of colleges that have a little space that they can use.
But yeah, no, it's really hard because we don't have enough offices for all the faculty
right now.
It's getting tight.
I would advocate for more spaces on campus where adjuncts can meet and greet students.
And that's right.
That's where I was going with that, obviously.
You know, they could find their favorite place at Starbucks or they can.
And Einstein's.
It's the FERPA thing, you know, the whole, you can meet with them.
That's the only times you either meet before, after class, in the hallway or in the classroom
or you're meeting somewhere.
Just students have to realize that the conversation is not completely private because you're not
in a private space.
But you could be as confidential as you can if they have any questions.
Sure.
But yeah, that's still something I'd like to see long term that we have a little more
space for those types of events.
So that basically students cannot tell the difference between full time and part time
faculty so that their experience of what they get in terms of the classroom and the whole
educational experience support relationship with these faculty is basically the same.
Most students don't know the difference.
I was just going to ask that I had no idea who, no, my professors, like, if they were
all professors to me.
Right.
But then some of mine just had day jobs.
Right.
And so I didn't think of it.
I didn't think of it as an adjunct.
Like a dig or anything, you know.
Right.
But it is when you try to get it when they want to access you, there are some issues of
access.
Sure.
Sure.
And so trying to find those times.
Right.
From your perspective of admissions with understanding our current student population
as good as anybody can.
Because I mean, it's a bell curve of students all over it.
Absolutely.
Right.
What do faculty members sometimes misunderstand that you think of today's students?
You know, I just went to a conference last week and we talked about the parents of these
students and this, you know, generation and the parents have been more involved with
these students than ever before.
Yep.
And so they expect that they are going to be part of the experience.
Students are like, Yay, I've got my freedom.
Let's go.
But they've been reliant upon their parents for a while too.
I think adjuncts need to be open to almost mentoring these students and helping them.
Because the parents aren't here and because of FERPA and other things, we can't talk
to the parents about the students.
Exactly.
The students could talk to their parents.
Right.
But we cannot share what's going on.
And we're the same way.
Yeah.
Admissions.
You know, we need to talk to the students.
I do a lot of trying to convince the parents it's time to hand it off.
And then it's not about you.
Right.
You know, the parents will call and ask questions and, you know, admissions work kind of in
a limbo area because they're not students yet.
Right.
And so, and the parents are part of the process, the application process, the visit process.
But if there's a student and I can hear the parent talking to the student, I'm always
like, Hey, can I talk with Johnny right there?
I can talk them through this.
And the parents are always like, Well, I need to know.
And I'm like, Sure.
But at some point you've got to you've got to hand it over faculty in general need to
keep that in mind because this is a different generation.
Yeah.
And I would make the distinction that parental involvement does not mean that the student
is self-sufficient and able to self-manage and has the habits already.
Because they don't have the person pushing go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
It's like, Oh, it's just me and I, all I can do is decline a call.
That's kind of nice.
Right.
I'm just going to keep.
Well, and you know, I was talking with one of my current student tour guides, a lot of
what the students perceive of faculty in general, I'm not just saying adjuncts, but is that
they think that they're lazy.
And they think that the faculty is lazy?
No, no, no, the faculty think the students are lazy.
Okay.
Okay.
Yeah.
And sometimes it's not that at all.
Sometimes it's the students don't know how to.
It's a hidden curriculum.
Yes.
Of higher education and going to college.
They don't know.
No.
So yeah, they don't know what they don't know.
Exactly.
They don't know what they should be doing.
But now it's for agreed.
Right.
Right.
And they see others like getting away with shortcuts, getting around this and doing this.
And so they're like, okay, is that what I can do?
Is that the expectation that I'm like, what?
Yeah.
Right.
Where's the lane?
So, um, fascinating.
Yeah.
I do.
I look at my job as to mentor and nurture and help these students.
And I think faculty, their job is to impart information and knowledge to them.
And assess and exactly.
Yep.
And research.
Right.
Yeah.
And so it's a little more rigid, if you will.
And the nurturing side, like, I think the students are open to that.
Yeah.
I just.
But I also too don't want to cry in front of my biology professor with 150 students.
Like I'm going to go to the staff member with the office door next door that I can talk
to one on one.
Right.
And then figure it out.
That's so true.
So true.
Yeah.
I think the biggest thing is just getting to know your students, asking those questions.
Always ask, well, why do you think that?
Just explain to me why.
Right.
Or just want to know where you're coming from.
Right.
And it's everything outside of the classroom that is impacting that classroom performance.
So I always counter when faculty, their perception can sometimes be they're lazy.
I'm like, well, have you asked them what they have going on in their life?
Well, no, I had a deadline and we've been talking about this forever.
I'm like, did you know that they are in a single family household?
They have six siblings and are working full time.
Right.
In addition to taking a four, a full course load as a biology major with labs and everything.
There.
And then the response is, oh, right.
It's like, I can get 99% of the time.
It's something else.
Right.
And it goes back to FGCU is not the typical campus.
Right.
And getting to know students is okay.
That's what we want.
Right.
What a thought.
I know.
And my most effective professors are ones that took an interest in me, even if it was
just a hey, Tammy, how are you?
Learning names is everything.
Right.
Something else too I recommend just side note is if you see your former students in the
hallway and they lock eyes with you, say hi to them because they're too scared to say
hi to you.
What a thought.
Yes.
They do it every time and then they look at me.
They're like, you remember me?
I'm like, yeah, I stared at your face for 16 weeks.
Right.
Of course I remembered you.
Exactly.
I don't always remember every name, but I remember every face.
Every face.
And I know they were my students.
I can say hi.
And I know what term I have them.
I know the term in the year and your face.
Yeah.
Much younger has a much better memory as time goes on.
I'll probably forget so.
But just to say, hey, how are your classes going?
Yeah, I'm a semester.
You know, they're not in your class this semester.
They were in it previously.
Just ask.
Yeah.
Just ask.
So I fully agree.
I'm always like, hey, we talked last semester about you changing your major.
Did you end up doing that?
Oh my gosh.
Let me tell you.
Right.
And Maggie isn't, you know, unusual.
In a lot of ways.
Yes.
But she, if you look up the definition of who cares.
Yeah, she's there.
She's there.
So yes.
You've been an adjunct though.
I have.
I have.
What's this in life?
It's been a while since I taught.
Oh.
So Maggie, get her in.
Yeah.
I started with my life career teaching high school.
Oh my goodness.
You were awesome.
You were a saint.
Well, and it was alternative high school.
Oh, yes.
You rocked that.
I know you did.
You're the best class.
I would teach with a baby on my hip because it wouldn't go to the nursery.
And we did, I had couches and bean bags in my classroom because they don't learn.
The same.
No student learns the same.
But yeah, I, oh, I loved my, my class when I was teaching on campus.
Like, and university transitions is a fun class to teach.
So it's just you're introducing those students to campus.
How did, you know, manage a checkbook or I guess they don't have checkbooks now, but
you know, a bank account and how to ask your professors for help.
How to write an email.
Yes.
Seriously.
Just simple things you are like, why don't you know that?
Right.
It's like, why would I need to email anyone?
I've never had a job.
Right.
Exactly.
I just showed up to school and I was fine.
That's so true.
And my, my tour guide's the same way.
You know, some of them, they don't know how to address an envelope.
We hardly mail anything anymore.
I love snail mail.
Yes.
Absolutely.
And it's so special.
Mm hmm.
So, you know, there's just, my job is to prepare them for their future job.
And, you know, if they're showing up late every day, just like, you know, it to class,
if they're showing up late every day, it's going to hurt them.
Mm hmm.
And so let's have a talk.
Let's sit down.
What, why are you coming in late?
Right?
Maybe we need to shift your schedule.
Maybe you need to get out of bed a little earlier.
You know?
Go to bed a little.
Right.
Mm hmm.
But those are the things that students are learning, you know, they're, they're.
They've never had a self-manage, really.
To this level.
Not to this level.
No.
Everybody, you know, I've got mine right in front of me, but your phone, like, that
is your go to.
It's your pacifier.
It is.
Yeah.
It is.
If I am awkward or uncomfortable, I just look down.
Exactly.
Because I'm doing something.
And these students, the same, you know, they, that's what they're going to do.
If they're not making connections, they don't want to try.
They're going to be on their phone.
Yeah.
We've got to integrate them.
Oh.
Let's do a magic wand question.
Oh, okay.
Dun, dun, dun.
Tammy, you've been here 25 years.
Yes.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
The crystal eagles coming away.
I think.
Is a crystal or crystal?
So thinking through it all, if you had that magic wand and could change one signal, you
would have to be a little bit more comfortable.
I think that's a very significant thing about this place.
That's tough.
What would you do?
I.
Outside of pay.
Yeah.
For everybody.
Yeah.
That's always off the table.
Right.
Yeah.
And that's not, I mean, yes.
I miss the closeness of everyone on campus.
Yeah.
And so, but that's because we were so small, right?
Right.
I think that I keep saying it.
We are still a small campus.
Absolutely.
There is no reason why you shouldn't know 50% of the people that work on this campus.
I know a lot of people here compared to when I was at UF.
Sure.
Sure.
My goodness.
That places three times a size or more.
Institutional, it's even larger.
Yes.
It's 48,000 students.
So it's three times the size.
That's true.
Are you thinking more like within departments and units and areas or more like the whole
campus?
Well, I, we can start small.
Yeah, we can.
We certainly can.
And, you know, change happens.
And sometimes it's for the better.
Right.
And so, you know, we're coming up on a new year.
And so maybe that will change.
And, you know, I'll, I'll feel like, oh, yeah, they know we can.
Oh, yeah, they know each other and they know each other.
Right.
And they're coming together to help each other.
Yeah.
I think the larger we grow, the smaller we need to grow as well.
Yes.
And the point is this is true in a lot of organizations.
I don't expect everyone to know everyone, but I want them to have two or three people that
they can consider friends and supporters of them so that if they are going through a
difficult time or want to celebrate something, they have people here fully agree who they
can't wait to get back together with, you know, so that when they come on to campus, they
have someone they'd like to see outside of just the students in their classroom.
I've been here for so long, but I'm still meeting new people.
I mean, right.
John and I just met a year ago.
Yeah.
I feel like I could call him and say, Hey, you could, you know, let's, let's meet up.
I need some help or even making one friend.
So then you have a wingman to go to these events with.
Right.
Yes.
And also adjuncts email John if you need a buddy, right?
John, are you going to this?
Yeah.
I need a friendly face.
Email me.
I'm happy to go.
I'm always up for whatever it is.
Show up all the other.
We will definitely be putting some of these meetups that we're planning in the adjunct faculty
news.
And I just think community is more important than ever in our society.
Yes.
Sociological studies like Robert Putnam's book, Bowling Alone and others have shown just
that social capital has really been diminished for most people and they don't realize how
valuable it is.
This is true of students too.
And I think this is exactly what we've seen is their resilience goes really low when they
don't have that community.
And you're not going to make a thousand close friends.
Yeah.
Oh no, that's possible.
Well, no.
And honestly, and Maggie, maybe in your classes a little more, in my classes it works somewhat.
But the majority of classes students aren't going to make friends in the classroom because
you're studying a subject.
Well, and I come in and I sit on my phone so I don't have to talk to you anymore.
Well, that's true too.
You could get involved in a student organization of some type or involved in something outside
of yourself, service learning activities, all sorts of things get connected.
And that's true for adjuncts.
That's true for staff.
That's true for faculty.
That's true for students.
Every one of us needs to have that kind of community.
Agreed.
I fully agree.
And find one, two, three other people on campus and, you know, and branch out a little
bit.
And I sit down and play Uker.
Yes.
Or I know nobody hardly knows what that is.
Just make sure you have the left and right bow.
And you're all set.
You're set.
Yeah.
Y'all will have to teach me.
Oh, I don't know.
It's really hard.
I have found it difficult to teach people who didn't grow up with it.
I can.
Yes.
I agree.
Okay.
I'll just go on YouTube then.
No, we'll teach you, but it's just.
You guys are like, oh, it's an unusual game.
People game because depending on what's Trump, the cards change in terms of their value,
in a sense.
And until you get that in your mind, everybody's like, well, what I, but that's usually it's
like, yes, usual.
And now that hearts are Trump.
Yeah.
Two different things.
Yes.
Right.
Okay.
But I'll work with you.
Okay.
Cool.
Yeah.
It's a fun game.
Excellent.
It's a quick game.
It is quick.
It's a quick tournament here, I think.
That's just awesome.
I can't keep score.
Like I.
Well, you just do it with the two fives.
No, but I can never remember how much this is and how much not.
So I got that down, girl.
Yes.
So we can be partners.
Boom.
Boom.
And then we'll just plow through every other team.
Exactly.
If I do this, heart should be dropping.
Oh my goodness.
And if you go like this diamond.
You're just like, yeah.
No, no tables.
No, no table time.
Okay.
No.
Oh my goodness.
We have digressed.
Oh yeah.
Sorry.
It's not your problem.
I did.
So the magic wand is more community like it used to be.
And intentional community.
Intentional.
Yes.
I think that's the right word.
Well, I think we're working on that.
I do.
Absolutely.
I really do think that it's coming back.
So do you notice on a meta side of things meant this itself was exactly what we're talking
about having community?
Yes.
Absolutely.
Is that wild?
Mm hmm.
That's a little circle.
I know.
Listing to a podcast isn't quite like that.
But if you're an adjunct at FGCU, you are part of our community.
And yes, if you want to be on this podcast, we'll get you on.
That's for sure.
We'd love to hear your lived experience, learn a little more about you.
It's all good.
Right?
It's been great.
Thanks so much, Tammy.
You're so much fun.
Yeah.
Thanks for having me.
And I hope that people reach out.
I hope if they, we're always willing to show people around.
And we're going to have those for new adjuncts.
Yes.
Some tour times.
But I think I'll put in the adjunct faculty news as well for any adjunct if they want
to join into that tour.
That's okay.
Yes.
Yes.
If we have room, by all means.
Yeah.
How many can you have in a tour?
So we, our buses will hold 28.
Oh, so we get a bus ride with this.
Yes.
However, it's actually a walking tour, John.
Yes.
It's partial walking, partial bus.
Okay.
We're going to drive through the corridor.
Yes.
Right?
Oh.
We just have to have like 20 golf carts.
Right.
Hopefully nightmare.
But I want to keep the, the tours.
The size about.
Right.
To 26.
Oh, 20.
Yeah.
If we'd get that many, I'd be thrilled.
So, but, but we will, we'll take them around, show them around and help introduce them to campus.
Absolutely.
So you just learned so many fun facts about the buildings, about our athletics programs,
our facilities, like everything.
It's a hidden gem.
It is.
I agree.
I agree.
Well, thanks y'all for listening today or tonight or whenever it was that you've
decided to listen to it.
We've really had a good time together again, Maggie.
Right?
Yes.
Y'all have a great, a time, wings up and...
Go Eagles.
Bye bye now.
Bye y'all.
Theme music composed, performed and produced by James Husney.
Theme music produced, performed and produced by James Husney.
