April 21, 2024

Dear Dean Smith,

Please accept this letter as intent for promotional consideration. I feel that I have met the necessary conditions for advancement from Assistant Professor of English at Chesapeake College to Associate Professor of English at CC.

Beginning this August, I will begin my sixth year of full-time teaching at CC. In addition, I will have met the educational requirement of a Masters + 30.

I feel that I have demonstrated to my students, colleagues and administrators, my passion for academic excellence and commitment to a student-centric learning environment. I continually reevaluate and adapt my curriculum to meet the ever-changing needs of the 21st century learner and enjoy sharing what I have developed and learned with my peers. This past year, I have continued to focus on improving digital literacy skills by introducing the Flip video app for some Discussion Board assignments in both my online and Face-To-Face classes. Additionally, I have added a Resources Essay to my Composition class curriculum, to enhance the knowledge that students have as to what resources the college offers, including tutoring, which if used, can help improve student success.

As part of the Middle States Leadership Team, I worked alongside my English Department colleague, Lori Riley, serving as editor to her lead writer in the crafting of the Middle States Report, a core component of the reaccreditation process for Chesapeake College. Not only did I enjoy the collaborate spirit and collegiality of all the team members, but I learned a lot about CC, its policies, plans, and processes.

This past year, I had the pleasure of witnessing the theatrical process when Dr. Rob Thompson and his theater students brainstormed, planned, and wrote the Harvest Horror show, which took place in the Fall of 2023. Since my daughter was also part of the cast, I put in many hours watching, listening, and when need be, making some suggestions. Moreover, I attended the show twice so that I could experience both alternative endings. Additionally, I have volunteered to co-mentor The Beacon alongside Professor Gaines upon the retirement of the current mentor.

In addition to being the co-lead for English 101, I have continued to serve on the Academic Program Committee and have been its co-chair for the past two years. During this time, APC has successfully overseen course and program changes as well as program reviews. I also took the initiative and volunteered to sit in on the Math Pathways meetings in the 2022-2023 school year and report back to the committee, so that we would have a fuller understanding of the new Math course that would be piloted beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. (Sarah Sewell was kind enough to attend the meetings as well.) This year for APC, I am also helming the sub-committee that is updating the Curriculum Guide and have led the charge that the guide be updated every year from here on in. (Currently, it has not been updated since 2017.)

In closing, I appreciate the consideration of my candidacy for promotion and look forward to providing a more comprehensive look at my achievements through the portfolio that I will develop over the next few months.

Sincerely,

Susan LeRoy