SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2022: Nassau – Fran Gulinello

Fran Gulinello has a Ph.D. in linguistics from the CUNY Graduate Center and an M.A. in speech rhetoric and communication from Hofstra University. She has been teaching in the Department of Communications at Nassau Community College for over twenty years.

It must be said that online learning would not be possible without the numerous layers of support available to dedicated faculty and students. We have all reached out, on occasion, to the patient folks at the SUNY help desk. Wouldn’t it be great if there were similar call centers to avert all of life’s little calamities on a Sunday afternoon? NCC’s outstanding distance education faculty are experts in tools of engagement and course design. Their enthusiasm for online learning is contagious. They transform the daunting task of re-envisioning an entire course into a rewarding experience. My department shares that enthusiasm and has been forward-thinking about hybrid and online course proposals. New ideas are met with encouragement and positive feedback. Colleagues who have created online courses generously share experiences, discuss best practices, and hold tutorials. The students amaze us as they navigate, participate, and create. Days, months, and years of course preparation all become worthwhile when they successfully engage with the content, their professors, and each other. My appreciation of online learning is an appreciation of collaboration and creativity. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow as an educator and to serve our students. Distance learning is a journey and an adventure. I can’t wait to see what comes next.