SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2021: Potsdam – Seon Levius

Dr. Seon Levius is an assistant professor of technology in the SUNY Potsdam Department of Business Administration. He has recently been awarded the Thomas L. and Jane D. Russell Distance Education Faculty Excellence Award for his pedagogy using inquiry-based learning. Dr. Levius teaches in the Master of Science in management program—the first fully online degree program at SUNY Potsdam. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Walden University in Minneapolis and a Master of Science degree in information systems management from the University of Liverpool. Levius also completed Harvard Business School Executive Education programs in business analytics and big data, and attended the University of Guyana, where he studied public management. Before joining SUNY Potsdam, Levius led the information and communication technology portfolios for two Caribbean intergovernmental and multilateral agencies based in Barbados. His teaching draws from sharing this eclectic knowledge and life experiences to inspire lifelong curiosity.

My online teaching approach is rooted in students answering five fundamental questions, i.e., Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Where am I from? and What can I do? Exploring these five questions with students allows me to help them establish the “why.”  A strong “why” helps students keep their head in the game even when they felt like they can’t go any further, and it unleashes a fearless determination for them to win. The idea of “Coaching Business can thus summarize my teaching philosophy.” This approach was beneficial during the COVID 19 pandemic as I was able to lift up the spirits of my students whenever they seemed broken and disillusioned. It is the idea that every student already has within them gifts to unleash. But this can only be achieved through focus and hard work. One student wrote in the Fall 2020 semester, “10/10 would recommend. The man is an absolute genius with a gentle heart. He strongly encourages his students and demonstrates proficiency in many areas of not just the classroom but in life. I wish he taught more classes.”

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View Seon’s video testimonial.