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Interview with Susan Fiksdal

Recent Teaching History
Susan Fiksdal is currently an Academic Dean and has no teaching assignments

Art of Conversation, 1995-96
Paris-Dakar: Fort de France 1994-95

Recent and Current Areas of Interest

Genderlects (gender and discourse), rapport in conversation, seminar discussions, metaphors.

Are there particular authors/artists/thinkers whose work you interested and which you often ask students to examine?

Deborah Tannen, Pierre Bourdiex, Noam Chomsky, George Lakoff, Mark Johnson (metaphors).
Also, Maryse Conde, Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, Apollinaire

Specific Skills, Competence, Techniques:

Qualitative research, interviewing, French language, sociolinguistic research

What are key qualities you look for in student work?

Addressing fruitful questions, articulate writing, openness to new ideas, meeting deadlines.

What techniques do you use to assess their work?

Essays, oral class work (seminars, workshops), individual conferences, exams (French and linguistics), research projects.

How do you help students assess their work?

I go over self-evaluations with students very carefully. I also do individual conferences.

Teaching Style:
How would you characterize yourself as a teacher?

Well-organized, well-planned syllabus, high expectations of student work, high interest in collaboration with students and colleagues.

What types of students tend to do well with you?

I never noticed a type that didn’t do well.

What types of students have a hard time with you?

Students who are uninterested in their work.

What do your student evaluations say about the way you come across to students?

That I’m highly organized and demanding, but worthwhile to work with. Also that I give students lots of encouragement.

Expectations about Contracts, Internships, and Evaluations
What qualities do you look for in a student who comes to you for work in a contract?

I expect students to have thoughtfully designed a contract already which we can negotiate. It must be typed and turned in before their appointment. They also should have a very good reason for wanting to do a contract. I generally only do internships with an academic component.

What information do you want to see when a person comes to look for a contract?

Generally I only do contracts with students who I’ve worked with independently and successfully in the past.

Interviewer: Char Simons

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Last Updated: March 15, 2007