Dr. Griffin
By Dakota Smith, The Whetstone
Dakota Smith: Where did you attend college?
Tery Griffin: I attended college at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. I did my MFA at University of Michigan and Doctorate at NYU.
DS: What did you major in?
TG: As an undergrad I majored in English with a concentration in creative writing. I have my MFA in creative writing fiction and my doctorate is in educational communication and technology.
DS: How did you end up coming to Wesley?
TG: I needed to work in Delaware. I ended up finding this for family reasons.
DS: How long have you been teaching at Wesley?
TG: This is my tenth year.
DS: Why did you start teaching?
TG: I started because I began working as a teacher’s aid as an undergrad in an English department. I liked it.
DS: Has your teaching style changed over time?
TG: I’ve taught so many things it’s hard to say. I do prefer discussion to presentation; new classes end up being more presentation, though.
DS: What classes do you enjoy teaching the most?
TG: It varies by semester because of the students. When a class has good students I enjoy teaching it; it is better when the students are more engaged.
DS: What effect has teaching had on you?
TG: It’s turned me into a workaholic; it has much more hours than I expected. I can remember jobs where I didn’t go home and do more work.
DS: What are your feelings about the Media Arts department changing into Multimedia Communication department?
TG: I am excited about it. It is great for the students and the department.
DS: How are you going about the conversion?
TG: Lots of discussion with professors Douglas and Greto. We look at our strengths and use them to help them to help the students.
DS: Were there any downsides to the change?
TG: The amount of work because there are a lot of new classes. I have two new classes this semester and two next. Creating new courses is very labor intensive.
DS: How do you like to spend your free time?
TG: Photography is one of my old hobbies and I write fiction. I also try to read things that are not related to work.
