Recipient of the Outstanding Teaching
by Adjunct Faculty Award
Dr.
Nicholas Barron, instructor in philosophy, is the recipient of the
USI Foundation’s 2008-09 Award for
Outstanding Teaching by Adjunct
Faculty. The award includes a $500 one-time stipend and a $500
professional development grant.
An Evansville native, Barron has taught at USI for three years. He has a
bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Purdue University, a theological
studies degree from Saint Meinrad School of Theology, and a master’s
degree and Ph.D. in philosophy from Southern Illinois University.
According to Dr. Julie Evey-Johnson, assistant dean of the
College of Liberal Arts and acting chair of the Department of
Philosophy, Political Science and Public Administration, Barron
typically teaches several sections of Introduction to Ethics, a class in
the University Core Curriculum. “Thus he teaches exclusively in the
Core. It is rare then that he teaches students majoring in philosophy.
Given this, I am overwhelmed by the support his students gave when I
told them I was nominating Dr. Barron for this award.”
One student said, “Dr. Barron is by far the best professor I have had
during my two years at USI. He truly cares about each of his students
and wants each one to excel and learn.” Others cited his “passion for
the material,” “willingness to help,” and fairness.
Evey-Johnson said, “Over and over different students use the words
passionate, knowledgeable, and fair to describe Dr. Barron, and they
always add how much they have learned. Dr. Barron’s students admire him
for the right reasons. They leave a required class wanting more.”
Humility is crucial to the philosophy and theology of St. Augustine,
about whom Barron wrote his dissertation. It also is a significant idea
in Barron’s life. “You have to recognize that you can be wrong, that you
are not the Alpha and the Omega when it comes to the truth. Humility is
good in life, but it’s good in the classroom as well. You can be wrong,
so why instill in students ideas that are fallacious or may be
mistaken?”
Barron believes his students should leave his class in command of a set
of facts. “To be an educated person presumes a few things. From my
class, and from my field, it presumes you know about Plato, Socrates,
Aristotle, Homer, St. Augustine…when they get a bachelor’s degree they
ought to be quote ‘educated’ and there are important things that will
allow them to enter the cultural conversation of educated people. My
exams are designed to make sure that minimally, they grasp a certain set
of important facts when they are done with the course.”
He is determined that his students should leave his class better able to
present ideas in a clear, coherent, and organized way. He encourages
them to bring their papers to him in advance so he can read and
criticize them in draft form. “I’m mainly interested in the structure,
the form, the organization, and getting them to present me with an
organized, fairly articulate, and clear thesis statement. And as they do
that hard work, they become better and more proficient at it.
Practically speaking, that’s what my papers aim for and I hope they take
that away from the class.”
Barron describes his teaching style as “down to earth.” “It sounds naïve
and simplistic, but I’m concerned with being just and fair as much as I
can in the classroom. If they work and give me a decent effort, I try to
structure the class so their grade will reflect that. If they make an
effort, they learn something, and when they learn something then usually
their grade reflects that. They’re happy and I’m happy because they’ve
learned something.”
He said he also tries to treat students like what they are “whether they
realize it or not”: adults. “They have decisions to make in life and in
my classroom. Decisions have consequences. If they don’t come to class
or don’t take notes, there are consequences.”
This is the second time the University has recognized Barron for
excellence in teaching. He also is a recipient of the Dean’s Golden
Apple Award of Excellence, presented annually by Dr. David Glassman,
dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
