After several years of teaching students at the Rochester Campus, Arlene Wilson has observed that some have been through difficult experiences in higher education. “Conflicts with work and family responsibilities have interfered with prior college attempts,” she explains. “They come with emotional baggage from previous learning experiences in high school, and tend to be skittish.”
She continues: “That being said, students tend to successfully overcome these obstacles by the third or fourth class, and I think that’s owing to the learning team model. All learning is done as a team and students feel emotionally supported. After they have experienced ‘success’, they re-engineer their view of themselves and develop a group and individual persona of success—hard work, perseverance, teamwork and openness to the unknown.”
By day, Arlene Wilson works for the American Diabetes Association of Upstate New York as associate director for community initiatives and outreach. By night, Wilson takes on the role of instructor at Medaille College, seeing herself as a “facilitator of education – the curriculum, books and learning team [students] are the source.”
As for the more concrete skills she imparts upon her students, Wilson offers, “I want my students to develop strong public speaking skills – which are applicable to work and personal activities and will always position you for advancement. Also, I recommend the ability to do online searches, making you a source of knowledge and giving you a reputation as a problem solver, and having pride in your education. The more you talk up your degree, and back that up with your success, the more valuable your education will be.”
“Medaille is a well-kept secret, and there are a few companies in Rochester that are mining this gem – they have seen the direct impact on their bottom line, from students bringing in new ideas, solving problems, improving management practices and increasing productivity,” says Wilson. “In my five years of teaching at Medaille, I would estimate that 15-20% of students I have taught receive promotions within their company before they complete the degree. I think that speaks volumes for the quality and value of the Medaille education experience.”
With a background in curriculum development, grant writing and not-for-profit management, Wilson is currently working on her dissertation on the emergence of grassroots leadership in Rochester. Through this, she knows that “Rochester has always been a community that values higher education. A business degree is a concrete skill set that would benefit any for profit work setting.”