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- Dr. Bill Blank
College of Education Faculty Oral Histories
Dr. Bill Blank
LB: So most of your work now is graduate work. It is in keeping with the University’s move toward research graduate education.
BB: I’m sure that was part of the Dean’s decision to move us more towards graduate education, but it is still difficult to see those programs shut down.
LB: Yes, after so many years. In your years here at USF what are some of the things you’re most proud of in term of personal or departmental achievements that have occurred? I’m sure there is a whole long list of them, but if you could just highlight a few.
BB: Well, I would say as a department and as a program, probably our contribution to strengthen and expand career and technical education within the area in which we serve. We’ve worked hand in hand with school districts and community colleges and tech centers to beef up programs and strengthen curriculum and prepare teachers for the future. I have a real positive feeling about our contributions and our partnership with our customers out there trying to improve and enhance career and technical education in the field. Personally, a couple of things that come to mind would be some of the work I’ve done internationally to help schools, school systems, school districts, institutions, and even some companies improve their technical education programs. I’ve had an opportunity to do some of that work in several countries in Africa, around the Pacific, the UK, and Central America. It’s been very gratifying to share expertise and to work hand in hand with international partners. I just came back from Macedonia recently, doing a very similar kind of project, and it’s interesting as you travel around, as I’m sure you’ve found, they’re facing some of the very same issues we are. They simply have much fewer resources though than we do.
LB: Do you find yourself asking and facing some of the same questions we did a few years ago, that you can benefit from?
BB: Tempting. I do see that very often. For example, in some countries I’ve visited recently, the high stakes testing issue is just now beginning to emerge there, and of course one of my cautions is, “Don’t go there!” We’re seeing a tremendous amount of funds and energy expended with very, very minimal results. It’s tough to caution people though about where to go, where not to go. They almost have to experience it themselves.
LB: In terms of some of your favorite memories you might have here at USF, a favorite story humorous or otherwise that may have occurred, something you can talk about or not. Are there any that you can share with us?
BB: Well, I do have such fond memories of, believe it or not, department faculty meetings. Back in the previous days we had a large number of faculty members, graduate assistants and support staff, just that critical mass of support. We had so many diverse individuals. Don Jaeske, Rex Toothman, and Bill Dannenburg, and just to see the interaction and the interchange of personalities and ideas, particularly as a young faculty member just beginning to solidify my own philosophies of education. I do have such fond memories of that. And also in the College of Education, I’m sure you remember in the KIVA the faculty meetings we had that were run by Bill Katzenmeyer, Ed Stiener, Ed Uprichard, and those guys. It always seemed to be such a celebration of things, even though we had challenges. The positive things we were doing were celebrated. It was wonderful energy and I just have such fond memories of those experiences.
LB: Now as you became chair, did that feeling of that energy with faculty remain, or did it become…I’m trying to herd cats here.
BB: Yes, I guess the longer I was chair, it did become a little less fun, because of all the typical kind of paper work and processing and administrative work one has to do as an administrator. But also the climate here at USF was changing during those 10 years. Things were getting so big and less personal, and things were becoming, I guess, more formalized and institutionalized. There was also a little tension between the union and the administration. Some of that was natural evolvement of the institution, but you’re absolutely right that being a chair certainly wasn’t as much fun as just being a worker-bee type faculty member.
LB: I wonder if you could share any memories of faculty in your department that you worked closely with over the years, those who are no longer on campus or no longer with us, and shed light on their careers and what they did. BB: One comes to mind. Bill Dannenburg, who did pass away about two years ago, was sort of a role model and mentor to me. I really kind of watched him operate, and watched how he interacted with faculty with great interest. He seemed to be very adept at working with people and getting the most out of folks. I’ll never forget one time we were in a workshop setting and Bill had gone to great lengths to get a lot of things accomplished and a lot of the work done. He went out of his way to attribute those accomplishments to other people in a very easy going subtle sort of way. I just marveled at the way he did it. I saw him do it again and again, how he was able to not only share the spotlight with others, but actually shine the spotlight on them more so than himself. That really made a deep impression on me in terms of how to more effectively work with folks and sort of get the most out of them, rather than grab the limelight, kind of share it with others. Bill’s ability to do that just never ceased to amaze me. He was a real pro. I still miss him. I think about him every now and then.