Faculty

"I have taught online since the 1990s, and my students continue to amaze me. I teach Principles of Accounting, and we do a lot of group projects. I often ask my students to create marketing plans where they have to get together online in groups of four or five. They choose a product and put together the pricing and promotion. I am continually impressed by the caliber of work they create."

Perry Haan
Associate Professor of Marketing
On Teaching at Ivy Bridge

Professor Haan makes a great observation about what Ivy Bridge is all about. It's about connecting and collaborating. Because each student brings his or her own background to Ivy Bridge, there's a lot of sharing, and this leads to creative thinking, and ultimately, the kind of critical thinking that makes the curriculum unique.

Ivy Bridge is no "paint-by-numbers" college. The professors care about their students. They want their students to succeed. And, like Professor Hahn, your faculty are ready to be amazed!

What Do Stephen King, Alice Walker and "The X-Files" have in common?

The answer is Professor Sherry R. Truffin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English. Dr. Truffin teaches English 141 – Expository and Research Writing, and she brings today's pop culture into her curriculum for a truly extraordinary classroom experience!

Professor Truffin has presented or published articles on James Baldwin, Flannery O'Connor, Stephen King, Alice Walker, postmodern storytelling techniques in the television show "The X-Files," and the relationship between Rock ‘n' Roll music and contemporary American fiction. Wow!

So what is her approach to teaching? "I use the same resources in my online courses as I would in an on-campus composition class," she remarks. "In English 141, students learn about research skills and how to structure a basic research paper. My students have access to an online learning center so they can talk with tutors who can review their papers and provide helpful comments."

On Creating A Community

"When I set up online discussion threads, I try to participate every day," Professor Truffin says. "I have 14 students in my class, and I find that these discussions help us create a community."

It also helps in getting students involved outside of class. In addition to her teaching, she serves as advisor to the TU Review, Tiffin University's online literary magazine. She welcomes—and encourages—her Ivy Bridge students to submit articles for publication in the TU Review.

"Real World" Experience

Meet another of your faculty members—Professor Teresa E. Shafer, Ph.D. Dr. Shafer teaches Introductory Sociology. What makes her different is her background. Like most of the Ivy Bridge faculty, she comes from "the real world." She served in the nonprofit sector and the insurance industry for nearly 10 years.

"We have dynamic discussions," she says about the students in her online courses. "Teaching online allows me to incorporate a lot of different materials, including videos, audio, and online articles. For example, if I see something on YouTube that relates to the class, I can post the link and students can comment on it. I like it, and my students like it."

Her advice to her students: "To succeed you need to have discipline. Students get into trouble when they don't turn in weekly assignments. But if they work hard and stay focused they will succeed."

On Target: Your Success Coach

Of course, this is another way that Ivy Bridge is On Target with our academic program. Your Success Coach will help you stay focused, On track, and On target. You can count on it!

Contact the Ivy Bridge Admissions Office today with any questions, or for more information! Our phone number is 866-498-6952. You can also contact us by e-mail at ivybridgeadmissions@tiffin.edu.