Darin Van Tassell
Assistant Professor
Center for International Studies
BACKGROUND
Greetings! I imagine part of the task of having a web page such as this one is to introduce oneself properly. I have been teaching since 1992 and am jointly assigned to the Center for International Studies and Department of Political Science at Georgia Southern University. While I am interested in a variety of topics and subject matters, my major academic interests focus upon the study of world politics, international relations theory, and the relationships between sport and international affairs. I have published several articles in academic journals on topics ranging from the practice of U.S. foreign policy, contemporary global economic patterns, and the impact of sports on international relations. I received my M.A. and Ph.D. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and my B.A. in Political Science from Georgia Southern College. I remain completely humbled by last year’s surprise announcement in which I was named the 2006 Wells-Warren Professor of the Year at Georgia Southern University. It is hard to feel more honored in the teaching profession, especially when students recognize us.
I thoroughly enjoy all sports--especially baseball. I remain active in the International Baseball Federation, where I am a member of the Technical Commission. I have traveled and lived in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the former Soviet Union, Japan, Mexico, Israel, the West Bank, Switzerland, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Greece, Aruba, and Curacao. In 1996, I had the honor of becoming the youngest head coach in Olympic history, when I served as Head Coach for the Nicaraguan Olympic Baseball Team at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, leading the team to the Bronze Medal game against the USA. From 1994-1999, I was the Assistant Baseball coach at Georgia Southern, where I played for my alma mater from 1985-1989. Georgia Southern clearly runs in my blood.
When I am not teaching, I remain busy. I am married and have two boys, a nine-year old (Whitt) and a six-year old (Payne). My wife, Netra, is an adjunct professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at GSU. Playing catch in the front yard, going to the movies, keeping up with contemporary politics, reading newspapers, watching the Atlanta Braves, CSI, re-runs of Seinfeld, and playing golf occupy most of this time.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGY
There are two questions, in particular, which I hope guide the thinking in the courses that I teach: What does the pursuit of knowledge require? Indeed, what does the pursuit of truth demand? While these are questions that have been grappled with since the ancient Greek philosophers raised them, the tension that these questions cause requires constant attention. It seems to me that a good education is an education in controversy. That is, it is important for both students and educators to understand that more times than not, absolute truths do not exist; rather, one can only be sure that there is no final word. While this is not an easy conclusion to reach, wrestling with this question must be seen as crucial. My courses intend to insure that such wrestling takes place, because -- in short -- I am interested in each student learning.
I am uncomfortable by the trend these days towards instruction instead of education. Students can certainly become well instructed, but not all are educated. Facts and skills learned from textbooks can change quickly as more facts and better skills are learned. Yet, education involves inquiry, close reading, interpretation, recognizing parallels, and understanding causes and consequences. An increasingly technical world needs people who come from backgrounds which enable them to remain critical. I attempt to structure my classes with such in mind.
I organize my classes around key topics, key themes, and the required readings. Courses are structured around what I call a class dialogue in which information, knowledge, and thought will be generated through lecture/background, discussion, class activities, and especially the Socratic Method. I will often play the role of provocateur and advocate in order to stimulate participation.
The class dialogue emphasizes the importance of student participation and active learning as a means to improve one's skills, interest, information, knowledge, and ultimately understanding. In essence, class discussions will consist of an active exchange between the students and professor. When deemed necessary, lectures will be provided for some of the more difficult material and to provide appropriate background. Naturally, the larger the class, the more challenging it will be to have active learning (Active Learning in Large Classes).
My classes are organized around the required readings. I expect every student to come to class prepared, regardless of the size of the class. Every student should be able to summarize and analyze each assigned reading and place it in perspective relative to the rest of the course material. Students also will be expected to offer comments or questions which contribute to class discussions on a regular basis. The readings are intended to be accessible and diverse so as to improve students' ability to acquire an understanding of the dynamics of the world of politics and its real-world relevance.
I became a professor because of my love and passion for learning that I try to share with my students. I try my best to inspire each student to learn and grow intellectually. I believe I have a general reputation for being a demanding and stimulating teacher whose students tend to learn and enjoy the class. Students repeatedly take and recommend my courses despite the fact they realize that they will have to work hard because they know they will learn and be challenged and stimulated. I also spend a great amount of time and effort with students outside the classroom, as teacher, adviser, and mentor.
I consider myself an active and dedicated teacher who has been consistently involved in a wide variety of courses, instructional programs, and teaching activities. I spend considerable time preparing, as well as revising, my courses and syllabi so as to maximize student interest and learning. I try to insure that students are familiar with the litany of magazines, journals and other sources available which present a host of scholarly, intellectual, opinion, and policy positions. In this respect, I encourage and often require students to use the library and Internet. I often email my students informative and timely articles that they are required to read and integrate within the course. Through the readings, the class dialogue and contemporary affairs, students are exposed to broad and multiple perspectives.
Students are evaluated through a variety of means depending on the course: usually including class participation, brief class exercises (such as preparing questions for class discussion), major writing assignments and research papers, and examinations. The intent behind these requirements is to have the student study and think about the course material throughout the semester and for them to get feedback in order to maximize each individual’s ability to learn and grow. I try to maintain high standards of excellence, and few things give me greater pleasure than seeing students learn and do well in a course.
In short, I like to teach. There is a quote in my classroom that reads:
"In the end, we will protect only what we love, we love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught."
Needless to say, there is much responsibility on all of our shoulders.
Please feel free to contact me!
Dr. Darin H. Van Tassell
Center for International Studies
Forest Building #1326
P.O. Box 8106
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
Tel: 912-871-1588
dvantass@georgiasouthern.edu
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