Dr. Darby Sewell will be resigning from her position as Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and returning to a teaching role at ABAC this fall. She will be teaching courses in education and family and consumer sciences, as her Ph.D. is in Family and Consumer Sciences Education.
She’s been employed at ABAC for almost two decades, and after twelve years as the Assistant Vice President, she’s eager to return to the classroom, “I miss the classroom and being front and center of why we are here… students!” She’s also said: “I believe being an academic advisor is one of the most important roles of a faculty member. I know I will be blessed by teaching and advising again.”
When asked what she might miss about her current position she said, “I will miss being the central point of contact for student engagement activities and being in a position to make things happen for faculty and students.” She said that she enjoyed being a part of the work that the STEPS program has done to improve the student experience at ABAC.
Sewell agrees with philosopher John Dewey when it comes to teaching methods needing to be tailored to the specific student: “I believe that every student has inherent worth and learns in a variety of ways through their specific multiple intelligences.”
She believes that every student has the right to learn, and that “all students should have the opportunity to receive an equal and appropriate education.”She hopes that students that leave her classroom will have developed their ability to think independently and act responsibly — becoming more responsible citizens in the process. “When students leave my classroom, they will not be experts or know everything about a particular topic. However, I encourage them to become life-long learners so that they may become contributing members of their professional fields.” In her own words, “My greatest strength as an instructor is my dedication to my students. I view my role to assist students in reaching their educational and personal goals.”
