Five Questions With: Joan Branham and Dan Horne

JOAN BRANHAM, associate dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Providence College, and Dan Horne, associate dean of the School of Business, recently held a
JOAN BRANHAM, associate dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Providence College, and Dan Horne, associate dean of the School of Business, recently held a "Speed Dating” event at PC where faculty from across academic fields met to explore teaching courses together. /COURTESY PROVIDENCE COLLEGE

Joan Branham is the associate dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Providence College. She is also a professor of art history where she teaches medieval art and works on college initiatives to advance the liberal arts. Dan Horne is the associate dean of the School of Business and professor of marketing teaching consumer research and developing new business programs. They recently held a “Speed Dating” event at PC where faculty from across academic fields met to explore teaching courses together.

PBN: How did you come up with the idea to use the speed dating model to get professors of different disciplines to know each other better and possibly collaborate?

BRANHAM: There are liberal arts initiatives at PC to increase interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship wherever possible. This includes helping find teams for the interdisciplinary colloquia that is the final course in the Development of Western Civilization program. Considering the diversity of research and teaching interests across campus, we really struggled thinking about how to find these rare but potentially productive matches. Drawing from past models, Dan and I hit on the idea of quick interviews, similar to speed dating, to assess compatibility and interest.

PBN: What are some of the questions each of the professors asks the other in the dating scenario?

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BRANHAM: Faculty are eager to learn about each other’s areas of research. In the short 10-minute “date” they have to get to know each other before the bell rings and they have to move to the next table. They ask what kind of projects each is currently researching, what courses they are teaching and, more importantly, what kind of courses they want to teach. Sometimes participants simply make a new friend, but sometimes there is a spark and a match is made – that’s when the planning begins.

PBN: Have any course collaborations been born out of this meet and greet opportunity?

HORNE: Indeed! A great example is a colloquium on “Rational and Non-Rational Persuasion” taught by a philosopher, a neurobiologist and a marketer. Grounded by Aristotle’s “The Rhetoric,” the class explores how advances in brain science are influencing the way marketers are selling products, services and even ideas. This fantastic collaboration would never have come together without the recognition of shared connections during speed dating.

PBN: How do you encourage participation? 

BRANHAM: By nature, faculty members love the learning process, are eager to collaborate and yearn for new and creative ways to share their work with students and colleagues. Team teaching is already in the PC culture, so there is an intrinsic draw to an event that will facilitate more of it. The idea of speed dating is fun, playful and since it comes from popular culture, it piques professors’ curiosity. Wine, appetizers and music in an inviting setting also helps attendance and conversation!

PBN: Is the opportunity open to part-time or adjunct professors as well as full-time faculty?

HORNE: Absolutely, everyone is welcome! This exercise is all about harnessing the creative energy of different points of view. A greater diversity of perspectives does mean that it might be more challenging to find that match; hence the need for speed. However, the search itself is part of the reward. As one colleague said, “I have the most interesting conversations of the year at speed dating.”

Emily Gowdey-Backus is a PBN staff writer. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey.

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