Dr. Claire Carolan, a familiar name to theatre students, has recently taken on the role of associate director, Program Development and Quality Assurance for UFV. Reflecting on her decision to move from being a SoCA instructor at UFV to this new position, she confided that it was one that took a lot of thought and consideration. Carolan says that she began working at the university as a sessional theatre instructor in 2016 and started a limited term appointment in 2019.
What led you to want to teach and become a teacher/professor?
I always call myself an accidental educator … I never planned to be a teacher; I planned to be on Broadway … I toured with Phantom [of the Opera] as my first job out of school, and I think I figured early on that touring and that sort of lifestyle wasn’t as interesting to me because I also wanted a home and a family … So, teaching was a way to be able to do both.
What is your new role and how is it different from teaching?
It’s the same, and it’s different … One side of it is supporting other faculty members and departments as they develop new programs in [the] university. It could be something like a micro credential, which is a new certification that we are working on across the universities in North America. [This] gives easier access to people who might not have time … or money to spend on a four-year degree.
One part of it is that we help the university develop more programs and grow … and there are about 15 of those. There is a huge amount of growth going on, which I hope students [will] be excited to know — that there is growth going on despite the pandemic.
The other thing that this department is responsible for … is program review. All the existing programs at the university get reviewed by the province and by the university on a rotating six to seven-year schedule.
The great thing is even though I’m not in the classroom anymore teaching, I am still teaching by guiding my peers or my colleagues and helping them to make their programs stronger and to think about different ways of teaching students … How we think of students has shifted so much in the last 15-20 years and we are getting better at recognizing that people need to learn differently and need different ways to access information.
I do have to say that the transition into [the job] has gone smoothly because the team that was already here, which was guided by [Dr.] Bruce Kirkley … all know what they are doing.
Would you consider returning to teaching at UFV in the future?
I think so. I really think that it is important for somebody in this position to keep teaching. I think it would be a big mistake for somebody in this chair to lose touch with what’s happening in the classroom and on the ground. So, I hope to keep teaching in some way, at some point. And I do miss students.
Do you get to see a lot of students now that you are in this position?
I’ll go down for a walk and I’ll run into one of you lovely folks, and it just cheers me up. Or I’ll get an email saying how’s it going, or I have a question, I want to do directed studies. So, it’s nice. I am grateful that you all still feel like you can reach out to me to teach.
Are there any challenges you have encountered in this new position?
It’s like a merge lane and the traffic is all going really fast, and I have to get in with the flow and not get rear ended from behind. I think the biggest challenge is that it can’t stop while I learn it. I need to learn it on my feet.
While she is not teaching at UFV right now, Carolan is working hard to help students in a new way by helping to create better study programs. She now works in building B in the vice-provost’s office in B314d if you want to drop by and say hello!
Interview was edited for length and clarity
Image: Claire Carolan
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
