Redlands Community College professor retires after 24 years and 5 months of service. Professor Bill Gorden retired from Redlands Community College at the conclusion of the fall semester after 8,919 days of service to the institution. While at Redlands, Gorden taught government, history and geography, economics, sociology as well as specialty humanities and general education courses. According to Gorden, his most enjoyable Redlands experiences included team teaching courses, hosting thought-provoking seminars, and impacting campus-wide change. He had the opportunity to team teach several courses with his colleague Professor Mike Tabor including: History Seminars about 1939 and 1969, World War II, Political Philosophy as well as Globalization. These experiences were some of the best of his career at Redlands. Additionally, he taught courses in the History of Baseball, Beliefs and Believers and the History of Money. “Dr. Gorden is a remarkable professor, always incorporating humor into his courses while challenging his students to go beyond just what the textbooks offered,” said President Jack Bryant. “His lectures, always supplemented with ancillary stories, songs, films, magazines, books, live performances, and newspaper articles set a standard that many younger instructors have emulated in their courses. He is truly one-of-kind and he will be greatly missed on the Redlands Community College campus.” In his tenure at Redlands, Gorden has taught more than 8,000 students. Alumni from his program can be found in a variety of positions including lawyers, doctors, high school teachers and employees in higher education. One of his former students is even the chief of public relations for the United States Pediatrics Association. Gorden led the Model United Nations course at Redlands. The course included a general survey of United National activities and programs, with an emphasis on preparation and presentation of resolutions and programs to a body for debate and approval. Students had the opportunity to travel to St. Louis to participate in the event. According to Gorden, “The best part of the Model United Nations experience was the opportunity to challenge people to think outside of themselves and their communities.” Beyond serving the traditional role of lecturer, he also acted as a counselor and mentor during state and national events including the OKC Murrah Bombing Memorial and 911 Terrorist Attacks. He challenged his students to critically analyze the coverage of the media and the activities of the people impacted by the events. Notable campus-wide projects Gorden has championed at Redlands in recent years cover a wide scope of programming encompassing Shakespeare, John F. Kennedy, Note Taking Skills, Race Discussions, Model United Nations, and of course baseball. “Gorden is always looking for ways to teach creatively to engage students and he loves to play dress-up, so he’s made life interesting at Redlands. He dresses in the uniforms of the time period he’s teaching and addresses the students through that persona, bringing the history to life,” according to Kelly Rupp, Redlands Director of Testing, Tutoring and Writing Centers. “He throws himself into everything, so whether he’s teaching fencing or putting together an 1890s reenactment baseball team, he reaches out to all of us and invites us to step outside our comfort zone and experience something new. He is a brilliant and inspiring professor and friend.” Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park representatives were frequent visitors to the Redlands campus during Gorden’s tenure. Redlands students and employees learned about the historical events surrounding Shakespeare’s plays and even had the opportunity to learn stage fighting techniques. The Kennedy series commemorated the 50th anniversary of the assassination of J.F.K. The series was entitled Camelot: The optimism, excitement of the early Sixties and the Kennedy administration, the myth and the reality. The series included the following sessions: Conference of Churches‐ Vatican II Religious Hope‐The Sacred; Camelot Myth and Reality; The Rat Pack‐ The Profane; and The Space Race. His note taking program highlighted the importance of listening, avoiding distractions and communicating with the instructor. The program was recorded and placed on the Redlands YouTube channel and is one of the most popular videos the college has ever posted. The Race Discussions he hosted were a result of President Obama’s call for more transparent national conversations. The comprehensive conversation about race that Gorden hosted was so popular that about 250 people attended and more chairs had to be brought into the room. According to Gorden, “The students did not want to leave the main session. The conversation was so interesting and they wanted to stay with their mentors and keep the discussion moving forward.” Gorden was very active in his role to encourage and support tough conversations on campus. In his early career at Redlands he worked with the Student Government and Campus Newspaper on important issues. He also famously penned a resolution on behalf of the faculty association which used humor and wit to encourage the Redlands Board of Regents to name the baseball field after longtime coach Don Brown. Gorden said, “It was one of my proudest moments on campus. Don had contributed a lot and I was glad to play my part in getting the field named after him.” Recently, Gorden served as the Program Chair for the Oklahoma Political Science Association and hosted the annual conference at Redlands. It was the first time the conference had been held at Redlands in 15 years. Political Science experts representing higher education, the private sector, and charitable organizations served as speakers. Some notable organizations involved included Catholic Charities of Oklahoma, Qatar University, Workers Compensation Commission, Emmanuel Synagogue, and Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Gorden was also the sponsor of the Fencing Club for 22 years. The purpose of the Fencing Club was to encourage physical fitness through the sport of fencing. It was not uncommon for Redlands students and employees to have the opportunity to witness fencing exhibitions on the front lawn and in the conference center. While the fencing club never officially had a home location they were often actively practicing on the racquetball court and in the Cultural Center. “Professor Gorden has made a lasting impact on Redlands Community College; whether you are a former student, colleague or community member everyone has a story of his quick wit and his ability to persuade people to consider issues from another viewpoint,” according to Associate Vice President for Communications and Research, Dr. Amanda Evert. “From Blazing Saddles references to Ring Lardner quotes, he has always been a colleague I could count on to challenge the status quo using humor. His legacy he has shared with students and colleagues is the courage to question and the desire to keep learning.”
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:16:53 +0000
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