Dr. Christopher A. Heafner
Education
Ph.D. in English (concentration in Early American Lit and a minor in Theory and Philosophy)--University of South Carolina, 2005 (Dissertation--Transcendental Teaching: A Reinvention of American Education)
M.A. in English (concentration in Literature)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2000
B.A. in English and Philosophy--University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 1999
Ph.D. in English (concentration in Early American Lit and a minor in Theory and Philosophy)--University of South Carolina, 2005 (Dissertation--Transcendental Teaching: A Reinvention of American Education)
M.A. in English (concentration in Literature)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2000
B.A. in English and Philosophy--University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 1999
Teaching Experience
Professor of English, Jan 2009-present Horry-Georgetown Technical College Developmental Composition (100)--Face-to-Face Helped students truly understand the basics of composing a college-level essay Freshman Composition (101)--Online, Hybrid, and Face-to-face; Full semester, and Late Start Help students learn to not only compose essays, but to create original and interesting arguments; stress the importance of drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and in peer workshops; special attention is given to the understanding and composition of arguments Introduction to Literature and Composition (102)--Online, Hybrid, and Face-to-Face; Full Semester and Maymester Develop students’ abilities to read and write critically; help them to see the arguments being made in traditional literature and the world outside of the classroom; help students see the connections among literature, the material in their other classes and the world outside of the academy Early American Literature (201)--Online and Face-to-Face; Full Semester and Maymester Explore how our early country, this supposed “melting pot” of persons, was also a melting pot of ideas about what this country was and what it should be; start the semester by looking at some of the documents on which this country was founded (and a few others that have been traditionally ignored), and as the semester progresses, show how writers from each generation have not only reimagined, but also reinforced ideas about what it means to be American Modern American Literature (202)--Face-to-Face Concentrated on texts from the Civil War forward; showed those who have been disenfranchised by others, by their situations, and by themselves; helped students discern for themselves how we might understand and, perhaps, remedy some of our country’s deep-seated beliefs and problems English Teacher, Jun 2007-Jan 2009 Early College High School, Conway, SC Taught English 2 and 3 (Sophomore and Junior English classes) and Journalism classes; served as yearbook director; worked as a curriculum developer for Horry County Schools; helped maintain four mobile computer labs Assistant Professor, Aug 2006-May 2007 Indiana University of Pennsylvania College Writing (101) Research Writing (202) Introduction to Literature (121) Professor, Temporary, Summer 2006 Midlands Technical College American Literature Survey (203) Visiting Assistant Professor, Aug 2005- May 2006 and Graduate Instructor, Aug 2001-May 2005 University of South Carolina In both of these positions, I taught the following courses: Freshman Composition (101) Introduction to Literature and Composition (102)—both regular and Honors Themes in Fiction (282) Themes in American Literature (285) American Literature for English Majors (287) Instructor, Summer 2001 Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Early American Literature (231) Expository Writing (111) Conference Presentations “The Value of Calamity Pedagogy: How Ralph Waldo Emerson Helps Us Reconsider Safe Spaces in Education.” TYCA-SE Conference. Charleston, SC. March 2017. “‘Why Do I Need to Study This?’ and Other Often Abhorred but Completely Valid Questions [Answered?]: Re-envisioning Our Jobs as Literature Teachers.” TYCA-SE Conference. Knoxville, TN. January 2016. “Looking Back to See Our Way Forward: How the New England Transcendentalists Can Help Rejuvenate Our Stagnant Literature Classes.” College English Association (CEA) Conference. Savannah, GA. April 2013. “Paradoxical Progress: Henry David Thoreau’s Philosophy of Education.” American Culture Association (ACA) Conference. Boston, MA. April 2007. “Academic Hazing: How Education as Job Training Distorts the Purposes of Non-major Classes.” Crisis in the Academy. Storrs, CT. April 2006 "Amos Bronson Alcott's Temple School: The Birth of Living Discourse and Imagination in American Education." Negotiating 19th-century Spaces. Columbia, SC. March 2005. “From Sight to Insight: The Effect of Blindness on Emerson’s Epistemology.” Identity Politics and the Politics of Identity: A Graduate Conference at the University of South Carolina. Columbia, SC. March 2004. “The Instability of Emerson’s Philosophy of Education.” Repression and Subversion in the 19th-century: A Graduate Conference at the University of South Carolina. Columbia, SC. March 2003. “A Journey to Nowhere: Young Goodman Brown’s Quest as an Allegory for the Problems with Theory in Literary Studies.” The 33rd Annual Conference of the College English Association. Cincinnati, OH. April 2002. “Elements of Understanding: The Four Elements of Fire, Water, Earth and Air and Their Corresponding Philosophies in Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.” The 32st Annual Conference of the College English Association. Memphis, TN. April 2001. “If You Can’t Beat Em, Join Em: The Pragmatic Amalgamation of Philosophies in Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady.” The Annual Conference of the Pennsylvania College English Association. Punxsutawney, PA. March 2001. “An Interesting School of Thought: The Importance of the Schoolhouse in Jewett’s Pointed Firs.” The 31st Annual Conference of the College English Association. Charleston, SC. April 2000. “An Impersonal Cry: The Forgotten Philosophy of Simone Weil.” The Annual English Graduate Organization Conference at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Indiana, PA. March 2000. “Beautiful, Blue and Blind: Eye Color and Power in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.” The Annual Conference of the Pennsylvania College English Association. Altoona, PA. March 2000. Research/Editing Experience Research Assistant, 2002-05 University of South Carolina Assisted Joel Myerson with book preparation and research for such publications as Emerson in His Own Time (Iowa, 2004), The Selected Lectures of Emerson (Georgia, 2005) and The Emerson Brothers: A Fraternal Biography in Letters (Oxford, forthcoming). Also assisted with preparations for the Ralph Waldo Emerson Bicentennial Conference (2003) and the published collection of presentations that are forthcoming Research Assistant, 2000-01 Office of Grants & Sponsored Research, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Researched grant possibilities for both faculty members and graduate students; compiled a monthly newsletter that was distributed to all departments on campus; gave instructional seminars for graduate students on grant writing and grant research Publications and Works in Progress “Emerson’s Calamity Pedagogy: Hardship as a Necessary Step towards True Education.” (Work in Progress) “Faneuil Hall,” “Horace Mann,” and “The Massachusetts Antislavery Society.” Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895: From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick Douglass, vol. 2. Eds. Paul Finkelman and Diane Barnes. (Oxford UP, 2006) |
College/Departmental Service
Assistant Chair for the Humanities, 2018-Present Responsible for hiring both full time and adjunct instructors in English and the Humanities and training, conducting classroom observations, and assisting adjuncts in the Humanities QEP Faculty Trainer for the Implementation of the QEP at HGTC, 2019-Present One of three trainers who help faculty in all departments better understand how to add elements of EPIC (Effective Professional and Interpersonal Communication) to their classes and how to measure and report the successes and shortcomings Created and Maintain the Humanities Resource Pages for most classes in History, Philosophy, Spanish, French, College 105, Art, Music, Religion, and Theater, 2019-Present Created Original Content, and Collected and Organized Faculty Content and Resources to help all instructors better understand what their D2L classes might look like and provide resources to help them improve their face-to-face and online courses Co-created the First Interdisciplinary Academic Discussion Group at Tech, 2014-2015 (Redesigned, 2017-2020, on hold for 2020-21 because of COVID) Helps serve those students who are interested in exploring how the material covered in classes relates to other classes and the world outside of the classroom Hiring Committee Chair and Member, 2014-Present Served on many hiring committees for full time positions in English, Speech, and Spanish--as the chair or as a member QEP Development Team Member, 2017-2018 Helped develop the topic for the college-wide student success initiative Member of Curriculum Review Committee, 2016-18 Helped with developing recommendations and implementing solutions, which provide for the continuous improvement of programs and services at HGTC Organized and Maintained the First Chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta (National English Honor Society for Two-year Colleges) at Tech, 2014-18 (Turned over responsibility in 2018 to two newer faculty) Coordinated numerous interest meetings, completed and compiled forms for both the national office and our school and held meetings with the 15 charter members; added 50+ members in the spring for a total of 65 members; created care packages for deployed troops in December and have plans to create an online academic journal for the 2015-16 academic year; created and maintained the chapter’s website Member of Student Affairs Committee 2014-15 Announce(d) the Names and Certifications of Graduates at the Graduation Ceremony, 2012, 2014, 2015 Review Committee Member for General Education Program Learning Outcomes, 2012-2014 Help to ensure that all programs issuing Associate degrees had assignments and sample papers that showed clear learning outcomes Lead Instructor for English 100—Introduction to College Composition, 2011-2013 Clarified learning outcomes and created the curriculum for all English 100 instructors; created and maintained an informational website to disseminate the course materials and ideas for instruction; maintained an online discussion group where faculty members could ask questions of and share their experiences with all other English 100 instructors English 100 Committee Member, 2009-2013 Helped develop testing questions and requirements for the final exit exams and faculty grading days President, Faculty Assembly, 2011-12 Responsible for representing faculty within the college and in the community as well; attended Area Commission meetings; member of the academic and faculty calendars committees Chaired the New Reading Faculty Job Search Committee, 2012 Charged with finding a new faculty member for Reading instruction Member of the Developmental Studies Task Force, 2011-12 This committee’s job was to reimagine and help reinvent developmental studies at HGTC. Presenter during winter In-service Week, 2011 Will explain and demonstrate to colleagues the values in creating, organizing and maintaining clear and thorough syllabi for their courses; will show the benefits of good syllabus construction and the pitfalls of missing or unclear course information Vice President, Faculty Assembly, 2010-11 Responsible for representing faculty within the college and in the community as well; served as a backup for the president when she wasn’t able to attend meetings Academic Affairs Committee Member, 2010-11 Helped maintain positive policies relating to and affecting HGTC faculty English Department Handbook Committee 2010-11 Helped develop, organize and edit the first English Handbook for 101 Faculty Welfare Committee Member, 2009-10 Helped maintain positive policies relating to HGTC faculty Presenter during fall In-service Week, 2009 Explained and demonstrated to colleagues how I use and they might use portfolio assessment in their classes; offered ways that all fields of study might benefit from this requirement Early College High School—Yearbook Manager, 2007-08 Produced the yearbook; managed and directed the yearbook staff; maintained all payment and distribution information University of S.C.—Creator and Co-coordinator of the Annual 19th-century Conference, 2003-05 Created the first 19th-century conference ever to be held at the University of South Carolina; nationwide participation, 2003-present, boasting over 60 participants each year University of S.C.—Co-chair of the American Literature Colloquium at the University of South Carolina, 2001-02, 2003-04 An academic association for faculty members and graduate students aimed at furthering knowledge of American literary studies; hosted guest speakers from other institutions, created monthly journal article discussion groups, invited faculty members to share their latest research, and coordinated trips to historical sites Indiana U. of P.A.—Chaired the “Reevaluating Film and Television in Popular Culture” panel for The Annual English Graduate Organization Conference at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2000 Recognized for my interest in and ability to incorporate popular media into a literature classroom Indiana U. of P.A.—Member of the English Graduate Organization’s Conference Committee, 1999-2000 Helped to organize the annual, regional conference U. of N.C. at Charlotte—President of Sigma Tau Delta, 1998-99 Created fund raising events; established the first book drive for community literacy centers; gathered volunteers to work in the local literacy centers |