Chuck Dziuban came to UCF (then Florida Technological University) to teach statistics in 1970 at 29 years old, fresh off earning his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. Over the course of 56 years, he wound up putting the university on the global map for a wide range of innovations.
At the threshold of retirement on June 30, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 first Pegasus Professor (honored in 2000) and original architect of online learning would rather talk about his ultimate inspiration.
麻豆精品 S淢y greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me, 麻豆精品 S� says Dziuban, an inaugural Online Learning Consortium (formerly Sloan Consortium) fellow.
麻豆精品 S淢y greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me. 麻豆精品 S�
Those students often showed up for Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 statistics and research design classes. Many of these students were daunted by the subjects only to find that the person teaching them listened intently, making himself, and the material, approachable.
This is Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 style 麻豆精品 S� with students, colleagues, everyone. To effectively teach, he knows he must begin with the right questions. That curiosity-driven approach has guided UCF to be a leader in online education, including the UCF Online program which serves 9,000 students annually, for over 30 years 麻豆精品 S� earning recognition among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 best programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Here, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 longest serving faculty member is finally on the other side of the questions, sharing insightful reflection and parting wise words.
Humble Roots
麻豆精品 S淚 never set out to achieve any of this, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut the smallest incidences can make significant impacts. 麻豆精品 S�
Dziuban grew up near Utica, New York, where most boys graduated from high school and followed their fathers into the mills. Dziuban, avid about hunting and fishing, began to develop a routine that exists to this day: reading two books every week.
麻豆精品 S淭he truth is, I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to work in a mill, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淩eading led to college and college allowed me to reinvent myself. People had called me Charlie. I hated it. In college, I became Chuck. 麻豆精品 S�
Chuck earned degrees, moved, taught, and discovered a connection with statistics and research. At the University of Wisconsin, a mentor, Chester Harris, changed his life.
麻豆精品 S淗e was terrifyingly smart, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut he knew the importance of understanding students before expecting them to understand the subject. I still have a picture of Chester on my desk. It keeps me humble. 麻豆精品 S�
Humility was among the factors that drew Dziuban to a new university in Orlando, where parking lots were dirt and a cardboard box housed the university 麻豆精品 S檚 entire computing output.
麻豆精品 S淚 saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was like a Silicon Valley startup. You weren 麻豆精品 S檛 sure how it might go, but at least the vibe was positive. 麻豆精品 S�
He developed one of his first ideas following a three-hour statistics lecture.
麻豆精品 S淢y students should have been in an emergency room after that lecture, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 realized they 麻豆精品 S檇 learn better by running data first and then coming back for an abbreviated lesson 麻豆精品 S� similar to what we call a 麻豆精品 S榝lipped classroom. 麻豆精品 S� Students said, 麻豆精品 S極h, I get it now. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
Pioneering Digital Learning
Dziuban was called upon to use his expertise in and research design to develop a plethora of ideas that would attract international attention to UCF.
One of those early ideas led to a seismic shift that thousands of UCF and UCF Online students are still benefitting from today.
While developing what would become the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness, Dziuban mentioned to the university 麻豆精品 S檚 fourth president, John C. Hitt, the concept of remote learning through the use of VHS tapes.
麻豆精品 S淗e told me to innovate, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says, 麻豆精品 S渟o we used computers instead of tapes. Eventually, we had the most sophisticated online learning model in the country, and the walls of classrooms came down. 麻豆精品 S�
This is why, the annual Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, established in 2012, is bestowed to one UCF instructor who teaches an exemplary online or video course.
麻豆精品 S淟ike I said, I never planned any of this, 麻豆精品 S� he says.
Staying True to 麻豆精品 S淒oing the Right Thing 麻豆精品 S�
If you ever stepped near Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 office, you 麻豆精品 S檇 see a poster featuring a child with hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen 麻豆精品 S� namesake of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Rosen used an adage that 麻豆精品 S檚 echoed in Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 mind since they began to break barriers to education in communities in need 31 years ago: 麻豆精品 S淒o the right thing. 麻豆精品 S�
With this as his guide, Dziuban helped The Rosen Foundation institute a program to ensure free preschool and resources through high school. College and trade school would also be free. Instead of directing the program, they empowered people in Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 Tangelo Park and Parramore communities to lead it.
They 麻豆精品 S檝e expanded that impact across Florida as well, and the results have been remarkable 麻豆精品 S� including a recent $50,000 donation from the Harris Rosen Foundation to Gainesville for All in honor of Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 work transformative community initiatives.
麻豆精品 S淭he odds of earning a college education have gone from nine-to-one against to three-to-one in favor, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 immense talent in every community. We can 麻豆精品 S檛 let it go to waste. It 麻豆精品 S檚 why we start young and celebrate every success. 麻豆精品 S�
At the end of this school year, he will be on stage for just such a celebration.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l have the honor of moving tassels from the right to the left on the graduation caps of pre-k students, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says.
The man with six decades of achievements in higher education will stand back and enjoy a moment the 4- and 5-year-old kids can tell others about.
麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 imagine anything more meaningful than that. 麻豆精品 S�
