Assege HaileMariam, Faculty Senate chair and psychology professor, sat down with Sarah Whitney, the news editor at The Daily Eastern News, and talked about the difference between academia and the real world, HaileMariam’s research, faculty representation on the Presidential Selection Committee and other topics.

Question: How did you become a professor?

Answer: I did not take a straight road to academia. I was practicing as a school psychologist in the school system. And I realized that I should be training school psychologists, and that’s how I ended up at Eastern.

Q: What’s the difference between academia and being in the real world?

A: The diversity of responsibilities in academia are very different from practice. In clinical practice – in addition to administrative system – we actually work with students in families solving programs and the issues they face. Here, it’s a different challenge, making sure you do the best you can to educate students to meet their goals, doing your research that informs instruction. Really they go hand in hand, teaching and research and contributing to the campus community through service. It’s a different challenge.

Q: What is your research about?

A: Often the topics and the agenda – my research agenda – have to do with children’s learning issues, behavioral and psychological issues. One of the areas I focus on is attention deficit disorder (ADHD).

About 3 percent of the population is supposed to have ADHD, but the prevalence in the school system is so high sometimes that it goes to about 15 percent. It is obvious that it is a misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorder. We are more and more finding out it really is a neural biology disorder.

In addition to behavioral treatments, peer education in how to deal with ADHD sometimes medication may be indicated, even though the rate the medication is used right now is too high. Medication is very important and should be used when it is indicated, but we must try all other means of treatment before we put children on medication because they are growing, and we really don’t have full understanding of the implication of the medication in the long run.

Q: How do you challenge students to learn?

A: You ask tough questions. In my opinion, first you have to earn their respect, then you can challenge students to do the best they can, and in doing so you have to empower them that they can do that. So I do focus a lot on the relation aspect of it. So it’s not unusual for me to write on a student’s paper, ‘I know you can do better than this.’

Q: What are some topics you see the senate addressing this year?

A: The first one is technology. We do have assistant vice presidents (Dr. Hoadley, CATS and assistant vice president Chat Chatterji). They are both coming to the senate next meeting. And we will talk about technology related issues. We have come a long way – that is EIU has come a long way in technology. A few years ago – say 5, 6 years ago, it was very difficult to find a smart classroom on campus. Now if I’m not mistaken we probably have close to 175 classrooms (you may want to check that number) So we really have come a long way. However we still have some kinks to work on. For example a week ago, when the email went down. Although it’s understandable that maintenance and programming change. What they need to do was understandable, the timing was very inconvenient.

We also would like to see ITS work very closely with CATS because CATS represents the academic area and if there is close communication with ITS then maybe CATS can give insight into what the academic division needs. So that these glitches don’t happen.

EWP is another thing we’re going to work on. Dr. Karla Sandars and Rebecca Tornberg and others are coming to the senate on Oct. 3 and as you know, they’re having some concerns articulated last year by students, faculty and we would just like to work together to make it user friendly for both students and faculty.

Assessment is here to stay. And we should assess what we’re doing because only then can we make change, but it has to be streamlined in such a way that it’s easier to implement and it gives us good feedback, good data. So we’ll have to continue working on that.

Q: Why is faculty senate important for the students?

A: It is important for students because the faculty senate speaks on their behalf. Our role is not only to speak for the faculty it is to speak on behalf of the students to make sure they are getting the educational experience we believe they should. You remember we do bring that educational experience, so we want them to benefit from that. So faculty senate speaks for students. One more thing, students come and go – the faculty for the most part is a constant — so for that reason we also have to speak for students.

Q: At the last board of Trustee meeting you expressed disappointment in the number of faculty on the committee. Why shouldn’t there be more students on the Presidential selection committee?

A: First the students are represented at the table. You have a BOT member. So that is more representation than four faculty because that student has the opportunity to cast a vote where the faculty does not.

Secondly, we do have the experience and the expertise to be useful on that committee of course and that is not to say that students are not experienced but by virtue of having live longer we have a little more experience.

Q: Where is your favorite spot on campus?

A: I love the library. I think it’s regal, and I just like being in there. In addition, in there you have a wealth of information and can move from one thing to the next.

Q: What is your favorite memory of being here?

A: Graduation is the best time for me. I love graduation. I attend as many as I can. It is just a celebration of all the work students and families have put in. It’s just … that is the moment. I love graduation. I also have to say when I see students involved in an issue that is a highlight for me. One thing was, the sleeping out to experience homelessness …students getting into meaningful social issues. I do appreciate that.

Q: Where are you from originally.

A: Ethiopia. I was born and raised through high school in Addis Abeba.

…then I came here [America] to go to college.

Psychology professor Assege Hailemariam is the chair of faculty senate, and has been conducting research while at Eastern concerning attention deficit disorder. Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News

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