January 11, 2024 – Dr. Alpheus Mautjana earned his Ph.D. at the University of Florida in Chemistry. Dr. Mautjana joined Santa Fe College (SF) where he teaches General Chemistry courses. He specializes in supporting first-generation college students and those from underserved communities.
Dr. Mautjana spearheaded the Chemistry Colloquium, a program where faculty create a forum and invite their former students as speakers and all current freshman students as the audience. It is an occasion where they mingle and talk regardless of their station within the chemistry series. The colloquium is SF’s way of inspiring disheartened students, shepherding them and eventually retaining them in their chosen field and setting them up for success.
Through the colloquium, students can see faculty as a united body rather than as individuals with unrelated agendas. Problems, which a given student thought were unique to him or her, are discussed at the colloquium along with remedies suggested by fellow students who overcame such difficulties or by an expert who helps people manage them. The idea is for a struggling student to not feel alone anymore but that he or she belongs in the SF community!
To find out more about the colloquium and how you can use the principles in your class, go to the CTLE Canvas Page.
About CTLE Faculty Spotlights
CTLE Faculty Spotlights highlight Santa Fe College instructors who implement new and innovative strategies in their classrooms. Check out each spotlight to learn more about the instructor, what they are doing in their classrooms and how to apply it to your own courses.
Are you or someone you know using innovative teaching strategies in the classroom? Email leslie.rios@sfcollege.edu.