This semester will present some new challenges for me.  These challenges will definitely be a lot of work, but, hopefully, will also be fun and interesting. I am doing three “firsts” this semester:

1. For the first time, I am teaching a course that I designed from top to bottom. The course is called Finance & Investment Law.  In the first class, I told my students that I take both full responsibility and credit for this course.  I love having control over the both the design and delivery, but it is a lot more work and more pressure.
2. For the first time, I am teaching a course at a university. Up until now, I have only taught at the college level.  Here, in Canada, post-secondary education is organized in two groups:  universities and colleges.  Universities focus on under-graduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs and research.  College typically provide applied education in diploma, certificate and, some times, degree programs.  I have a feeling that the teaching challenges at the under-graduate university level are very similar to those at colleges.  At my first university class week, I was pleasantly surprised that most of the class arrived at least 10 minutes early and many students took copious notes throughout the class.  I can get used to that.
3. For the first time, I am teaching a course in a post-graduate program.  The program is a post-graduate certificate in international business. The students in this program already have at least a bachelor’s degree.  I am impressed with how engaged and enthusiastic my students are.

This semester will be very busy and professionally challenging – in a good kind of way. 🙂

Wayland