Personal Memories of Carol Holmes

by Steve Beyerlein

It was an opportunity of a lifetime for me to collaborate with Carol Holmes in her role as a co-director of the Faculty Guidebook project. Her learner-centered educational philosophy and her vision for engaging faculty in developmental experiences that honed skills in curriculum design, facilitation, and assessment in service to elevated learning outcomes were attributes that became embedded in my personal educational philosophy and teaching/learning practice. She was acutely aware of the importance of educators working together in a community with a common vision. The dream she articulated in writing the preface to the Faculty Guidebook resonates with Academy members through the present day:

• Belief educators and their institutions need to transform the way they conduct themselves if they want to add the value expected by modern society
• Passion for fostering the development of all learners to be more independent, skilled, life-long learners
• Desire to advance teaching and learning by applying their scholarly skills to advance the philosophy, approaches, and tools of education

Carol’s breadth of knowledge and insights about cultivating strategic partnerships are generously shared in the Faculty Guidebook modules which she authored:

• 1.1.2 Changing Expectations for Higher Education
• 1.1.3 Efforts to Transform Higher Education
• 1.1.4 Learning Colleges
• 1.2.5 Role of Administrators
• 1.2.6 Role of Governing Boards
• 2.1.2 Adult Learning Theories in Process Education

With the completion of the Faculty Guidebook Project, Carol was highly motivated to deploy it as a resource in formalizing course and activity designs for Process Education Institutes. She convened selected PE practitioners and applied the course design methodology to co-create design documents for the Teaching Institute, Assessment Institute, Activity Design Institute, and Program Assessment Institute. These efforts formalized and streamlined the contents of previous faculty handbooks, mapping many of the practices described to specific Faculty Guidebook modules. The result was more user-friendly and more scholarship-based faculty development curricula for Process Educators from all disciplines with different levels of expertise in process-oriented teaching.

By Patrick Barlow

I am so very saddened to learn about the passing of my former colleague Carol Holmes. She was a major player in the movement to focus higher education on Student Success, not just at Madison College but throughout the United States and beyond. Carol’s life’s work was dedicated to the concept of that all students could grow and find success. Her work and enthusiasm had a lasting impact on my life. In 2003 when Carol decided to take retirement, she and other faculty members knew of my work in creating development experiences for faculty in the performing arts. They encouraged me to apply for the Position of Faculty Development Coordinator. After a lot of soul searching and sage advice from colleagues, I decided to apply. In June of that year, I learned I was select and offered the position. Along with others, Carol, was a champion for me from my first day. Carol’s compassion, experience, and encouragement supported me as I began my journey. We met frequently so she could help me get “up to speed” in the job. She connected me directly with Dr. Dan Apple and Dr. Skip Downing and other leaders in the Student Success movement. Her advice and mentoring were invaluable throughout my time as Director of Faculty Development and the ensuing project to establish the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. I will be forever grateful to Carol Holmes for her tireless support of students everywhere.

By Joann Horton

It was a pleasure to know Carol because of her serene and loving presence. Over the years, Carol was a source of wisdom and wit, whether engaging in leadership, learning, problem-solving discussions or spending quality time with friends and colleagues. She was an admired team member and colleague who valued the input of learners of all ages and all stages. Her thoughtfulness was always evident and a source of comfort. Carol’s life lessons will live on in everyone she touched.

By Denna Hintze

Carol was already working tirelessly (I suspect that word will be used by many people in remembering Carol!) to help Pacific Crest with the Faculty Guidebook and Professional Development when I joined the team. Though I’d been friends with her daughter Beth for years at that point, I also hit it off with Carol. She was a godsend and did so much to bolster my spirits when things got overwhelming or frustrating. She was perpetually a voice of reason but always with a wonderful and often devious sense of humor. I asked her once, when we were both in Lisle to work a few days in the office, “How do you do it?” and she looked at me and asked, in return, “How do YOU do it?” That pretty much sealed our friendship...that and much laughter. As the years wore on and I moved first to England and then to Norway, our contact became via email and yearly Christmas cards and letters, all of which I treasured and saved. We exchanged some final personal ‘catch up’ emails a couple of months ago and I am grateful for that. Her responses to me were compassionate and yet so very CAROL. Hers was a directness and honesty that told you the things you might not want to hear but in a way that assured you that you could handle it and that she would always be on your side as you did the best you could. I will miss that but she also taught me that eventually, the training wheels have to come off and we can usually succeed, even if we have to pedal madly at times.