In a recent blog post, Chancellor Kent Syverud of Syracuse University discussed the importance of hiring transforming teachers, and one such individual is Professor William Coplin. Now I may be a bit biased because he was my adviser and mentor. Teachers like Professor Coplin see raw potential in people, push them outside of their comfort zone, challenge them to succeed at all odds, and push them to lead.
Bill is demanding, even curmudgeonly. He insists students learn and manifest the skills of a competent professional while also coming to understand citizenship and what it concretely means to do good. I have seen Bill teach. He knows his students. He demands a lot of them, but that is because he sees extraordinary promise that others may overlook. He relentlessly advocates for his students, including persuading me to deploy them in my negotiation classes as assistants and to recommend them for jobs and careers. He on occasion (surprise) quietly manifests a healthy disdain for administrators. And he is a treasure to this University and our students.
