Graduation is approaching and, for some, this is the end of one chapter and a page turn to a new beginning.
A number of faculty are choosing to close their chapters at Harding in order to pursue new stages of life.
A few names to mention who have dedicated many years of service to the university include Dr. Arthur Shearin, Dr. Cathleen Shultz and Dr. Jimmy Behel.
Shearin has been a member of the music faculty for 36 years. He received his doctorate in musical arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his most recent title is teacher of voice, vocal pedagogy and diction.
Shultz most recently served as dean of the Carr College of Nursing and holds a doctorate in philosophy, is a registered nurse, certified nurse educator and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She began her career at Harding in 1976, became the first and only dean of nursing, was named president of the National League for Nursing and also served as treasurer in the organization’s Board of Governors.
Behel currently serves as director of business graduate studies and academic chair of the MBA program and has worked as director and professor of computer information systems for more than 20 years. He holds a doctorate in philosophy, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts. He has been a member of the Harding faculty since 1981.
Behel said his most memorable experiences at Harding include attending Harding University in Australia in 2008, his three children graduating from HU and the “many, many great students and their accomplishments during and after Harding.”
Each retiring faculty member is honored with a reception and a special gift from the university, and their time at Harding is recognized and awarded.
A new faculty member must be hired and a transition considered as these legacies leave. Provost Larry Long said the replacement of faculty members is a process which takes great consideration.
“We assess the needs of the department or college and try to choose a replacement in view of the holistic analysis,” Long said. “We cannot replace the person or their existence; we hope to find a great teacher to replace the one leaving, but it might take years to reach the same level of contribution as the one who left. Experience is not an instantaneous achievement.”
Similar to the commencement exercises and launching into the new, real world, the retirement experience is one full of fond memories, evidence of hard work and skill and the releasing of a family member from the Harding nest.
“We lose their leadership, their institutional memory, their support of our mission and their friendship,” Long said. “The hole left in regard to the loss of the experience is immense.”
