Math Instructor Recognized by Las Positas College

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Las Positas College Math Instructor Emerita Dale Boercker has been named the recipient of the 2011 Buffington Award for excellence in teaching, considered the most prestigious faculty honor in the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.

“Dale brings boundless enthusiasm  and energy to all that she undertakes, and never does anything halfway,” said Math Instructor Teresa Henson. “Being mathematicians, we know that you can’t give more than 100 percent; having said that, we have to say that Dale gives more than 100 percent in all that she does.”

A resident of Livermore, Boercker has served the district as a math instructor, faculty leader, and program innovator for more than 22 years, first teaching at Chabot College and then moving to Las Positas College in 1999. She has taught a full range of math courses from the pre-algebra level to the multivariable calculus level. She retired as a full-time faculty member in June, but continues to teach part-time and work with the Academy for College Excellence.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Boercker said.  “I was even president of the Future Teachers of American club in high school.” She began her career teaching junior high school, but said her greatest joy has been teaching in the community colleges.

“When I finished my degree, I was hired at Chabot. I knew immediately that I had found my ‘place.’ According to Frederick Buechner, ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’ My place was working with students, helping them to learn mathematics, and working with colleagues, helping all of us find better ways to connect to students.”

Faculty members acknowledge Boercker’s contributions as a leader and innovator. “Dale has been an inspiration within the math department and to the faculty as a whole as someone who consistently seeks new ways to teach her classes and to best serve her students, her fellow faculty members, and her college,” Henson said. Following are some highlights of Boercker’s teaching career:

• Open Math Lab. Recognizing the need for stronger support of students in math classes, Boercker was an early champion of requiring lab hours with math courses, Henson said. “Her in-class collaborations and Open Math Lab activities have become legendary.”
• Integrated Learning Center (ILC).  Boercker is co-founder, co-coordinator, and frequent instructor for the ILC where students can get free help in math and English as a Second Language classes.
• College Foundation Semester (CFS) Program. Boercker is a founder of CFS, a learning community for at-risk students. “Through her work and special training, Dale has developed a unique and perceptive understanding of the needs of students who enroll in the foundation semester,” Henson said. “Dale connects with these students, becoming a mentor and guide, as well as instructor.  She holds them to high standards, while working tirelessly to promote their success, helping them to overcome the disadvantaged backgrounds, learning disabilities, and personal problems that threaten to undermine their success. These students find in CFS a path to hope for a college education and a fulfilling career.”
• Math Department. During her three-year tenure as the Mathematics Department Coordinator, Boercker increased staffing to serve students needs, establishing the groundwork for Mathematics to evolve into the college’s largest department.
• Math Curriculum. Boercker has been instrumental in curriculum review and development. “Dale revamped the Differential Equations and Linear Algebra courses to include a required technology lab component in which students learn to use MATLAB, an industry-standard, university-level software which is required for math, science, and engineering students transferring to the UCs and other four-year colleges,” Henson explained. “Dale also pioneered the use of context-based learning activities in mathematics and developed a number of hands-on experiments which help students understand concepts, while appealing to a wide-range of learning styles.”  She also developed a Math Study Skills course, which addresses the needs of students who have failed repeatedly in their math courses, who are ‘math anxious,’ and who are lacking basic tools needed for success in school.
• Student Success. Work-Based Learning Coordinator Leslie Gravino, who has worked with Boercker in CFS, told the following story which she said “exemplifies Dale's compassion for helping students succeed. Two students from CFS needed to take statistics and both were very anxious, as one had failed the class and the other had ‘math anxiety.’ Dale thought about tutoring them, but instead, took the class with them. She learned along with them, while her presence gave them the support and confidence they needed to pass. That is Dale - compassionate and always willing to support student success, whatever that takes.”
• Alumni Success. A few years ago, one of Boercker’s former students contacted her to thank her for her “tough love” and to let her know how he had succeeded since leaving Las Positas College. He went on to complete a Ph.D. in mathematics at UC Davis.
• Community Service. Boercker’s extensive community service includes participating in workshops that encourage young women to pursue careers in mathematics and the sciences and organizing a Tri-Valley Educational Collaborative symposium for Las Positas College and local area high school math instructors.
• Lifelong Learner and Mentor. Boercker is a certified Master Mentor in the Academy for College Excellence program and offers workshops for many colleges through the Faculty Experiential Learning Institute. She earned the following degrees: B.S., Austin Peay State University; M.S., California State University, Hayward; and M.Ed., University of Florida.