Jim Hoag
Associate Professor, Department Chair: Information Assurance and Technology
Higher Tech Ed
In the not-too-distant future, Professor Jim Hoag’s students will be ruling the world—of technology. They will be determining what we use, how we get our data and media, how it’s encrypted, how it’s stored and how it’s transmitted. Professor Hoag’s emphasis is teaching his students to become lifelong learners who will be able to critically evaluate new technology as it emerges and gauge its potential impact on the world and its future.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A TEACHER? WHY?
After being in the computer industry for a while after college, I went back for a master’s in math. I enjoyed the experience of being a graduate student and liked being in the environment of colleges—where you are always supposed to be exploring things and learning things. I also found I liked this idea of taking complicated material and figuring out how people can learn it. The other reason to go into teaching was I felt education could be different than most of what I had experienced. I didn’t like lecture-based classes, which were not an effective way of learning for me. I found that small schools, small classes, lab-based activities was a nice way to teach and an invaluable way to learn.
WHY COMPUTER NETWORKING & IT?
I started out as a physics major and then switched to chemistry. After I finished college, I found opportunities in the computer industry and worked in a variety of companies, large and small in a variety of roles. I was working in the computer field as technology began to redefine how we do things. I returned to grad school for a master’s degree in computer science which gave me the background to understand this field. Technology is a great industry to be in because it’s constantly evolving, requiring ongoing learning.
WHAT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING THING ABOUT WORKING AT CHAMPLAIN?
What surprised me was how flexible and respectful people are here. The school is really very innovative and if a new idea comes up, it will move forward quickly, which doesn’t happen at most schools. Also, it’s one of the most respectful places I’ve ever worked: at Champlain, people appreciate each other’s talents—it’s a very respectful place between faculty, students and staff.
WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB OR WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT YOUR JOB?
The content in the field we’re in changes by a third every year, so I have to keep up on what’s most current and figure out how I’m going to integrate it into our courses; our curriculum changes constantly because of the nature of the field. Security is going to be a big field; we’re just starting to translate that into a curriculum—and that’s fun. We had a local security event where first- and second-year students’ were charged with defending a network against the juniors and seniors. At the end of the event, the older students stood in front of the room telling their young counterparts just how they broke into their computers, and what they could have done to defend themselves. Through events like this, the students learn a lot—and come back to the classroom with a list of things they say they need to learn. That’s a magic moment for a teacher when the students tell you what they want to learn.
WHAT WOULD A STUDENT, NEW TO ONE OF YOUR CLASSES FIND SURPRISING ABOUT IT?
Probably the lack of structure. First-year students need structure; I believe that by the time they are juniors, though, they need to start integrating those ideas learned in the structured environment and synthesize them into concepts we use in a larger-scale network and security in the field. And they need to figure out how to do it on their own so they understand the concepts and issues. I can guide them in that, but try not to give explicit cookbook solutions.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU THINK PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHAMPLAIN/YOUR DIVISION/YOUR MAJOR?
Small classes and hands-on learning help students learn the concepts and skills that are in used in the industry today and will prepare them for the future.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE STRENGTH OF THE WAY CHAMPLAIN TEACHES ITS STUDENTS?
You only learn if you are empowered—if you are involved in designing your education. There are opportunities here for students to apply factual information and gain a better understanding of concepts in the field. The small class-size and hands-on approach creates a nice learning environment. You are the one that can be engaged enough and create long-term learning.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE STUDENTS THAT ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AT CHAMPLAIN ARE THOSE WHO…
become involved. There’s a lot of opportunities here, and those who take advantage of them will benefit the most from their college experience.
Game Art created by student Chris Matuzek