Life in the Fast Lane- IMSA President Dr. Glenn "Max" McGee: The First Year
There is nothing tentative about IMSA President Dr. Glenn “Max” McGee as he sped directly to the fast lane during his first year as IMSA’s chief leader.
During that short period of time, McGee has embraced IMSA’s third decade and his new role with passion, energy and razor-sharp focus on outcomes. In a matter of weeks, McGee has made front page headlines in several prominent statewide newspapers, been appointed to the IBHE Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program Board, led the implementation of IMSA’s new strategic plan, met with statewide education leaders to explore partnerships and even had time for a late-night dodge ball tournament with students in IMSA’s residence halls.
McGee is truly “walking the talk” in his attempts to bring to life IMSA’s mission, strategic plan and his own goals for his first year, which are featured on IMSA’s homepage (www.imsa.edu) under his “President’s Corner.”
Close Encounters With IMSA Students
McGee is quick to describe IMSA’s students as “big thinkers and eager learners.” This was evidenced on the first day of IMSA classes this fall, when McGee realized that its educational environment was different from any other he had led.
“On the first day of classes, two young women came to my office in full lab regalia, armed with Petri dishes,” McGee said. “They wanted a bacterial swab of my office and a few cheek cells for an experiment,” he added. “Later that day, two young men stopped in to have a conversation which, in part, concerned the nature of the human soul.”
McGee says his daily encounters with IMSA students continue to amaze him and that knowing “how we are helping them achieve their aspirations, stretch their imagination and understand their commitment to using their gifts to advance the human condition” is one of his top measures of success for the Academy.
As someone who loves learning and still considers himself to be a “terrific teacher,” McGee seeks out unique learning experiences with IMSA students every chance he gets. Students have talked politics with McGee during a recent “Dinner with the Doc” session, sought homework help, explored issues of social justice—including equity in education funding—during intersession and taught him some hot new line dances during his residence hall overnight stays. McGee has also been a guest instructor for some classes and is quick to point out that during his encounters with students, he gains as much as he gives.
“I taught a sophomore Methods in Scientific Inquiry class for two days and had a blast,” McGee said. “What struck me was that once the students started on their data analysis, their focus was incredible. Also, they excelled at working in teams.”
McGee Champions “IMSA for All”
In his short tenure, McGee has wasted no time promoting IMSA’s mission and vision during visits throughout Illinois with newspaper reporters and editors, school superintendents, business groups and others. He is eager to find new ways to offer IMSA’s programs and services statewide, and considers the opportunity to “make an enduring difference in teaching and learning across Illinois and to make people’s lives better” both as one of IMSA’s greatest strengths and its major responsibilities.
In his President’s Goals for 2007-08 (located at www.imsa.edu) , Goal four focuses on increasing IMSA’s capacity to:
(1) stimulate excellence in mathematics and science teaching and learning statewide, especially in communities with limited resources and /or capacity; and
(2) assist State policymakers and business leaders in developing “next generation” talent and leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
A number of McGee’s articulated “deliverables” for this goal have already been met including a new partnership with Golden Apple to implement a Summer Institute in mathematics and science for aspiring teachers in the summer of 2008. In addition, McGee also has made several “IMSA for All” presentations statewide at conferences in five regional superintendent areas. His appointment to the IBHE Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program Board will enable him to take an active role in helping IBHE to achieve its goals (another “deliverable”).
IMSA 3.0
In his first Convocation address to students and staff earlier this fall, McGee spoke of IMSA’s “truly unlimited potential” for advancing the human condition and the inspiration and aspiration of IMSA 3.0: to be the world’s leading teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry.
McGee has a number of priorities for the Strategic Plan in its first and second years, which he believes will position IMSA for its next decade.
“We need to have ‘high energy’ campus wide participation in moving our action plans from paper to practice,” McGee said. “We need to really live our belief statements and have our actions and interactions reflect them,” he added. “Finally, we need to ‘walk the talk’ of igniting and nurturing creative, scientific ethical minds that advance the human condition, and then sharing our scholarship and proven programs and practices internally and externally.”
Ultimately, McGee’s dream is that as “IMSA 3.0” we greatly expand our reach and impact to deliver extensive support to schools and districts throughout the state.
“We will create a real and virtual STEM Innovation Hub to attract and develop innovation talent and to stimulate, support and scale innovation in STEM teaching and learning,” McGee said. “I also think that IMSA will be a leader in developing a state, national and international STEM network and collaborate regularly with educators, researchers and scientists throughout Illinois and beyond.”
It is easy to see how McGee lives life in the fast lane at IMSA every day. His energy, passion and vision for IMSA is infectious. In his own words, “Sitting still is not easy for me, and I think if we are sitting still we are falling behind and not giving our students what they need and deserve. I have a driving desire to get tangible good things done every day for our students, our staff and our state … so let’s get to it!”