Techniques of Teaching at the University Level
By Dennis Wiseman, Gilbert Hunt and faculty members of the Russian State Social University
Russian State Social University Publishers and Coastal Carolina University

In a first-ever publishing collaboration between the two institutions, faculty members from Coastal Carolina University and the Russian State Social University of Moscow have co-published a new textbook for educators who teach in colleges and universities.

Techniques of Teaching at the University Level, published in Russia and printed in both English and Russian, was officially unveiled at a ceremony in Moscow in June 2006 attended by Dennis Wiseman, Coastal's associate provost for academics and director of graduate studies. Wiseman and Gilbert Hunt, dean of Coastal's Spadoni College of Education, contributed four chapters to the book and served as co-editors. Five chapters were contributed by faculty members of the Russian State Social University, one of three institutions in Russia with which Coastal has partnership agreements.

The book introduces specific teaching techniques, such as motivating and managing students, instructing multinational groups and promoting diversity.

Wiseman notes that Russian and American educators share many common views on teaching, including a belief in the importance of applied learning experience, the value of an interdisciplinary perspective, a respect for diversity, and an emphasis on "active" rather than "passive" learning.

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The Spanish edition of CCU government and international studies professor James Henderson's Modernization in Colombia, an authoritative study of the South American country during the turbulent era of political leader Laureano Gómez, was published in July 2006.

A specialist on Colombian political history, Henderson traces the country's complex social and political development during the Gómez era, which was marked by civil violence as well as unparalleled economic growth.

"Few Colombians can speak calmly of Gómez, and many blame him for the violence that plagued the country from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s," says Henderson, who has written numerous books and articles on Colombia. "But he was an adroit politician and the key figure in Colombia's transition to modernity."

Henderson is currently working on a book about the devastating impact of the illegal drug trade on Colombia's society and economy.

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Twelve faculty and staff members of Coastal Carolina University contributed to the South Carolina Encyclopedia, a comprehensive new reference work produced by the Humanities CouncilSC and published by the University of South Carolina Press.

Charles Joyner, Burroughs Distinguished Professor of Southern History and Culture, served on the editorial advisory board for the 1,077-page book. Eldred E. Prince Jr., professor of history, was a major contributor to the project, serving as an associate editor responsible for all entries relating to agriculture.

Other contributors include Micheline Brown, Sallie Clarkson and Allison Faix of Kimbel Library; Linda Hollandsworth, professor of English; Larry Kent, instructor of history; Preston McEver-Floyd, senior instructor of philosophy and religion; Brian Nance, professor of history; Robert Oliver, instructor of history; Mona Prufer, media relations coordinator; and Roy Talbert Jr., professor of history.

University of South Carolina professor Walter Edgar was the editorial director of the project, a six-year endeavor involving 598 contributors. The book covers South Carolina history and culture from prehistory to the present day, with essays on the people, places, industries and ideas that define the state.

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