Know Your Profs is an ongoing series of profiles on the instructors at Camosun College. Every issue we ask a different instructor at Camosun the same 10 questions in an attempt to get to know them a little better.
Do you have an instructor that you want to see interviewed in the paper? Maybe you want to know more about one of your teachers, but you’re too busy, or shy, to ask? Email editor@nexusnewspaper.com and we’ll add your instructor to our never-ending list of teachers to talk to.
This issue we talked to Camosun Business instructor Ernie Ogilvie about Munich Oktoberfest, procrastination, and trying to find Zen when a student won’t get off their phone.
1. What do you teach and how long have you been at Camosun?
I teach mostly business law now and also negotiations and contracts. I started teaching part-time at Camosun in 1999 while being a lawyer downtown and a single parent to an amazing little son, and then I taught full-time after I retired from practicing law seven years ago.
2. What do you personally get out of teaching?
I have so much fun. I enjoy the teaching part of the job—I hate marking exams. I love the intense class discussions, especially between students, over relevant controversial subjects. I love encouraging students to “Go for it!” “Yes, get your CPA!” “Do a PhD!” “Explore the world!” “Go to law school!” (Three students of mine have.) It is also so satisfying on a deep level for me to pass on to my students some of the stories, experiences, lessons, failures (students love hearing about my big failures—I survived), and hard-gained wisdom from being in the business world for 30 years.
3. What’s one thing you wish your students knew about you?
I prepare for every class, especially trying to keep up to date on changes in the law and in our society that impact the courses I teach.
4. What is one thing you wish they didn’t know about you?
As a student, I often did not read the required course material before the class (not recommended). I have struggled with procrastination all my life. Mom said, “Ernest, you have my disease—procrastination.” I agreed with her. But what saved me was I always went to class—even if I was unprepared—and participated. Also, by chance, I am a very good competitive exam writer (bring it on!).
5. What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
Receiving emails or little hand-written notes from students saying how much they enjoyed the class and me being their teacher. That always feels really special. (Yes, I save the notes…)
6. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you as a teacher here?
Being put in a situation where I have to decide whether to remove a student from the class for continually being very disruptive, for the benefit of their fellow students and myself. I am a compassionate person, so I do ask myself: “Did I do the right thing?”
7. What do you see in the future of post-secondary education?
There will be more international students, particularly from Africa, and more Indigenous students, so understanding the dynamics of interculturalism will be even more important. Conversely, Canadian students will choose to study overseas for at least one term to get worldly experience. Lastly, there will be more technology advances in the classroom, although the essence of the student/teacher relationship will always be there.
8. What do you do to relax on the weekends?
I hike long distances with my backpack for training. I read the news in the Cook Street Village coffee shops and have excellent coffee.
9. What’s your favourite meal?
In Victoria, a mushroom burger with house salad and a large glass of fine red wine at Bin 4 after 9 pm. Outside Victoria, a rotisserie half-chicken with a one-litre beer Masskrug (with singing and dancing) at Oktoberfest, Munich (been there many times).
10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
I believe in mutual respect and good class boundaries, so having to enforce these is so unpleasant. For example, students who crack their knuckles, are lost in their smartphones, or come into class quite late and walk right in front of me while I’m teaching… Grrrr. I try to turn these situations into “teachable moments.”