Speech Professor Samantha Garagliano has been working as a staff member at Glendale for 8 years now, known as someone pleasant to work with and loved by students, and was recently elected as chair by her Language Arts Division. She discussed her increased responsibilities and goals as a Division Chair.
“More than anything, I want to teach people the power of their voice.” Garagliano said. “Too often we feel like we don’t know how to speak up, or–worse–that we shouldn’t. But knowing how to advocate for yourself and others can be life-changing.” Garagliano explained that in today’s world effective communication is rare and something that students tend to assume is a natural skill everyone possesses, but that isn’t the case. Oftentimes, people can tend to listen to respond instead of understanding.
“I have only had wonderful interactions with Prof. Garagliano,” said Journalism Professor Reut Cohen. “She has run programs like our distance education certification facility and is always so kind and helpful. As a division chair, I can tell she is going to be on top of changes so our faculty is prepared. She is also a wonderful educator (her students love her) and I’m privileged to call her a friend.”
Garagliano has a background in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Interpersonal Communication. She has previous experience as an adjunct Speech Communication professor at multiple colleges, teaching a range of courses during her time traveling through various California Colleges. Originally, when she came to Glendale, she was going to take another adjunct position. Just before her interview, she took a chance with the full-time position that had been posted.
Garagliano has also been involved with online education here at Glendale, serving as the Distance Education Trainer and Distance Education Faculty Development Coordinator. She taught the “Introduction to Online Teaching and Learning” course required for faculty that wanted to get online teaching certification. Along with that, she also held workshops to help teachers that wanted to shift to online education. Originally, she supported a couple hundred faculty, but that number quickly grew once COVID hit in March 2020.
Garagliano stressed the importance of learning to advocate for yourself and others. Sharing how life-changing it can be by sharing a personal story about the time her son had a life-threatening emergency last year. Though the emergency room doctor dismissed her concerns, Garagliano kept pushing and advocating for the help she knew her son needed. When her son got the tests, it was found that her son had to be rushed for emergency surgery. “I want to help my students find their voice,” Garagliano said. “So that when they face moments like this where they need to be heard, they have the confidence and skill to make sure they are.”
As for her goals in the Language Arts Division, Garagliano states that she’s eager to bring her knowledge of GADER, or the Glendale Annual Distance Education Recertification, to the division to help them grow. But her main focus is to foster innovation and strengthen collaborations within the division and ensure that faculty will have the support they need through the rapidly changing educational space. She also wants to promote inclusive and accessible course designs and further explore how technology can help student learning.
Garagliano was recently awarded a grant through the Learning Lab’s FAST Grant Challenge for her project, the SOAR Grant, which she is working on in collaboration with the Santa Monica College. SOAR aims to give faculty knowledge and tools to incorporate artificial intelligence in student success without losing academic integrity while ensuring that instructors will feel comfortable and prepared throughout AI’s changing nature. Future plans include expanding faculty training opportunities, creating more spaces for cross-disciplinary dialogue, and to encourage teachers to implement effective teaching practices to meaningfully engage students, which she can hopefully achieve with SOAR.
Garagliano shared a message for the students of Glendale: “Don’t underestimate the power of your voice. Whether in the classroom, workplace, or life, your ability to communicate effectively can open doors, create opportunities, and even change lives. Speak up, ask questions, and advocate for yourself. Your voice matters–use it.”
Makenna Ward can be best reached at [email protected].