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Name: Susan Schlievert
Title: Faculty
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Academic Degree(s):

• B.A. Music, Fresno State
• M.A. Musicology, Fresno State
• Ed.D. Educational Leadership, UC Davis

How long have you worked at Fresno State?
Years. Initially, I was an accompanist, taught music as dance accompaniment, was a guest lecturer in Baroque Art and a liaison with the public schools. Then I became a full-time faculty at Kremen. I was coordinator of Liberal Studies and chair of Faculty Assembly. This semester all of my classes are graduate classes.

Are you a Valley native?
My family came to Fresno at the turn of the century. My parents were born here. My father, after living on the East Coast for a few years, returned to Fresno because he felt it was a good place to raise a family—with yards, space and good education available. He was a physics/electrical engineering professor. My mother was an elementary school teacher, taught music and played in the symphony. As a child, I played with oscilloscopes and played the piano.

Are you part of a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
My family members have been involved with this university for close to a hundred years. Instrumental in getting the land for the campus, serving as chairs of various groups and myriad other connections. My parents graduated from here, as did my siblings. My husband earned a credential; my daughter earned a teaching credential and a master’s degree. My cousins are graduates, and a nephew, who also graduated, played football. This campus provided a solid background for continuing education.

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
Curriculum and instruction is the basis for what teachers do. Kremen students learn about education theories and history, content, different ways of delivering and assessing content, learning theories, global comparisons, best practices, school law and appropriate practices for student success. It’s funny because everybody went to school, and many of those people think that anyone can teach, just because they went to school. They can’t. It’s really a complex, reflective endeavor that needs to be taught and modeled.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
Sometimes students may be categorized, dismissed, mistreated or ignored because they think differently, or they haven’t learned the same strategies used in schools. I want our teachers to value those placed in our care, to validate different ways of doing things, to include a broad spectrum of activities, and to maintain a goal of successful learning for each of their students.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job?
I walked down the hallway to find a student crying outside of a classroom. I stopped, of course, and she told me that she was going to quit. I stayed with her and talked about her issues and concerns, encouraging her to finish the semester and offering suggestions for dealing with a particularly stressful class. She stayed, eventually graduated and waved to me when she got her diploma.

What is a memorable moment you had in class?
We were discussing the history of schooling in the United States. I mentioned off-hand about a child living on the prairie in the 1800’s and making toys out of whatever was available, including corn husk dolls. They looked at me; no student knew what those were. Corn husks? The following class meeting, I brought in containers of corn husks, soaked them in water, and brought twine, scraps of cloth and illustrated directions. I demonstrated, and they made the dolls.

This led to discussions about schooling, isolation, resourcefulness and creativity. But that was not the end of it: During the course of the three-hour evening class, the dolls became their families. They grouped them, referred to them and cared for them. They took pictures of them. I did not suggest these “families” at all. They brought them back with them for weeks and carried them in their backpacks. Their classroom groups became their families, too. That was the real lesson. How could a similar activity be used in their own classrooms to further camaraderie, creativity, respect, and learning?

What is your favorite quote or saying?
Be nice. My family will say it’s really, patience is a waste of time.

What is the most interesting or unusual job you've ever had?
I performed on stage with a large audience in attendance. This was dual pianos, and the piece was an extensive one developed by the other performer. Due to his scheduling and temperament, we never rehearsed, and there wasn’t any music. Fortunately, I have been composing and improvising since I was five years old. We performed, and the audience loved it.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
Read, iPad games, cook, garden, math puzzles and try something new. I spend a lot of time at the central coast, mostly Santa Cruz.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
I played Beethoven’s piano in Vienna.

Is there something else you would like to share that was not asked?
I’m this university's representative to the Academic Senate of the California State University with meetings at the Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach. I’m chair of Academic Affairs. I rescue animals and plants. I’m a long-standing member of Mensa.