College Success

Bruce Beiderwell (PhD University of California, Los Angeles) is former Director of UCLA’s writing programs. He regularly taught  developmental writing classes that served students who arrived at UCLA without the preparation or skills they needed to succeed. To further the writing program’s success, Bruce worked closely with colleagues in English as a Second Language, Library Science, Athletics, and Counseling to identify, place, and instruct at-risk students. Throughout his academic career, Bruce was integrally involved in student placement and curriculum development and consulted extensively on the development of teaching materials for use in business settings.

Linda F. Tse (MS Minnesota State University, Mankato) has been an educator for over two decades, first as a high school English teacher in Hong Kong and currently at Minneapolis Community & Technical College. Since 1997, Linda has been working as a counselor on college campuses, initially at four-year comprehensive universities before finding her passion working with the student body at MCTC where 43% of the students are non-Caucasian and more than 80 different languages are spoken on campus. New immigrants for whom English is a second language, first generation college students, non-traditional students, single parents, and students living below the poverty line make up the majority of the College’s student population. Born to refugee parents in Hong Kong, Linda came to the U.S. on a student visa with the help of a scholarship. Her personal struggle together with her professional training has enabled her to relate readily to under-represented and under-served students who aspire to higher education in the face of adversity and disadvantage. In this regard, she provides academic, career, and personal counseling, while teaching classes in Career Development and Life Planning, and College Success Strategies. In addition to her academic responsibilities, Linda works professionally with dislocated workers and people with disabilities.

Tom Lochhaas (MFA University of Arizona; ABD Washington University) is a teacher, professional writer, editor, and consultant. Tom has taught at the University of Arizona, Otterbein College, Washington University, and UCLA. His teaching focus has been on first-year courses with an emphasis on reading, writing, and study and communication skills. He has a special interest in working with underprepared students and recent immigrants. As a college instructor, Tom has always stressed what students actually need—not necessarily what others might think they need—to succeed in their studies. He specializes in making textbooks accessible for students in many curriculum areas including communications, software and technical manuals, and public health information. In his work with public organizations such as the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council, Tom has applied a recognized expertise in language and reading to ensure a wide range of publications are appropriate for their intended audiences. This extensive writing background and student-centered teaching philosophy has shaped his approach to writing for the college success course.

Nick deKanter (Tufts University) is an educational advocate, consultant and marketing professional. As Founder and President of the Vision 21 Education Group, he is working to support schools seeking to transform into 21st century learning environments that help students master core subjects and connect them to real world needs, think critically, communicate clearly, and practice collaboration and innovation.