Gannon University students have come to know Dr. Keith Taylor as Gannon’s seventh president and from volunteering alongside him on GIVE (Gannon’s Invitation to Volunteer Everywhere) Day and the University’s international service trips.

They now will know him in a new capacity: professor.

Taylor is teaching a course, “Life in Balance – A Global View,” in the Fall 2012 Semester. The two-credit offering is a first-year seminar for students in Gannon University’s occupational therapy program.

“I’m truly excited about getting back into the classroom,” Taylor said. “I was a faculty member for many years before I was a president and this will allow me to connect with more of our students on a more personal level.”

Prior to joining Gannon University in 2005 as provost and vice president for academic affairs, Taylor served as dean and as a full professor in the health and human services division at Daemen College, Amherst, N.Y. Taylor also taught in Daemen’s doctor of physical therapy program for 17 years.

His Gannon course is discussion/experience-based and is intended to help orient new students to the University as well as serve as an introduction to Gannon’s Liberal Studies Core and LIFECORE program, with this section of the course focusing particularly on helping students lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

The course’s activities, both in and out of the classroom, are intended to promote a passion for continuous learning and to assist students in connecting as part of our community on campus. For example, students will participate in at least five hours of community service supporting individuals from a country other than the United States or Canada and discuss their health, wellness and health care approaches, philosophies and practices across the world.

Additional areas of focus include:

  • Integrating the academic, social, personal and spiritual aspects of each student’s life
  • Evaluating time management and study skills and developing strategies to strengthen them
  • Appreciating diversity
  • Thinking critically
  • Discovering how students learn and living their mission through service-learning
  • Managing stress, finding life balance, and understanding the physical, emotional, and spiritual sides of wellness
  • Planning and preparing for a career

Gannon University is a Catholic, Diocesan university offering nearly 100 academic programs, including doctoral programs in physical therapy and organizational learning and leadership. Gannon enrolls more than 4,000 academically talented and diverse students. Learn more about everything Gannon has to offer here.

This article was originally posted on www.gannon.edu on August 22, 2012.