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One of the nation’s oldest and largest vendors of continuing education material, The Teaching Company, has filmed lectures by Robert Weiner, Jones Professor of History, for sale to customers throughout the nation.
The Long 19th Century: Europe 1789-1917, an 18-hour series, soon will be available in DVD, video, and audio format. EXCEL Scholar Emily Gould ’05 (Northport, N.Y.) worked with Weiner on the product, which will include accompanying materials.
“She has done [the work] with grace, with care, and with love,” Weiner says.
The Teaching Company has over 175 course lectures from approximately 100 professors across the United States; only one in 5,000 professors is selected as a presenter. Weiner was chosen to be among 20 of the nation’s top professors who would audition for The Teaching Company’s lecture series. Selection of presenters is based on customer evaluations of the auditions and topics, according to the company.
Weiner recruited Gould, a double major in international affairs and French, to help with the project because of her background in 19th century European history and ability to translate French text.
“The lecture series traces an overview of the great European powers,” Weiner explains. “It also includes an epilogue about World War II.”
Gould proofread portions of Weiner’s material and helped translate several articles. Some of the articles also will be used in another project that Weiner will start soon.
In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
Weiner’s lecture series includes a mini-text with booklets, timelines, maps, glossaries, bibliographies, lecture outlines, suggested questions, and other supplemental materials. The Teaching Company is producing images and other materials for the videos.
Gould received a “special thanks” in the text of Weiner’s research.
“She’s phenomenal,” he says. “Emily has worked with tremendous tenacity and skill.”
Gould describes Weiner as personable and friendly, with admirable teaching skills.
“He makes an effort to get to know each and every one of his students on a personal level,” she says, adding that her involvement with the project was prompted by the good relationship formed in the classroom.
Weiner notes that writing the lecture series allowed him to reformat his European history class at Lafayette. He updated some of his research and adapted its presentation in the classroom.
Previously, Gould worked with Weiner on translating the French Jewish communal journals of Dijon, France. She is continuing that project as this year as Weiner’s EXCEL Scholar.
“Lafayette is a wonderful fit for Emily because she has been able to have a love for history, literature, and French, and put them all together,” Weiner says. “Anyone who has her as an employee in the future will be lucky.”
“Lafayette is the ideal environment for students to be allowed the opportunity to do work such as this,” Gould says. “The traits required to succeed doing this sort of work are ones that will be applicable to any career path I choose – the ability to read and correct documents, proofread, as well as just learning how to work hard on one thing for a long time.”
Weiner has been teaching at Lafayette since 1969. He has published numerous articles and presented his research at conferences such as the meeting of the Western Society for French History. He has won many awards for teaching and advising, including five Student Government Teaching Awards, Hoff Adviser of the Year Award, and Dean of Studies Faculty Recognition Award.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty-two students were accepted to present their work at last year’s annual conference.