Advisor, Teacher, Learner

Mark Ouchida, New Assistant Director
of Undergraduate Degree Programs

Mark Ouchida, assistant director of Undergraduate Degree Programs

In September, long-time Extension School staff member Mark Ouchida made what some in the higher education world would consider a dramatic career path shift: he left the world of registration, grades, and permanent records to embark on a career in academic advising. The next "logical" step in Ouchida's career would have been a move from his previous position, coordinator of grades, to assistant registrar. Ouchida, however, didn't take the safe next step. He applied for and was hired as the assistant director of Undergraduate Degree Programs at the Extension School.

For Ouchida, this shift came with all the wonderful new trappings that traditionally appear with a new job: new title, new office, and, of course, the excitement of obtaining a desired goal. However, Ouchida didn't experience the nervousness usually associated with a new job in a different field, because he has been preparing for this academic advising role since starting his career at the Extension School 14 years ago. Ouchida is, and always has been, an advisor, a teacher, and a lifelong learner.

Ouchida has always approached his registrarial duties with the mindset of an advisor. For example, he would look for that "teachable movement" in a grade conversation with students. In addition, he would offer students an opportunity to strategize with him about how they would approach the same situation differently next time. "From day one, Mark has made helping students the center of his Extension School career," said his former supervisor and associate registrar, Brenda Mahoney.

Ouchida has also been a professional music teacher for 20 years, teaching at Loyola College, the Community Music Center of Boston, and, currently, at the New England Conservatory. Closer to home, he has been an Extension School teaching assistant since 1996, helping students learn psychology and math. Ouchida has worked with Dean Dodge Fernald in the Introduction to Psychology course and is currently working with Dr. Graeme Bird and Ms. Charlotte Bonner in quantitative reasoning courses and with Professor Joan Weinstein in Introduction to Statistics.

"The best measure of Mark's work has been the many kudos he has received from the students themselves," Ms. Bonner said. "They have praised his sensitivity and his ability to explain a particularly confusing mathematical concept." Mark concurs that making the unknown known is what he enjoys most about teaching. "I truly enjoy helping students who, after struggling with a concept, arrive at a place of understanding. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of teaching," he said.

Ouchida is also a student. Teaching has always been a passion for Mark, but he sees teaching and learning as two sides of the same coin. He graduated from Loyola College in 1982 with a degree in music, completed a Master of Education from Lesley College in 1985, and earned his Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies in psychology in 1997. "Studying and learning have always been an important part of my life. I am a career student," Ouchida admitted. "My most challenging yet rewarding academic experience was writing my ALM thesis, under the direction of Professor David McClelland. Completing the thesis took several years, with a number of detours and many revisions, but Professor McClelland always seemed to be able to motivate me to keep going and to never give up. The experience taught me the value of perseverance."

Ouchida has everything that a student could possibly want from an advisor: a student-centered communication style, a long history of making challenging subjects accessible, and an ongoing empathy with the student role. "It certainly makes the new advisor transition easier when you hire someone that students already know and trust, for trust is at the heart of all successful advising sessions," said undergraduate programs director, Suzanne Spreadbury.