Why I Teach
Daan Braveman, J.D.
President
Someone recently commented that not many college presidents teach semester-long courses and asked me how I find the time to teach. It is simple—I make the time! Since arriving at Nazareth, I have taught a variety of law-related courses, including Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, and, last fall, Introduction to Law. My students have been upper-class members, and I have been impressed by their thoughtfulness, their writing skills, and their refreshing interest in the broad underlying issues we study together.
Why do I make the time? The reasons are in part personal and perhaps a bit selfish. First, I love teaching. Also, it allows me to remain involved in my academic and scholarly interests. But there is a more fundamental reason. Presidents spend a great deal of time on the business side of operating a college. So too, we devote a large part of our time and effort on external affairs—telling the College’s story, friend-raising, and fund-raising. Teaching and learning, however, are at the center of the Nazareth experience. As president, I feel a need to stay connected to that core. So, twice a week I very much look forward to the walk across campus to my beautiful classroom in Peckham Hall.
