Outstanding Faculty Member: Joseph Lloyd Harris

Joseph Lloyd Harris is a permanent fixture in the Gulf Coast community. A math professor for thirty-one and a half years, he has won many students’ admiration for his thorough, easy-to-understand teaching methods. This semester, Harris hung up his hat as a math professor to take on a new role: Dean of Student Engagement. I recently had the pleasure to talk with Mr. Harris to discuss his career as a math professor and his current job.

Origin Story

As a college freshman at Georgia’s Piedmont College, Harris thought he would be an architect. However, he soon changed his career path when a math professor discovered his knack for teaching. According to Harris, his professor told him that he had a gift for explaining mathematical concepts.

After receiving a degree in mathematics from Piedmont, Harris pursued a Master’s in Mathematics Education from the University of Georgia. He taught math at the high school and college levels in Georgia before coming to Gulf Coast in 1998.

The Professor

Harris considers Gulf Coast faculty as family. He remarks, “We’re a very close-knit group. We’re small enough so that everybody knows everybody.” Harris is thankful to have had the opportunity to teach students for so many years.

He shares, “The best part of being a math professor was when students would catch on to things, and you could see the light in their eyes… that excitement when they finally figured something out.” Harris adds that he has taught multiple generations of students: “I taught a couple out here in my early days, and now I have taught their kids.”

Harris has been and remains highly involved on campus. He has served on the Faculty Senate and became the faculty representative for Gulf Coast’s Lighthouse software in 2012. Also, he holds the distinction of being the college’s first professor to teach live interactive classes.

As an ardent supporter of GCSC athletics, Harris keeps the scorebook at basketball games and has served as a volunteer coach for the women’s volleyball team. Harris proudly displays many framed photos of GCSC women’s basketball and volleyball national championships on his office wall. The pictures are rewards, he tells me. Proving his dedication to the student body, Harris even took a pie in the face on Pi Day in 2017.

The Dean of Student Engagement

Although Harris has left his teaching days behind, he stays busy in his new position as Dean of Student Engagement. Now, Harris wears many hats: handling enrollment services, overseeing recruitment and the welcome center, and advising students. To add to that, GCSC Military Services, Navigation Center, and Testing Center all report to him—a change of pace from teaching.

However, Harris finds his new position just as rewarding as the last. He explains, “I’m supporting students in another aspect.” By helping students with application, testing, and advising, Harris gives them the support they need to graduate. He is also very excited about his work with the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan. He explains that Gulf Coast is redesigning applications and advising so that students can narrow down their major and choose a clear direction for degree completion.

In all his roles, Harris has faithfully served students for decades. When I asked him if he would teach again, he replied, “There’s so much to learn in this job that I’m taking a break from teaching… but let’s just say it’s not out of the picture.” Whether in the classroom or out, Harris is an outstanding member of Gulf Coast faculty who is grateful for the chance to support the college.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR