Personal Overview

Carol Ann Tillema

2715 Carlson Circle #201, Melbourne, FL 32901    C: 813-956-0641    ctillema@fit.edu

EDUCATION

Studied Aviation Management with Flight Option at Florida Institute of Technology for four years while employed full-time as a grill cook and while caring for two children (who also received the benefit of a private education); completed one year at the University of South Florida to earn a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, Major in English (Creative Writing), and a Minor in General Business Administration, later earning a Master of Arts in English (Rhetoric and Composition); and taught for twenty-four years and tutored for sixteen

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Florida Institute of Technology

Student Success and Support Center (SSSC)

(Under the direction of Rodd Newcombe and the aegis of Dean Robert Taylor of the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts)  

Writers’ Den Supervisor and Faculty Instructor                    Jan. 2022 to Present

• Supervise five writing tutors who include faculty members and students
• Tutor undergraduate and graduate students, using techniques listed below
• Collaborate with Florida Tech’s Colleges, Schools, Offices, and Departments, including the Career Services
• Attend SAC and SSSC staff meetings and complete numerous training courses
• Advertise services and edit and deliver brochures
• Proofread and edit ASC and SSSC office documents and web sites
• Write letters of recommendation for students and colleagues
• Edit innumerable documents for students and colleagues gratis
• Assist in the Testing Center at the SSSC as a scribe and reader

Academic Support Center (ASC)

Writing Instructor/Tutor                                                         Jan. 2021 to June 2021

Volunteer Writing Tutor                                                         June to Nov. 2020

Writing Tutor                                                                          Jan. 2019 to June 2020

Part-Time Writing Tutor                                                        Jan. 2018 to Dec. 2019

• Assist with scholarship applications, essays, lab reports, researchpapers, proposals, résumés, theses, dissertations, journal articles, personal statements, and other academic and professional documents and publishable literature
• Deliver personalized, instructive analyses of grammar, mechanics, organization, content, format, in-text citations, references, and ethical and legal obligations
• Incorporate strategies to improve writing ability from prewriting stage to final product
• Instruct students on use of applications and programs such as Premium Grammarly, Microsoft Word Editor and Dictate, Zoom, and Outlook Team Meetings
• Work with directors, supervisors, instructors, and staff members and respond to their recommendations
• Deliver speeches specific to instructors’ needs in classrooms, library, ASC, and SSSC
• Assist with application of Florida Institute of Technology’s Thesis Manual and Style Guide and the Chicago, Turabian, American Psychological Association, Modern Language Association, American Chemical Society, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers format styles
• Practice my second language, Spanish, and learn words of other languages to serve the students better
• Visited College of Business, College of Engineering and Science; School of Aeronautics; School of Arts and Communication; Office of Graduate Admissions; First- and Second-Year Experience; Human Resources; Student Union Building; Campbell Hall; WFIT Radio Station; Evans Library; Panther Dining Hall; Clemente Center; Florida Tech Army ROTC Panther Battalion; Department of Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences; and more to advertise ASC services, deliver brochures, and welcome collaboration
• Established partnership with ASC and Career Services to help students with résumés and cover letters
• Attended Career Services workshops and volunteered at the Spring Career and Internship Expo on behalf of ASC
• Promoted electronic board advertising in the library and live or recorded endorsement on WFIT
• Made myself available as a volunteer tutor 40 hours a week in the summer of 2020 and worked as a volunteer 10 hours a week in the fall

Florida Institute of Technology

Adjunct Faculty Instructor                                                      Aug. 2015 to Dec. 2020

COM 2223, COM 1101, COM 1102, and WRI 0100

• Increased students’ academic and professional oral and written communication
• Familiarized students with scientific, technical, and business documents and helped them master the writing process, including prewriting, planning, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
• Helped students gather, interpret, and synthesize information for writing correspondence, employment applications, abstracts, reports, descriptions, instructions, proposals, and résumés
• Enhanced critical thinking and reading, using formal literary strategies to study short stories, poetry, and plays
• Assisted students and instructors individually and in small groups to improve their writing and to formulate ideas for essays, research papers, and other writing assignments for all courses and subjects
• Taught APA, MLA, IEEE, and Chicago style formats
• Edited hundreds of documents for students, faculty, friends, and business owners gratis
• Volunteered as a tutor in the Writers’ Den and Academic Support Center (about five hundred hours, most of them logged)

Eastern Florida State College          

Adjunct Faculty Instructor                                                      Sept. 2015 to May 2017

ENC 1101, ENC 1102, and ENCV 0025

• Taught composition courses, using techniques listed above
• Shared innovative lessons and activities to make learning significant and enjoyable
• Used newest distance-learning concepts and technology for Web-enhanced classes
• Communicated actively with students to respond to their questions or needs
• Informed students about enrichment programs, development opportunities, and other valuable resources and assistance

Hillsborough Community College     MacDill Air Force Base, Plant City and Dale Mabry Campuses

Adjunct Faculty Instructor                                                      Jan. 2009 to May 2015

ENC 1101 and ENC 1102

Warner University

Adjunct Faculty Instructor                                                     Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2010

ENC 1101

• Taught online and on campus, using techniques listed above
• Taught basic writing skills necessary for college composition courses and writing across the curriculum
• Prepared students of diverse social, cultural, and ideological backgrounds to become productive citizens in a competitive world
• Introduced and interpreted academic terminology and stimulated critical thinking by combining rhetoric, dialectic, and grammar with progressive, creative strategies that included collaborative efforts and portfolio management
• Maintained class web sites and employed distance-learning techniques

Hillsborough Community College     Plant City and Dale Mabry Campuses

Preparatory Writing Adjunct Instructor     Oct. 2000 to Mar. 2001 and Sept. 2004 to Dec. 2009

Hillsborough Community College     Brandon Campus

Writing Center Tutor/PT Advanced Technician                         July 2004 to May 2007

• Focused on one-to-one specialized instruction similar to methods used at the University of South Florida’s Writing Center
• Employed new pedagogies of teaching composition in a writing center as opposed to in a classroom
• Analyzed students’ comments and suggestions to serve their needs more effectively

Hillsborough Community College     Ybor Campus

Preparatory Writing Adjunct Instructor, Lab Supervisor, and Staff Member     Jan. 2003 to May 2004

• Tutored students individually and taught classes about reading and writing
• Supervised the Reading and Writing Lab in the evenings for one and a half years
• Noted reliability and validity problems with writing tests administered and advised director, who authorized revision
• Upgraded and generated nearly one hundred objective writing tests and exercises used in the lab component
• Maintained, administered, and proctored thousands of tests in the preparatory reading and writing programs, gave instructions, and controlled test security
• Scored and recorded examination results to evaluate student progress
• Compiled reports and summaries with educational and grading software
• Coordinated with directors, supervisors, colleagues, and staff members to make recommendations regarding the efficacy of instructional programs and testing procedures

 University of South Florida

Composition Instructor and Writing Center Tutor                          Aug. 1999 to May 2002

• Taught ENC 1101 and worked in the Writing Center
• Tutored undergraduate and graduate students of many disciplines and cultures
• Reviewed students’ papers in detail and suggested improvements in academic, business, technical, and personal writing, particularly essays, research papers, theses, and dissertations
• Counseled graduate and undergraduate students about employment, college, and scholarship applications
• Conducted student and professional surveys and interviews, prepared and assessed questionnaires for statistical analysis, and created graphs, tables, and reports based on results
• Coordinated and participated in instructional programs about writing center and library resources and career searches
• Developed lessons and facilitated seminars about writing topics for different disciplines, including subjects like organization, content, theses, mechanics, basic grammar, rhetorical modes, and formal and critical strategies
• Directed and assisted with proctoring and testing services

Florida Institute of Technology

Grill Cook/Student                                                                  Oct. 1993 to Sept. 1997

• Cooked breakfast, lunch, and evening meals and served students, faculty, and staff
• Cleaned the grill, flattop, deep fryer, and prep area daily
• Studied courses in Aviation Management with Flight Option
• Won scholarships for outstanding grades and learned to fly single-engine aircrafts
• Made possible a virtually free private education for my two very successful children

HONORS AND AWARDS

Florida Institute of Technology School of Aeronautics Sophomore of the Year Academic 

   Excellence Award

Susan Galos Eason Memorial Aviation Management Scholarship

PUBLICATIONS

“Blood-Thirsty War.” Stars and Stripes. 1965.

“Escape.” A Collection of Poetry. Tampa: Hatcher, 1998.