Interview project
This project focused on the ideal student/professor relationship, and some benefits for university students who have a positive relationship with their professors. I interviewed American University in Cairo, Senior Rhetoric and Composition Instructor Michael Gibson, who is popular among A-U-C students. Below the recording is the transcript and after it, is my audio feature project of this interview, which sums up the main points. Through these audio projects I learned how to use an easy audio editing program called Audacity.
An Oral History Agreement was signed by the professor and I, and he gives his consent to post this interview online.
An Oral History Agreement was signed by the professor and I, and he gives his consent to post this interview online.
Transcript:
Professor, Student formal relationships.
Interviewer: Hussein Shaker
Interviewee: Michael Gibson
Shaker: Ok so i'm interviewing Professor Michael Gibson for my multimedia writing
interview project you consent that this interview is going to be recorded and is going to be
posted online?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: Can you state your name please?
Gibson: Michael Gibson.
Shaker: Can you spell that out?
Gibson: M-I-C-H-A-E-L, G-I-B-S-O-N
Shaker: Whats your possession and title?
Gibson: Senior instructor at the department of rhetoric and composition and director of
student orientation and mentoring
Shaker: Where do you live in Cairo?
Gibson: Nasir City
Shaker: Ok where have you been.....where were you before Egypt and how did you end up
here?
Gibson: I was in America and I came here after I married an Egyptian.
Shaker: How long have you lived here?
Gibson: 10 and a half years.
Shaker: That's a that's quite a lot of years.
Gibson: Yes.
Shaker: What keeps you here?
Gibson: AUC
Shaker: Ok Why..Why AUC?
Gibson: It's the best place for me to work in this area. I'm going to live in Egypt it's the best
place to work.
Shaker: Do you enjoy being a writing center tutor? Why do you do it? And do you think the
writing center is important for students?
Gibson: Absolutely important yes
Shaker: Why are you a writing center tutor?
Gibson: To help students of all, disciplines with their writing
Shaker: Why do you think some many professors choose to keep their relationship with
students more professional and formal?
Gibson: Part of it might be cultural part of it might be generational and some of it might
just be related to their personalities.
Shaker: The students call you Mika how did this nickname come to be?
Gibson: Some of my friends from Nasir City I used to spend time with on weekends
watching movies they started calling me that because of the movie "al nazir"(Arabic movie)
Shaker: Well do you..Why do you choose to have a close relationship with AUC students?
Gibson: I don't think it's something I choose I think I would have to choose not to do that
because it's just who I am I'm just being myself. So if someone told me "menfash keda"(not
proper) then I would have to choose not to be friendly like that with students.
*interruption* It's just a natural thing that happens.
Shaker: Like what are ok what are some pros from being close to students?
Gibson: For me "yanee" it's advantageous to be close to everyone I mean to relate well to
relate in a positive way with everyone no matter what position they're in or what age they
are I think it's important for us to relate well with everyone
Shaker: What do you think are some of the cons from being close to students?
Gibson: For me I don't think there are any but that's what I think because I said it just
happens naturally for me so...
Shaker: Do you think it's important for professors to connect with their students?
Gibson: I think so defiantly yeah of course
Shaker: Why do you think that?
Gibson: Because I think students can learn a lot from professors not just related to the
subject that the professors teach but just about life and to see a role model to see
character a good character that they can...an example they can follow.
Shaker: What do you think with the AUC students who cheat or plagiarize? Like for as you as
a professor do you report them do you forgive them, do you give them a second chance?
Gibson: I give second chances
Shaker: If a student does has a student done like a student ever cheated or plagiarized in
your class before?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: How do you feel?
Gibson: "Yanee" to tell you the truth it's usually a bit of a surprise at first because I always
tend to see the best in people from the beginning and until they do something that
disappoints me but then I just ask them to come and we chat about it and I tell them ok
you just have to do everything over again that's all and if it happens again I'll make a record
of it so we know there has been an offence I'll make note of it so if it does happen again
then it would be a greater offence.
Shaker: What do you think it the ideal professor student relationship?
Gibson: It has to be balanced you know there does have to be as you allotted to earlier this
professional part and there have to be certain boundaries in place but I think it's important
for a professor not too be too distant from the students so the students could feel
conformable in the professor's presence and come ask questions and talk to them.
Shaker: Back to my earlier point. What advice would you give students who cheat and
plagiarize? What would you tell them?
Gibson: Well I would want to know what is in them to allow them to do this and then I
would tell them this is probably going too become habitual and it will become part of who
you are and little by little you keep doing it your're not going to feel anything when you do
it and it's going to follow you into your work life your career and eventually people will see
you as someone who is dishonest and they won't trust you so it's probably going to wreck
your career it's possible
Shaker: How do you find the time to be an instructor, a friend, and a writing tutor?
Gibson: That is a good question *laughs* I don't know I think it's you know a lot of it is I love
what I do so a lot of the things I am doing I don't feel the burden of what i'm doing it's
enjoyable
Shaker: You attend many AUC events, do you attend only certain events? And does it help
you connect with students?
Gibson: Yeah I attend everything I can and sure it I think it goes a long way to show
students I really care about them
Shaker: How much longer do you think your're going to stay in AUC?
Gibson: I'll stay as long as they want me.
Shaker: How long have you worked in AUC for?
Gibson: 6 and a half years February 2009
Shaker: Do you have any other comments you would like to add?
Gibson: No
Shaker: Just letting you know again this interview will be posted online and again do you
consent?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: Do you feel comfortable with it being posted online?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: Ok thank you very much Professor Gibson
Gibson: You're welcome
Shaker: This interview is highly appreciated
Gibson: You're welcome
Shaker: And yeah thank you for your time
Gibson: You're welcome Hussein.
Professor, Student formal relationships.
Interviewer: Hussein Shaker
Interviewee: Michael Gibson
Shaker: Ok so i'm interviewing Professor Michael Gibson for my multimedia writing
interview project you consent that this interview is going to be recorded and is going to be
posted online?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: Can you state your name please?
Gibson: Michael Gibson.
Shaker: Can you spell that out?
Gibson: M-I-C-H-A-E-L, G-I-B-S-O-N
Shaker: Whats your possession and title?
Gibson: Senior instructor at the department of rhetoric and composition and director of
student orientation and mentoring
Shaker: Where do you live in Cairo?
Gibson: Nasir City
Shaker: Ok where have you been.....where were you before Egypt and how did you end up
here?
Gibson: I was in America and I came here after I married an Egyptian.
Shaker: How long have you lived here?
Gibson: 10 and a half years.
Shaker: That's a that's quite a lot of years.
Gibson: Yes.
Shaker: What keeps you here?
Gibson: AUC
Shaker: Ok Why..Why AUC?
Gibson: It's the best place for me to work in this area. I'm going to live in Egypt it's the best
place to work.
Shaker: Do you enjoy being a writing center tutor? Why do you do it? And do you think the
writing center is important for students?
Gibson: Absolutely important yes
Shaker: Why are you a writing center tutor?
Gibson: To help students of all, disciplines with their writing
Shaker: Why do you think some many professors choose to keep their relationship with
students more professional and formal?
Gibson: Part of it might be cultural part of it might be generational and some of it might
just be related to their personalities.
Shaker: The students call you Mika how did this nickname come to be?
Gibson: Some of my friends from Nasir City I used to spend time with on weekends
watching movies they started calling me that because of the movie "al nazir"(Arabic movie)
Shaker: Well do you..Why do you choose to have a close relationship with AUC students?
Gibson: I don't think it's something I choose I think I would have to choose not to do that
because it's just who I am I'm just being myself. So if someone told me "menfash keda"(not
proper) then I would have to choose not to be friendly like that with students.
*interruption* It's just a natural thing that happens.
Shaker: Like what are ok what are some pros from being close to students?
Gibson: For me "yanee" it's advantageous to be close to everyone I mean to relate well to
relate in a positive way with everyone no matter what position they're in or what age they
are I think it's important for us to relate well with everyone
Shaker: What do you think are some of the cons from being close to students?
Gibson: For me I don't think there are any but that's what I think because I said it just
happens naturally for me so...
Shaker: Do you think it's important for professors to connect with their students?
Gibson: I think so defiantly yeah of course
Shaker: Why do you think that?
Gibson: Because I think students can learn a lot from professors not just related to the
subject that the professors teach but just about life and to see a role model to see
character a good character that they can...an example they can follow.
Shaker: What do you think with the AUC students who cheat or plagiarize? Like for as you as
a professor do you report them do you forgive them, do you give them a second chance?
Gibson: I give second chances
Shaker: If a student does has a student done like a student ever cheated or plagiarized in
your class before?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: How do you feel?
Gibson: "Yanee" to tell you the truth it's usually a bit of a surprise at first because I always
tend to see the best in people from the beginning and until they do something that
disappoints me but then I just ask them to come and we chat about it and I tell them ok
you just have to do everything over again that's all and if it happens again I'll make a record
of it so we know there has been an offence I'll make note of it so if it does happen again
then it would be a greater offence.
Shaker: What do you think it the ideal professor student relationship?
Gibson: It has to be balanced you know there does have to be as you allotted to earlier this
professional part and there have to be certain boundaries in place but I think it's important
for a professor not too be too distant from the students so the students could feel
conformable in the professor's presence and come ask questions and talk to them.
Shaker: Back to my earlier point. What advice would you give students who cheat and
plagiarize? What would you tell them?
Gibson: Well I would want to know what is in them to allow them to do this and then I
would tell them this is probably going too become habitual and it will become part of who
you are and little by little you keep doing it your're not going to feel anything when you do
it and it's going to follow you into your work life your career and eventually people will see
you as someone who is dishonest and they won't trust you so it's probably going to wreck
your career it's possible
Shaker: How do you find the time to be an instructor, a friend, and a writing tutor?
Gibson: That is a good question *laughs* I don't know I think it's you know a lot of it is I love
what I do so a lot of the things I am doing I don't feel the burden of what i'm doing it's
enjoyable
Shaker: You attend many AUC events, do you attend only certain events? And does it help
you connect with students?
Gibson: Yeah I attend everything I can and sure it I think it goes a long way to show
students I really care about them
Shaker: How much longer do you think your're going to stay in AUC?
Gibson: I'll stay as long as they want me.
Shaker: How long have you worked in AUC for?
Gibson: 6 and a half years February 2009
Shaker: Do you have any other comments you would like to add?
Gibson: No
Shaker: Just letting you know again this interview will be posted online and again do you
consent?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: Do you feel comfortable with it being posted online?
Gibson: Yes
Shaker: Ok thank you very much Professor Gibson
Gibson: You're welcome
Shaker: This interview is highly appreciated
Gibson: You're welcome
Shaker: And yeah thank you for your time
Gibson: You're welcome Hussein.
Audio Feature
Sums up the main points of the interview project topic with help from some narration.