GCC's Priester Editor of 10th Open SUNY Textbook

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Dr. Thomas C. Priester, director of Transitional Studies and assistant professor at Genesee Community College

BATAVIA, NY (10/16/2015)(readMedia)-- The Tenth Open SUNY Textbook, released in August in time for the new academic year, was compiled and edited by Dr. Thomas C. Priester, an esteemed member of Genesee Community College's faculty. Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom (FAS: WoW) introduces various aspects of student, academic and campus life, helping to prepare students for success.

FAS: WoW features an array of different essays by State University of New York (SUNY) students, employees and alumni. The advice they share includes numerous coping techniques to meet the many demands of college. The book features various uplifting and often amusing voices that urge students to seek out mentors, get hands-on experience and make the most of their college years. Through the pages and different voices, students are able to identify their own academic and personal goals, and gain the necessary skills and confidence to thrive in college.

The format is perfect for spurring discussion about college readiness and first-year seminar courses, and the collection presents an honest, heartfelt and much-needed forum for students to explore the challenges of higher education, but not be intimidated by them.

Dr. Priester describes himself as a "hope-inspired educator dedicated to helping others interact with the future." He earned a Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College, a Master of Science degree in Student Personnel Administration from SUNY Buffalo State, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary English Education from Fredonia (where he is also a member of the Alumni Board of Directors). Having worked previously in the areas of academic success, student life, student leadership development, orientation, academic advising and residence life, Dr. Priester currently serves as the director of Transitional Studies and assistant professor at Genesee Community College.

"I endeavor to meet students where they are, and then help them get to where they want to go. Through the pages of this new Open Textbook, I've drawn upon personal stories from some of my favorite colleagues and former students, and through this effort 'FAS: WoW' was born," Dr. Priester said. "I've received a lot of great feedback about the book, and the best part – my students are actually reading it!"

With the book being just 43 pages, and featuring sections entitled "YOU are the President and CEO of YOU" and essays such as "Why So Many Questions," "Failure is Not an Option," and "It's Like Online Dating," it's no wonder students are engaged.

Recently, the text was promoted by the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning Online and Teaching (MERLOT), a digital library and an online community of faculty, students, librarians, administrators and other staff who collaborate to increase the quantity of shareable, high-quality, web-based, interactive teaching and learning materials.

Open SUNY Textbooks are an open access textbook publishing initiative established by State University of New York libraries, supported by SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grants, and based at SUNY Geneseo. This initiative, piloted in 2012, publishes high-quality, cost-effective course resources by engaging faculty as authors and peer-reviewers, and libraries as publishing service and infrastructure.

The book is available freely online as a PDF and an e-book: http://textbooks.opensuny.org/foundations-of-academic-success/

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

For a photograph of Tom Priester go to:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/TomPriester.jpg.jpg