Dr. Christine Hadsell is a Course Instructor II in WGU’s College of Health Professions. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, and her BSN, MSN, and a master’s degree in psychology from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. She earned her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Kansas and also holds professional certificates as a Community Health Educator, Blackboard Instructor, and Patient Review Instrument Facilitator.
We recently asked her to share more about herself and her role at WGU.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: I’ve been with WGU for eight years. I was a program mentor for the first 15 months and have been a course instructor ever since, supporting the final five courses of the MSN – Leadership and Management program.
Prior to this, I was an assistant professor in nursing at a brick-and-mortar college for eight years. I have been a director within the YMCA organization, and in leadership positions in managed care and home care. I worked as a mental health therapist, intake coordinator, crisis worker, and employee assistance professional (EAP) for 17 years prior to and after becoming an RN. I also worked as a hospital and insurance case manager for eight years.
Q: How did you hear about WGU, and when and why did you join the university?
A: I joined in March of 2012. I heard about WGU from a fellow KU student; we were in a combined education course for Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Ph.D. students. She had just become a course instructor and, in a discussion post, described WGU as a wonderful place to work. She connected me with a senior manager and the rest is history!
Q: What is your average load in terms of students you work with?
A: I support a caseload of approximately 100 students in the last five courses of the graduate Nursing Leadership and Management track. Some students have bridged from the BSN program and some are pure MSN students.
Q: What does a typical workweek look like for you?
The early weekdays are busier, with emails, scheduled calls, and outreach for engagement and revisions, as well as hosting a cohort, attending meetings and training sessions, committee work, and answering team inbox questions sporadically. We use colleagues as resources in Microsoft Teams when we have questions or want to post announcements.
Thursdays and Fridays tend to be quieter. Many students engage in schoolwork on the weekends, so we have a rotating assigned course instructor to cover questions each weekend.
Q: What is one aspect of your job that those not familiar with WGU would be surprised to know?
A: This is a 12-month, competency-based, disaggregated-faculty business model with an educational product.
Q: Can you tell us a little more about yourself and what you like to do?
A: We live in upstate New York, where I grew up, as well as in Wilmington, North Carolina, depending on the season. I live with my husband and three dogs, and we have two adult children living locally. I like to play the piano, volunteer as a dog walker, and sing in my church choir.
Thank you to Dr. Hadsell for sharing more about herself and her job. We are glad to have her on the faculty at Western Governors University.
