By Nicholle Salvatierra / Staff Writer
Weeks into his seventh year of teaching, Professor Charles Wyckoff was asked to accept new duties serving as the new vice president of Business Services.
These new responsibilities interfered with Wyckoff’s classes, forcing him to leave all but one of his online business classes.
Wyckoff was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Baruch College and received his M.B.A from New York University.
Wyckoff retired as the vice president of financial services from a finance
company based out of New York.
To Wyckoff business is a way of life.
“I learned from a young age that business is the only thing you’re involved with everyday, besides Facebook,” Wyckoff said. “I like that business allows me to be creative in a way. You can find creativity in anything. Business is one of those things that doesn’t necessarily need art and music to allow me to be creative.”
Wyckoff’s first year of teaching at Riverside City College was in 2005, where he taught classes focusing on business management and marketing.
This semester Wyckoff began teaching his usual schedule of classes, until he was asked to take the position of acting vice president.
“My biggest reluctance was telling my students two weeks into the semester that I would have to leave them,” he said. “I hated telling them this news.”
In order to allow his students to continue with the classes they had already enrolled in, other professors willing continued to teach the classes.
“It was really sad when I had students tell me that I was the reason they were taking that class,” said Wyckoff.
Wyckoff continues to teach one, eight week online business class.
Replacing the professor in the middle of an accelerated course would be a difficult adjustment for students, which is why Wyckoff continues to teach this course. Because his duties are time consuming Wyckoff teaches the class from home on his own time.
“I really enjoy teaching that class, and being able to communicate with the students. I’m not looking forward to when that class ends in a few weeks,” said Wyckoff.
Wyckoff’s new position gives him responsibilities involving the business aspects of construction, caring and maintaining facilities, as well as interacting with the custodial crews.
“I like accepting new challenges. I chose to accept this position to do good for the college and give the faculty perspective,” said Wyckoff. “The difference between teaching and my new position is night and day. Either way though, I enjoy what I’m doing.”
