{"id":7808,"date":"2023-08-03T13:52:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T17:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/academics\/faculty\/ofleming\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T11:52:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:52:27","slug":"ofleming","status":"publish","type":"faculty","link":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/academics\/faculty\/ofleming\/","title":{"rendered":"Fleming, Olivia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Olivia Fleming emphasizes community building in the classroom. Her approach fosters empathy, accountability and student engagement through collaborative dialogue and inclusive learning environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonoring a legacy of critical and feminist scholarship on pedagogy, my priority as an educator is to build a community through the classroom which is informed by the needs and interests of my students,\u201d she says. \u201cSince my courses rely on discussion, a sense of community is essential for students to have empathy and actively listen to their peers who will not always \u200b\u200bhave the same worldview and experiences as them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller class sizes at Transy allow Fleming to tailor content to student interests and build lasting relationships across semesters \u2014 strengthening both personal growth and academic rigor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI enjoy the opportunity to observe the \u2018aha\u2019 moments students have when applying concepts\/theories to phenomena they can observe in their own lives,\u201d Fleming says. \u201cStudents come from so many different paths and with unique talents that it\u2019s really special to hear their thoughts on society and collectively brainstorm throughout the discussion on how we might solve real-world social problems.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students are encouraged to engage in the research process in her courses, whether by designing original projects or contributing to faculty-led studies. Emphasis is placed on identifying gaps in literature and amplifying understudied experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A liberal arts education empowers students with broad perspectives and empathetic problem-solving skills \u2014 essential tools for addressing complex social challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for students to gain an array of perspectives in order to effectively and thoughtfully solve problems,\u201d Fleming says. \u201cWithout doing so, students are limited in their ability to problem solve and potentially engage with people unlike themselves. Pertaining to the latter, without a sense of empathy, social problems can compound. By gaining a liberal arts education, students come to realize the significance of different disciplines, perspectives and experiences \u2014 all of which are necessary to solve problems across our society and adequately fill positions in a diverse society and world.
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\u201cWhen I\u2019m away from campus, you can usually find me watching films with my tabby cat, Joni Mitchell, or outdoors walking, biking, hiking and taking in all that nature has to offer. I\u2019m also a big fan of reading and try to encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of the magic of local libraries (have you heard of the Libby app?).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Academic History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n