Issue date: 6/19/08 Section: Aggielife

Media Credit: Jonny Green Keith Swim is a notoriously tough management professor in Mays Business School. Batt writer Angela Rodriquez asked five questions to give students a glimpse into the mind of this influential professor. [Click to enlarge]

1 Your legal environment class is said to be hard to pass without some outside assistance. Word on the street is that you purposely lower test grades or fail students who use outside tutoring services such as 4.0 and Go?

A: No, I don't like the outside tutoring services because I disagree with their whole concept. All they do, the way I understand it, is try to teach you how to pass a test, they don't try to teach you the material. If they would give periodic help sessions along the way, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But to do it the night before and say, "This test question has been given every year for the last four years." Well, you know, I just don't think that's right. But do I make the test to try to make the students mess up? No. Do I try to penalize the ones who go to 4.0 and Go? No. Do I know who goes to 4.0 and Go? Not really. That's a rumor. I've always wanted to go and videotape outside of 4.0 and Go to see who was going (laughs), but nah, I've never done that.

2 Not only do you teach law courses, but you also have a solo law practice. You are known to represent students who get into minor criminal trouble with the law, such as driving while intoxicated and minor in possession. Is it hard to represent your students when you know they will be in class with you?

A: Well, a lot of times it's former students. If it's a current student, the case usually isn't taken care of until after they're out of class so there is no hint of a conflict. And just because somebody hires me on a legal matter doesn't mean they get a tenth of a point better. And there are several [students] who could tell you that. Does it make [class] harder? No, I keep the two separate.

3 You continually reach out, within the community, to those in need. You have raised money for causes such as Brazos Valley Food Bank, Christmas gifts for foster children, and you were the main event for One Army's "Stick It To Swim" project. But, you are most well known for the Swim's Card Program. Can you explain what exactly it is, how it started and how others can help?

A: Swim's Card Program got started because of a former student's mother my wife and I had gotten to be very close with. She is one of the finest people you will ever meet in your entire life and she is just a beautiful person. She developed breast cancer, and I was talking to some students about it and they said, "Let's send her cards." So, they started sending her cards… and they sent her cards. She just got so many of them that the mail started delivering them in buckets. Her roommate in college, a liberal arts professor, wrote a textbook with a section about her friend and the students at A&M sending her those cards, and the impact it had on her. From that it's grown. We put it on Facebook, its called Swim's Card Program, which is what some students named it. Whoever wants us to send cards to someone, or if you know of someone who has been hurt or harmed by something, let us know and we'll send cards out. How people can help is join the Facebook group; when I post [card requests], I send a message to everybody telling what the story is and where to send the cards. I got a message the other day from a student that said [their friend] got several cards and had passed away and wanted [us] to know how much she appreciated all those cards. We don't get feedback very often, but when we do its always a positive experience. Some students think its stupid to send cards to someone you've never met before, but when you're hurting and things aren't going good, you don't care whether you know the people or not, it just that somebody out there cares. And that's what the card program is all about.

4 So you are busy in every aspect of your life, why do you continue to do what you do for students and community?

A: Because I get so much more out of it. And, you know, it sounds dumb, but you get to know these kids, they become kind of like my kids. You know, I had several of them call me on father's day, and that meant the world to me. You get birth announcements, you get pictures sent to you of their family, wedding invitations and wedding pictures. Its just… they're great kids, I mean lets face it, and the chance to get to know them is a privilege for me. And, it doesn't hurt when you're getting into your 50s… they keep you kind of young (smiles).

5 What advice can you give students as they graduate college and enter into the real world?

A: My number one advice I would give them is to find a job that you like to do. Do something that your are going to be happy with. Do something that you like going to work, not something that's "Oh gosh, I have to go to work," I'm not saying that never happens; I get some days like that. But then I get there and see my students and they're really listening and asking questions, then I see that it's all worthwhile. You just gotta find something you like, and don't just always go for the money, because the money is not always where the happiness is. You gotta be happy first.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools