Assuring students access to the opportunities of a large university, including a wide range of high-quality programs, faculty mentors who are scholars and creative artists of repute in their disciplines, and the support of outstanding facilities and technology.
Coordinating geography students’ internships, teaching Foundations of Inquiry courses, and serving as the Director for the Central Office of the Illinois Geographical Society are just a few of the ways Michael Sublett contributes to Illinois State University. As a professor in the Geography-Geology Department, Sublett is dedicated to providing students with a well-rounded education.
Sublett is the internship coordinator and Geography Career Fair co-coordinator. In the 1980s, the department made it a requirement for all non-teaching geography majors to complete an internship as part of their curriculum. To help students acquire internships, the department sponsors a career fair where former ISU students and others in the profession share their experiences. The students then have an opportunity to speak personally with prospective employers. Students are placed in areas around the country and primarily complete the internships in the summer after or during their senior year. Sublett said, "Many students are able to get jobs either at their internship site or get a good reference for another place." He also said that alumni then come back to the department looking for interns. "People are coming to us first when looking for interns. It is a very positive outcome with the emphasis on internships," said Sublett.
As an FOI instructor, Sublett spends many hours revising his lesson plans to better assist the students. "It is a challenge to have 30 students who don’t necessarily want to be in the class. I spend a tremendous amount of time tooling up for the course. Things don’t always work out, so then I try to find things that do." Sublett enjoys being part of the many stages in undergraduate education. 'With FOI, I like helping students get started. At the other end I help push our graduates out the door," he said. Sublett also serves as the Central Office Director for the Illinois Geographical Society. The 200-member organization connects people with geographic interests in Illinois. The organization publishes a semi-annual publication called The Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society.
As a senior faculty member, Sublett tries to mentor younger faculty in the department. He said, "I help by giving advice when they ask for it, and sometimes when they don’t. I encourage them to get involved in things they maybe otherwise wouldn’t. It is great when someone does this for you and then you can help somebody else."