Spartans of UD - Craig Marty

Spartans of UD highlights what makes the University of Dubuque special - the people.

Craig Marty, MBA, is an associate professor of business. He has taught at UD for over 15 years and received the Faculty Character Advancement Award at Honors Convocation 2022.

What drew you to a career in teaching marketing and marketing communication at UD?

"I knew people on UD's Board of Trustees and they encouraged me to consider teaching at UD. I did a guest lecture as part of the process and found that I liked teaching college students. I am still not sure I am any good at it, but I enjoy the experience with college students. So, the job 'stuck.'"

How would you describe your teaching style?

"My teaching style is passionate chaos with a point. I am going to push students to not accept getting something done as the same as getting it done well. That happens not only on assignments but in the classroom. Are you prepared, can you answer the question, don't say ditto to what somebody else offered as an answer. The world is very fast paced. To be successful, you must be able to think analytically, doing it when you may not have much time, and be prepared to present and defend your answer. I also believe that much of what is taught is out-of-date, so what we teach may not be as important as we professors think it is. What is important, and I think everybody would agree with this, is that we develop a thirst for learning. Thus, if what you learned about digital marketing in 2022 is no longer valid in 2024, you have been learning what is relevant, what will allow you to continue to be successful. Thus, it's not what we teach, but how we inspire students to push themselves today and tomorrow that is important."

You received the Faculty Character Advancement Award from the Wendt Center for Character Education at Honors Convocation 2022. During the ceremony, the presenter shared how students noted Professor Marty is compassionate, understanding, and someone everyone should meet. What did it mean to you to not only be nominated by students for the award but to be recognized for your character?

"The nomination and recognition came from students. They are the customer of UD and it is who I serve at UD. They recognized that for all my faults, I care about them deeply and so deep that I don't just pat them on the head and tell them they are special. I ask them to dig deeper and become the person they are capable of becoming. We all have character flaws and the students could see beyond my obvious ones and see that part of me that was hopefully helping them craft themselves in the brand/product/person that UD, and themselves, will be proud of."

Why it is important for faculty to connect with students in the classroom and beyond?

"Great question and one we talk about all the time in class. Success can be defined in many cases by the impact we make on others and the impact others make on us. That means you have to connect with people and it has to be more meaningful than I have 1,000 friends on Facebook. I think about the connections I made in college and right after that and how they shaped me and I hope I am doing the same for students at UD, both the ones on campus and the ones who have graduated. For us to make an impact on the lives of people, we have to find the common ground. Once we find it, we discover that for all of our differences, frankly, we are all much more similar than we are different. That thought gives me hope for the future."

What piece of advice do you regularly share with your students?

"Say hello to a stranger, the person sitting next to you in class, the person sitting alone in Peters Commons. The world is filled with interesting people who can make our lives much more interesting, so stop looking at your phone, stop watching another TikTok video, and make a connection. Next, become intellectually curious. If you like a band, who is the lead singer, where are they from, did they go to college. As an example, I am fan of the band Rage Against the Machine, which is a pretty cool blend of heavy metal, rap, with influences of punk and funk tossed in. I cannot tell you how many bets I have won because very few people know that the lead guitarist, Tom Morello, graduated from Harvard University. Knowing things, be it your craft/profession, music, art, politics, makes a person more interesting and we are drawn to interesting people. Become that person: know the world you live in. Continually get more interesting, each and every day."