Five faculty members from Western Nevada College (WNC) have achieved tenure, a significant career milestone, as approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. The honored instructors are Kathryn Cocking, Dr. Christian Copley Salem, Dr. John Duerk, Jaspreet Gill, and Gregory Sly.
WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe expressed his congratulations: “I congratulate our newly tenured faculty members on this milestone in their career — this is a huge accomplishment. Their commitment and teaching experience means that WNC students will benefit the most!”
Kathryn Cocking joined WNC in 2020 after an extensive administrative career at Carson Valley Health and Barton Memorial Hospital. She shared her enthusiasm for receiving tenure: “I’m excited to be receiving tenure this year since I appreciate the recognition from my peers, the college administration and the Board of Regents.”
Dr. Christian Copley Salem transitioned from managing a grocery store to teaching at WNC, fulfilling his lifelong ambition. He remarked on his tenure achievement: “Tenure represents not just my efforts but the efforts of the faculty and staff that supported me.”
Dr. John Duerk pursued teaching at a community college due to his early education experiences at McHenry County College in Illinois. On earning tenure, he stated: “Tenure means being formally accepted into an academic community after having demonstrated your capacity to thoughtfully contribute to it.”
Gregory Sly brought 30 years of law enforcement experience before leading WNC’s Criminal Justice program in 2017. He commented on achieving tenure: “Tenure means acknowledgement of years of preparation and work toward my professional goals in higher education.”
Jaspreet Gill has been part of WNC since 2013 and holds a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. Reflecting on her new status, she said: “Being awarded tenure is a significant milestone in my career, representing my dedication, expertise and commitment to academic excellence.”
These educators have each served WNC for at least three years with high instruction ratings.
