Ever since, he has combined the art of teaching and administration into a career. You cannot say that I am returning to full-time teaching because I've always mixed teaching and administration. Beginning with the Fall 2001 semester, Barge will serve as history professor in the Department of Government, History, and Justice, the largest program in the College of Arts and Sciences with approximately 200 majors. He will be teaching the Western Civilization sequence and a seminar on the Holocaust for senior history majors, and will add his two newly developed courses over the next two years. And for the institution, it is a good time since our accreditation has been reaffirmed, and things are well here.
Barge admits the desire to teach full-time was a selfish decision.
It is gratifying and always a challenge to watch understanding surface in someone's eyes-to watch that 'ah ha' moment. And I always learn much more than my students each time I teach. While he admits he will not miss the paperwork of being dean, he will miss the relationships he has developed with so many people that a dean interacts with. And he is proud of the accomplishments the College of Arts and Sciences has made, such as increasing the quality of the faculty. Now, approximately 80 percent have terminal degrees in their field, and they are a faculty of very high quality and deep Christian commitment.