Often recognized for his on-campus involvement outside of the courses he teaches, Carl Case, Ph.D, professor of management, said he finds himself busier nowadays than during his undergraduate years at Bonaventure.
Case, who’s been involved with Bona’s for over 40 years, said the decision to attend Bonaventure was a fairly easy one.
“Bonaventure offered me a really nice scholarship, so I ended up moving on campus and lived on third Rob,” Case said, referring to freshmen dorm Robinson Hall.
He added that he considered the University at Buffalo, but was deterred from the university after viewing a 500-seat classroom in the Ellicott Complex.
Case said that basketball games, which he started going to freshman year, were some of his fondest undergraduate memories.
“One of the most fun things was that I was at the 1997 NIT (National Invitational Tournament) Basketball Championship where we won against Houston at Madison Square Garden in New York City,” Case said. “That was my first trip to New York and the highlight of my freshman year.”
Case added that home games were almost as wild, too.
“Back in the ‘70s, your floor was like a fraternity,” he said. “Each floor had its own name, T-shirt and you would go to the games with your floor. We used to fill up the whole bottom of the RC and it was wild. You walked in with your group in your T-shirts and it was just really fun.”
According to Case, the closeness floormates had with one another is one of the few noticeable differences in student experiences. He added the majority of his long-lasting friendships stemmed from freshman-year relationships.
Outside of attending basketball games, Case was involved in the on-campus organization SAC (Student Activities Council), now called CAB (Campus Activities Board), for which he served as the film chairman.
“We used to have movies on campus,” Case said. “So, I would order the movies, and we would show them in the RC,” he said, referring to the Reilly Center.
Case added that the group also organized a number of on-campus concerts from popular performers such as Bruce Springsteen and The Doobie Brothers.
Case, then a marketing major, said he enjoyed the required classes for his major, but his favorite scholastic memories were the ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) courses he took.
“I just took them because I got to sleep in the woods, do rope bridges and fly a helicopter,” he said. “The door would be wide open and we could hang out while flying around.”
Case said that, while his undergraduate experiences led him into the world of teaching, he didn’t necessarily see himself teaching at the school full time. According to Case, he wanted to work with technology during his undergraduate studies, but computers were brand new and his current field didn’t exist yet.
“When I graduated, the university offered me a job as the first assistant director of financial aid,” Case said. “While I was doing that for two years, I went here and got an MBA. Within a year after graduate school, I got a teaching position. I’ve been teaching for 33 years.”
Now, with a full-time position at Bonaventure, Case said he enjoys helping students grow. He added that, as the director of the China program, he believes studying abroad is one of the best ways for students to grow and mature.
“This will be my 10th year taking students to China.” Case said. “We spend two weeks in China after graduation in May. When people come back, they’re different and better people. The growth in students is incredible. That’s why I like teaching students here. Because you teach them tangible skills and knowledge that they can apply, and it’s fun to watch them grow. That’s one of the most enjoyable things I do.”
Case said that while he was unable to travel during his undergraduate years at Bonaventure, he’s thankful to provide current students with the opportunity to travel.
According to Case, outside of his ability to help students, the sense of community at Bonaventure is what has drawn him to this campus for nearly 40 years.
“I have no retirement plans,” he said. “When it stops being fun, it’s time to retire and, right now, it’s really rewarding.”
Case said his love for teaching and life at large stems from taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. He added he hopes students take advantage of similar opportunities and live by his motto of “carpe diem.”
“I’d like to put that on my grave marker,” Case said. “It’s what I do. If there’s an opportunity, you do it. Don’t stick around with the same people. Go places and try things. I want to keep adding to my bucket list. The more you learn and differentiate yourself, through traveling and joining clubs not in your major, you’ll learn so much more.”
This is the sixth installment in the “Professors from Bonaventure” series. Check out future issues for more!
mcgurllt14@bonaventure.edu
