Outstanding Teacher — Chris Sablynski

Chris Sablynski brings a wealth of experience to the classroom, having worked with large corporations such as Microsoft and Chase Manhattan Bank. But perhaps more important to his students is his love of teaching and his knack for generating a real excitement for learning. It helped make him this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award for the College of Business Administration.

“I tell my students, 'Don’t be afraid to try new things, new ways of learning,'” says Sablynski, a professor of human resources. “Get out and work and find out what really makes an organization tick.”

A native of New York, Sablynski became interested in teaching while in college. He said he made it a point to visit each of his professors in their offices and found the lifestyle very intriguing.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people,” Sablynski says. “And being able to have a different schedule every semester is something that really appealed to me.”

Sablynski begins each semester by breaking the ice.

“I make fun of myself and tell them that I’m different from other instructors,” he says. “Then I spend the rest of the semester proving it. I like to have fun in class but I also take learning very seriously.”

His real-life experience, working 15 years in the business community, gives his students a definite edge. Sablynski has studied employee retention and has been a consultant for numerous large companies, teaching them how to evaluate their employees and keep the ones who are productive.

“When I teach students how organizations are set up and how employees are evaluated, they see the bigger picture,” Sablynski says. “Then when my students begin their careers, our class discussions on motivation, performance and leadership really hit home.”

“Chris treats his students with respect and as young professionals,” says Lorena Cancino, a junior and former student of Sablynski. “He does everything possible so that his students learn, have a good time, and at the same time obtain a good grade.”

Sablynski has been teaching at Sacramento State since fall of 2002. He said the key to reaching students is treating them with respect, keeping the mood relaxed and holding them accountable.

“I expect my students to be prepared,” Sablynski says. “I know a lot of instructors only engage the students who raise their hands. I call on all my students. If someone is deathly afraid of speaking up, I have them e-mail me.”

Sablynski keeps his practical knowledge of the business world fresh by working with his wife, Wendy, in their private consulting firm. They specialize in research for Fortune 100 firms, most of them based in the Bay Area.

But teaching is his priority.

“What wakes me up in the morning is having students say, ‘I get that,’” Sablynski says. “I tell them, ‘You have to learn how to learn.’”