Dr.
Arnold Hite
1998
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Dr.
Arnold Hite is originally from Florence, South Carolina.
The Professor of Economics and Dean of the School of Business
initially had no inclinations towards teaching, but decided
to go to graduate school in economics simply because he
loved the subject. He earned his master’s degree in
Economics from Clemson University and his Ph.D. in Economics
from Texas A & M. While in graduate school, Dr. Hite
was required to run tutoring sessions twice a week. Realizing
how much he enjoyed helping students, Dr. Hite decided
to become a college professor.
Dr.
Hite came to Charleston Southern University in 1990, because
he was looking for a small, teaching-oriented college.
Although he has worked at prestigious universities such
as Clemson, UNC, Texas A & M, and the Citadel, Dr.
Hite claims that CSU is the best place he’s worked
because of its "emphasis on having personal relationships
with students." The atmosphere at CSU allows him to
act upon his natural inclination towards helping students
who are struggling and relating to students on their own
level.
In
the classroom, Dr. Hite enjoys finding unusual examples
of economic principles to share with his students. For
instance, he explains the fundamental principle of dimensional
marginal utility by asking students about the one thing
they love more than anything. The principle states that
the more you use something, the less you want to use it,
so if a student says "my girlfriend," then Dr.
Hite asks him if he would still want to be with his girlfriend
just as much if he were with her 24 hours a day for an
extended period of time. Whether it is spending time with
girlfriends, watching football, or eating pizza, students
usually get the point. Dr. Hite is quick to point out that
economics is a social science. "It’s the study
of human behavior." Most people think its about making
money, but Dr. Hite asserts, "I don’t even play
the stockmarket."
Dr.
Hite’s teaching excellence stems from the fact that
he simply loves to help students learn. "Everybody
enjoys bright students, but I have a soft spot for students
with problems," he says. Dr. Hite tries to help students
improve their performance by instructing them on how to
be organized and disciplined in their study habits. Although
every student is different, he notes that the problem can
often be fixed by something as simple as helping a student
learn how to study correctly.
Dr.
Hite has many hobbies and interests outside of economics.
He is an avid environmentalist and feels that his training
in economics gives him an edge because it helps him to
look for reasonable, market-driven solutions to environmental
problems. Dr. Hite enjoys water sports, deep-woods camping,
and jogging. In fact, he has run in the New York City Marathon
and competes with Dr. Hunter, CSU President, every year
in the Homecoming Fun Run. Dr. Hite also loves old cars.
He owns two amphibious cars that he restored himself, which
show up in the Homecoming parade every year. Dr. Hite enjoys
sharing his unique interests with students because he feels
that it helps him relate to them as well as helping them
to see him as more than just a teacher. Dr. Hite enjoys
mixing elements of his personal life with his professional
life, stating, "Interacting with students keeps me
young."
