After more than 30 years of teaching and scholarship in Michigan State University’s James Madison College, Professor Constance (Tramm) Hunt is scheduled to retire at the conclusion of fall semester. Hunt is an associate professor of social relations and policy with regular contributions to the first-year program and political theory.
Hunt’s path to teaching in James Madison was not the usual trajectory of an academic. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in mathematics and philosophy, she worked in a management training program for a Fortune 500 company.
A few years in, Hunt decided to pursue her doctorate in political science.
“I was always really interested in political, philosophical and social questions. For me, studying political theory in a political science program was the best way to bring those things together,” Hunt said.
In 1991, Hunt was three years into her Ph.D. program at Boston College, and her husband, retired Madison professor Louis Hunt, was a postdoctoral fellow in MSU’s political science department.
“I didn’t know anything about James Madison when we moved here; Madison found me,” said Hunt.
“I was astounded to find a small liberal arts college within a large university. Looking back, maybe I would have chosen this for myself.”
Hunt began teaching at JMC in the winter of that year — before completing her Ph.D.
At that time, JMC occupied only two hallways on the South side of Case Hall with fewer faculty and staff members, larger class sizes, and more teaching assignments; Hunt recalls heavy Steelcase furnishings from the 70s — even though it was the 90s.
While the college has grown in terms of faculty and staff, and in the physical space JMC occupies, the number of students in the college has remained the same. The most significant difference today, according to Hunt, is the impact of technology.
“Most of my career, designing my assignments to prevent the potential for plagiarism wasn’t overly difficult, but now ChatGPT can circumvent the artistry of a complicated assignment,” Hunt said. “There are lots of adaptations faculty must now make simply to dodge the myriad pathways available for plagiarism.”
As new instructional challenges crop up and the world is forced to endure continual political and community disruption, what remains a constant for Hunt are the friendships she’s formed with colleagues whom Hunt describes as “indescribably awesome,” along with the feeling of inspiration that comes with teaching her students.
“Teaching has been a kind of haven from the disruptions; addressing the challenging questions of our time is what I think is important to do,” said Hunt.
“I never wanted to avoid those hard issues. Instead, I present them for what they are and always try to have texts to balance out an issue, pushing students to reflect on those different positions to see whether they are persuasive or not.”
For Hunt, teaching first-year courses has always been important to her, and Law and Social Groups, a course she estimates having taught about 20 times, was among the most meaningful.
In addition to her teaching and research, Hunt served as assistant dean from 2003-2006 and director of academic affairs from 1998-2003. Together with JMC Professor Colleen Tremonte, Hunt was one of the original co-directors of the Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Teaching Fellowship Program, which prepares future faculty in The Graduate School for a career in academia.
Hunt has received numerous awards in recognition of her outstanding undergraduate teaching, including the prestigious MSU All-University Award and the Top 15 Distinguished Professors of the Year by the Presidents Council of Michigan.
On October 13, the college celebrated Hunt’s career with an alumni panel discussion for students, followed by a reception. Six of Hunt’s former students (pictured below) — Jim Ananich (PE '98), Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah (SRP '18), Chelsea Austin (SRP '16), Stefani Godsey (PTCD '95), Bethany Wicksall Gielczyk (IR & PTCD '98) and Bradley Smith (PTCD '98) — spoke about their experiences in the college and how their studies transferred to the careers they’ve since pursued.
During the reception, in addition to some of Hunt’s former students, many colleagues and former colleagues offered remarks. Emeritus Professor, Ron Dorr, was among them.
“A proponent of the liberal arts, teacher devoted to undergraduates, advocate of extra-curricular activities for students and faculty alike, and supporter of financial aid for those who had done well in their first year of undergraduate studies, Connie certainly deserved all the recognition and awards she earned in her career,” said Dorr.
A self-described ‘restless person,’ Hunt is looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, traveling and enjoying any number of the different areas of interest that capture her attention.
“I am proud of the work I did in my administrative work — helping students and faculty solve problems, keeping the train running on time,” said Hunt. “I’m very proud that my father and I were able to establish a scholarship named for my mother, Sylvia E. Tramm, which has already been awarded to over 30 students, and most importantly, I’m grateful to have been a part of James Madison which is a unique place in higher education that requires an enduring, shared commitment to preserve the greatest strength of the college, which is its teaching mission.”
Visit Instagram, Facebook and Flickr to view photos from Professor Hunt’s retirement celebration . Former students who would like to contact Professor Hunt are encouraged to email her at huntc@msu.edu. Learn more about the newly renamed Sylvia E. Tramm and Constance C. Tramm Hunt Scholarship Fund or make a donation.