Rate My Professor Linda Berton

Professor Linda Berton served as a full-time professor in the Languages and Communications department at Columbus State Community College, with a focus on English as a Second Language (ESL). She earned a B.S. from the College of Charleston and an M.A. from The Ohio State University. Berton joined the college in 1996 as an adjunct instructor and advanced to full-time status, teaching for 19 years until retirement. As lead instructor for ESL 0188, the program's entry-level course, she enhanced the curriculum and student experience through supplemental materials she created and shared. She led most ESL elective courses, including ESL 0178 and 0179 (College Vocabulary 1 and 2), ESL 0168 (Critical Reading Skills), ESL 0169 (College Reading: Non-Fiction), and COLS 1102 (Navigating College in the U.S.), serving the majority of ESL students.

Berton collaborated with ESL faculty to develop an Open Educational Resources (OER) curriculum for ESL 0188, launched to offer free access and remove the prior $75 student cost. She aided the non-credit Basic English program at CSCC’s Language Institute via class observations, instructor guidance, and curriculum upgrades, boosting completions and transfers to credit ESL. In the 2020-2021 academic year, she taught students overcoming obstacles like insufficient computer skills, devices, or internet. She contributed to the Grade Grievance Committee, Generation One Trailblazers Committee, department Web Course Review Committee, and department Promotion and Tenure Committee. Berton volunteered 18 years as a reader for the blind with VoiceCorps. For her service exceeding 15 years, the CSCC Board of Trustees granted her emeritus status in 2022.