Jason Offutt
Senior Instructor
“1) Don’t procrastinate 2) Read the instructions 3) Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher a question—ever.”
Degrees Held:
- M.A. in Mass Communication – Central Missouri State University, 2002
- B.S. in Broadcasting and Film – Central Missouri State University, 1987
Career Highlights:
- Sixteen published books of non-fiction, fiction and humor
- Writing an award-winning humor column from 1991 until its retirement in 2020
- Winning the Dean’s Faculty Award for Teaching in 2015
- Being awarded a collaborative grant with chemistry and physics to purchase a time machine
In which online program(s) do you teach?
B.S. in Communication
Which classes do you teach online?
Professional Media Writing.
In what ways do you connect with online students?
Canvas, Zoom and NWMSU website.
What do you want your students to take away from class?
That writing, in any capacity, is much easier than they think.
Why did you start teaching?
I wanted to help people learn. It's something I'd always planned to do, but I wanted to work in the field of journalism long enough to be able to educate my students with real-world experience.
What advice would you give to your online students?
1) Don't procrastinate 2) Read the instructions 3) Don't be afraid to ask the teacher a question—ever.
What qualities make someone particularly successful in the field in which you teach?
A drive to help others and the ability not to take the subject too seriously, no matter what it is.
What is the one book you think everyone should read?
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.
What do you do when you need a laugh?
Nothing in particular. As a writer who uses comedy, I can discover humor in every aspect of life. I'm really fun at funerals.
Tell us something your students may not know about you:
Five of the books I've written are non-fiction works on ghosts and monsters.
