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Johnson, GW's director of Freshman and Parent Services, teaches students in the basement of the Health and Wellness Center Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
"I would be exercising in (the Health and Wellness Center) even if I didn't teach," said Johnson, who has played since 1968 when the sport was called paddleball. "For me, teaching is a way to give back. I enjoy young people learning the game and seeing them improve."
Johnson, who has worked at GW for 16 years, teaches classes every year. He recently had to cut back from four racquetball classes to one per semester because of bypass surgery a few years ago.
"It's a great way to unwind after a stressful day, and a great year-round sport that anyone can learn," Johnson said.
Johnson is one of 39 GW current administrators who has taught a class. Other administrator-professors include University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, various deans and associate deans and Robert Chernak, senior vice president for Student and Academic Support Services, who is teaching an education course this semester.
Administrator professors receive their regular salaries for their administrative positions and do not get additional compensation for teaching, said Peggy Cohen, assistant vice president for Institutional Research.
Classes range from exercise and sports activities to science courses to classes in literature.
Professor Kim Moreland served as associate dean for the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Studies and as an English professor from August 1996 to January 2003. After resigning her position as associate dean, Moreland became a full-time professor of English.
"That's healthiest for me and, in many ways, healthy for the institution," she said. "I return with new excitement to full-time teaching and to an intensive focus on my own research."
