Courtesy photo.
CAMARILLO — Sixty faculty members at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will be selected to participate in a national professional development program backed by the National Association of System Heads (NASH), the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), and a $2.4 million grant from the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF).
The California State University (CSU) system was one of four higher education systems in the U.S. selected to participate in the national initiative, called “Scaling Instructional Excellence for Student Success.”
Faculty selected to participate in the program and complete the year’s commitment to the faculty development program will be awarded ACUE’s Certificate in Effective College Instruction that is recognized and endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE).
“We will be able to have 60 faculty members participate,” explained Associate Vice Provost for Innovation and Faculty Development Jill Leafstedt, Ph.D., who is directing the program at CSUCI. “It’s about good teaching practices and learning how to engage students.”
Once the CSU system was chosen, the Chancellor’s Office was charged with selecting eight CSU campuses to participate. CSUCI was one of the eight because of CSUCI’s past success in facilitating effective faculty development programs.
“One of the reasons that we thought of your campus is that (CSUCI Associate Vice Provost for Innovation and Faculty Development) Jill Leafstedt is well-positioned not only to administer this well on your campus, but also to provide leadership as eight of our campuses learn to facilitate this kind of programming at scale next year,” wrote Emily Daniell Magruder, Ph.D., the Director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning for the CSU system.
This is one more step in CSU’s mission to close achievement gaps, which describes any persistent disparity between different groups of students who may have come from underserved communities.
“The California State University is pleased to participate in ACUE’s Scaling Instructional Excellence for Student Success program,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. “Its mission to advance student achievement and eliminate equity gaps aligns with and complements the CSU’s flagship student success effort, Graduation Initiative 2025. Our skilled and dedicated faculty look forward to sharing proven best practices and to enhancing their own teaching in collaboration with ACUE and with colleagues from these outstanding educational systems—all for the benefit of students from all walks of life, in California and across the nation.”
Any CSUCI faculty member can apply for the program, which will offer 30 slots for the general teaching practices emphasis and 30 slots for the online teaching component.
The ACUE, NASH initiative started before the COVID-19 pandemic, ACUE added the online teaching component to the program after the pandemic moved universities into a virtual environment.
“We at CSUCI have been preparing for the last decade to prepare faculty to teach online Leafstedt said. “Before the pandemic, we had about 10% of our courses taught online. Since the pandemic, we’ve had a 90% increase in online teaching.”
“The facilitators will come from a pool of dynamic teachers who have proven expertise in the field of facilitation, discussion and collaboration, Leafsted said. “Any CSUCI faculty member can apply to take one of the two professional development tracks. Priority will be given to faculty who teach lower division classes with a focus on retaining our freshman students,” Leafstedt said.
NASH Executive Director Rebecca Martin stressed that strong relationships between faculty and students, whether in person or on-line, are a major element of student success.
“This partnership with ACUE will help build a strong culture of quality teaching that will pay dividends for thousands of students beyond this school year,” Martin said.
The professional development is another component of Graduation Initiative 2025, a mission shared by all 23 of the CSU campuses to increase the number of students who reach graduation, eliminate equity gaps in degree completion and ultimately meet California’s workforce needs.
About California State University Channel Islands — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is reimagining higher education for a new generation and era. We are an innovative higher education institution that enables students to succeed and thrive – serving as an engine for social and economic vitality that provides the intellectual resources necessary for a thriving democracy. With more than 7,000 students, 1,200 employees and 14,000 alumni, CSUCI is poised to grow in size and distinction, while maintaining one of the most student-focused learning environments in public higher education. Connect with and learn more by visiting www.csuci.edu or CSUCI’s Social Media.