STEPHENVILLE — Tarleton State University faculty members will be invited to join a strategic initiative to promote quality instruction and student accomplishment.
The cohort-based program, “Scaling Instructional Excellence for Student Success,” targets core curriculum and gateway courses.
The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and the National Association of System Heads (NASH) recently announced that Texas A&M is one of four leading higher education systems chosen for the initiative.
“ACUE’s program promises to improve the biggest factor we can control to ensure our students thrive, and that’s their experience in the classroom,” said John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “Training our most talented faculty in research-based ways to improve their classroom performance is a good investment we expect to yield great results.”
The initiative recognizes the impact of effective teaching on academic success and is estimated to benefit nearly 300,000 students annually. The systems also will participate in research to document faculty implementation of new teaching techniques and the subsequent impact on student outcomes.
“This collaboration gives our faculty tools to be even more effective educators,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “This strategic initiative with ACUE and NASH will enhance the educational experience for generations to come.”
Twenty-five faculty members at Tarleton will be accepted for ACUE’s online course on effective teaching practices, which includes how to design an effective course, establish a productive learning environment, use active learning strategies, promote higher-order thinking, and assess to inform instruction and promote learning.
A call for nominations will come in the near future from the Center for Instructional Innovation and Academic Affairs.
“This initiative is aligned with NASH’s focus on supporting transformative, collective strategies that work for students,” said NASH Executive Director Rebecca Martin. “We know quality learning experiences and strong relationships with faculty, whether in person or online, are a major element of student success. This partnership with ACUE will help to build a strong culture of quality teaching that will pay dividends for thousands of students beyond this school year.”
Faculty who complete course requirements will earn a Certificate in Effective College Instruction endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE).
The four initial systems selected to participate are the California State University System, the City University of New York, the University System of Missouri, and The Texas A&M University System.
The initiative is supported with $2.4 million from the Charles Koch Foundation.
For more information, contact Dr. Diane Taylor, dtaylor@tarleton.edu, or Dr. Kelley Shaffer, shaffer@tarleton.edu.
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