St. Cloud State University faculty continue to inspire students inside and outside of the classroom.
The latest example of that commitment to honing their teaching skills was recognized March 27 during a reception and recognition event for the first cohort of SCSU faculty to complete courses from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and the American Council on Education, earning higher education’s only nationally recognized teaching credential.
The event, hosted by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), honored 10 SCSU faculty who completed the program, with opening remarks provided by President Robbyn Wacker, Interim Associate Provost for Academic and Student Affairs Ajay Panicker and Interim Director of CETL Michelle Kukoleca Hammes. Recipients were then presented with a Certificate in Effective College Instruction and an ACUE pin noting the program completion.
The 10 faculty who completed the courses and were honored within the first cohort include:
- Michele Barron-Albers — Special Education, College of Education and Learning Design
- Scott Baker — Department of Teacher Development, College of Education and Learning Design
- Amy Christensen — Educational Leadership and Higher Education, College of Education and Learning Design
- Emily Goenner — Marketing, Herberger Business School
- Ning Hou — Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Herberger Business School
- Jason Lindsey — Department of Political Science, School of Public Affairs
- Morgan Nyendu — Department of Political Science, School of Public Affairs
- Jennifer Quinlan — Student Success Librarian, University Library
- Nancy Sundheim — Department of Environmental and Technological Studies, School of Computing, Engineering and Environment, College of Science and Engineering
- Janet Tilstra — Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health and Wellness Professions
Faculty completed the year-long ACUE program which consists of 25 modules in four course areas. The four courses include: Designing an Effective Course and Class, Establishing a Productive Learning Environment, Using Active Learning Techniques, and Promoting Higher Order Thinking.
ACUE works with hundreds of higher education institutions and thousands of teaching professionals who are committed to teaching excellence while providing a flexible model that allows faculty to take a sequence of micro-credential courses that stack to a full certificate. ACUE’s certifications ensure faculty not only learn but implement the teaching practices needed to make students feel welcome to learn, motivated to stay and inspired to succeed.
ACUE’s courses give faculty at any stage of their professional journey the tools needed to handle whatever comes their way in the classroom or online while consistently delivering exceptional teaching and learning experiences. The overall outcome is shared success for faculty, students, and institutions.
