Plans and registration information for IUP's Summer Academy, designed to help faculty and staff gain new perspectives and skills in using technology in teaching, as well as in organizing and planning events and providing support to students, have been finalized.
The Summer Academy for IUP faculty will begin June 1. The application deadline for faculty is 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26. Enrollment is limited, and seats are prorated across colleges. .
The Summer Academy for staff will begin June 15. A schedule and information about registering for the live sessions will be announced closer to the date.
The Summer Academy was announced by IUP President Michael Driscoll during the May 14 town hall meeting and in messaging sent May 21 about fall planning.
"Faculty truly stepped up in extraordinary ways to migrate face-to-face courses to distance education in record time, and everyone across the university has worked very hard to maintain communications and offer events and programs to maintain connections between students and the university," IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy Moerland said. "The Summer Academy is a chance for faculty and staff to enhance their skills and learn from experts on campus, and from one another.
"I want to thank Assistant Dean for Educational Effectiveness and Innovations Holly Rougeaux in the College of Education and Communications for taking the lead on developing this important program. She has assembled an impressive team. I want to thank all for them for their willingness to be part of this initiative and for all of their hard work."
The Academy will be presented by instructional design specialists and faculty and staff across divisions and offices on campus, including the Center for Teaching Excellence, College of Education and Communications, Division of Enrollment Management, Graduate Studies and Research, Office of Human Resources, Division of Student Affairs, and IT Services.
The faculty Summer Academy will span two weeks. Delivery is structured both asynchronously and synchronously and is designed to enhance faculty members' coursework and instructional delivery with an emphasis on student connectivity. Participants will both learn new strategies and techniques and will work closely with instructional design experts to design their courses. The intent is that participants will have the skills they need to implement best-practices in development and facilitation of coursework, while embracing the student perspective in course work development.
The program also includes development of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for collaboration.
Each cohort will offer a morning or afternoon track. There will be a maximum of 40 faculty participants per cohort, for a total of 120 accepted applicants. Accepted applicants are expected to complete all sessions.
The IUP Summer Academy for Staff will be offered June 15 through Aug. 7. It will include eight different sessions customized for staff, to explore various tools and techniques, to improve daily work efficiencies, and to enhance communication with stakeholders, primarily students.
Staff members will self-select asynchronous or synchronous sessions throughout the months of June, July, and early August. Open question and answer sessions also will be provided for staff who wish to practice using tools or would like to request project design assistance.
Quality Matters and the Online Learning Consortium will be used to guide all asynchronous and synchronous offerings for both academies.
"While we will not be able to reach every faculty, we ask and expect that participants work with their colleagues to share the information and skills they gain during the Summer Academy," Rougeaux said. "I want to recognize all members of the planning team for their commitment and dedication to this project. They bring an incredible set of skills to this initiative."
The IUP Summer Academy Professional Development Team includes:
- Chris Bennett, IT Services
- Craig Bickley, Human Resources
- Carrie Bishop, faculty, Library, Center for Teaching Excellence
- Brian Carothers, Instructional Design specialist
- Felicia Daniel, COEC administrative assistant
- Amber Dworek, Graduate Admissions
- Nancy Evans, Instructional Design specialist
- Bethany Jackson, School of Graduate Studies and Research
- Joanne Kuta, IT Services
- Megan McCue, Office of the Student Advocate
- Jacqueline McGinty, assistant professor, Instructional Design and Technology
- Holly Rougeaux, assistant dean for Educational Effectiveness and Innovations (chair)
- Ann Sesti, director, Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
- Stephanie Taylor-Davis, faculty, Center for Teaching Excellence
- Jared Divido, graduate worker, instructional designer
- Ronald Nyanzi, graduate worker, instructional designer
- Jess Oest, graduate worker, instructional designer