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Division NewsLetter
Division NewsLetter
Innovation Connections is a monthly newsletter that features Instructional Innovation Division updates and college-wide innovation and collaboration. Contact Luann Crosby, Director of Library Services, if you wish to contribute to the content.
Message FROM THE DEAN
Message FROM THE DEAN
As we move through the spring semester, I want to take a moment to recognize the great work happening across the Division of Instructional Innovation. This month’s newsletter highlights many of the ways our teams continue to support teaching, learning, and student success across the college. Please join me in welcoming several new colleagues who have recently joined our division. We are excited to have Candace, Libby, Tia, and Kristin on board, and I hope you will take a moment to say hello when you have the opportunity. I also want to congratulate Professor Andi De Bellis on receiving the OER Architect Award from OERizona...
meet our staff
meet our staff
Candace Morehouse, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Instructional Innovation
Candace Morehouse, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Instructional Innovation
Where are you from originally and/or currently?
I was born in Wisconsin but moved to New Mexico before I was a teenager. From there I moved to Mesa, where I met my husband and introduced him to Show Low; we decided this was would be the place we wanted to set down roots.
What is your educational background?
After high school, I attended Western New Mexico University and then transferred to New Mexico State University to obtain my Bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. I was enrolled in the Master's program when a family emergency caused me to take a step back from my academic career.
What do you love doing the most in your work?
I really love helping others and making their lives easier. It is my hope to draw from prior experience and knowledge to bring additional efficiency and value to the NPC team.
If you were to take a course in something, what would it be?
Art! My creative side tends to pop up and get cranky when I haven't fed it in some time. I took several art courses at WNMU, including pottery and live model drawing and I really enjoyed them. Currently I am creating small tables made from slabs of wood inlaid with turquoise and copper (there's those NM roots again!).
What are your favorite things to do/eat/read?
I love watching suspenseful movies and reading mysteries.
When it comes to food, hot chile is always involved. I enjoy making my own green and red chile sauces. Enchiladas ranchero style (with an egg on top) would be my choice of a last meal should I ever have to plan for such an event. And the Wisconsite in me positively adores CHEESE!
What goal are you dreaming about completing?
I hope that one day soon I will have the inspiration to write another book and most likely it will be a murder mystery (my last one was entitled Suspicion of Love, which is no longer in print). I'd love to set it in Europe, which gives me a great excuse to travel!
I love being here at NPC. I have enjoyed a warm welcome from everyone I have met and hope to have a chance to encounter additional staff and faculty very soon. As Ben Sasse is quoted, "An institution of higher education is a partnership among students and alumni, faculty and administrators, donors and trustees, neighborhoods and more, to build a community - and a culture." I am proud and excited to be part of this incredible partnership!
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION SERVICES
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION SERVICES
It’s hard to believe we are already planning for Spring Break; the Spring 2026 semester is just flying by. Student Accommodation Services has been busy working to ensure students advocate for the support needed due to the impact of a reported disability and it is showing in our numbers. As we move into the second half of the semester I would like to remind our faculty and staff that students can self-identify at any time during the semester and accommodations can be put in place. What I want to share is that a student’s accommodations are not retroactive, so they will not be implemented for the whole semester if they come later. They are implemented once the student has completed all three steps of the SAS process: the student must go to the SAS webpage www.npc.edu/sas, scroll down to the new student box and complete Step 1: “Contact for Service” online form. Once I get this we then schedule Step 2: “Engage” or Intake appointment. After this appointment the student then completes Step 3: “Request.” This is the final step of the three-step process and must be done each semester the student attends NPC and wishes to have their accommodations in place. Please keep in mind that Step 3: “Request” is also something that a student might forget to fill out early in the semester, but when they do complete it the same rules apply, accommodations are not retroactive. This is to ensure that all parties are informed in a timely manner in order to provide the support. Wishing everyone a wonderful Spring Break!
department of Instructional Support
department of Instructional Support
The biggest news in our department is that our Instructional Designer, Professor Andi De Bellis, won the OER Architect Award from OERizona! OERizona is Arizona’s premier learning committee focusing on equitable access to learning materials. The award “recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to the creation, enhancement, and implementation of OER materials.” Well deserved, Professor De Bellis!
The Instructional Support Department Chair, Dr. Michael Broyles, will be co-presenting with representatives from Arizona Western College at the AZTransfer Summit. Their presentation is called, "Pioneering the AGEC Redesign: AWC and NPC’s Journey to Modernize General Education.” If you are interested, you may see this presentation and more on March 26-27 at the AZTransfer Summit.
Please be on the lookout for more emails regarding our workshops!
TEstinG cEnter
TEstinG cEnter
It has been a busy time for the Testing Center this semester. Thank you to all the instructors and students we had the privilege to work with.
We are excited to introduce our newest team member, Kristin Durning. Please see her introduction below and welcome her to NPC.
Hi, my name is Kristin Durning. I just started as a new testing proctor at Northland Pioneer College. I am currently pursuing my education in business and physical therapy amongst other things. I have some previous experience in an office setting and I absolutely love the office atmosphere. I spend quite a bit of my free time with my kids, and their sporting events. I have always really enjoyed health and sports, so now we get to share that together. I look forward to being part of this college community and the opportunities and experiences here at NPC.
LIBRARY SERVICES
LIBRARY SERVICES
Celebrate Women's History Month in March by reading a book or two about women throughout history. Many books that fit the bill are available at the NPC Library. To help you choose from all the possibilities, a few of the newest titles have been listed on the NPC Library March 2026 newsletter. The theme for Women's History Month this year is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.
ODds and Ends
ODds and Ends
Photo by DeniseLitchfield at Pixabay.
Soft fiber meets hard infrastructure in a global movement that tests the bounds of public art.
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