administrative experience

Interim Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Education

September 2019 - present

  • Lead the development, approval, and implementation of undergraduate curriculum, including curricular review processes, re-evaluation of the general education curriculum, graduation requirements, course catalog, transfer evaluations, and articulation agreements.

  • Provide leadership for programs charged with supporting academic success (First Year Experience, Learning Communities, MavPASS supplemental instruction, Center for Academic Success, Writing Across the Curriculum, and TRIO programs).

  • Provide significant support to deans, department chairs, faculty, and staff to continuously improve the quality of undergraduate teaching and pedagogy, close the achievement gap for underrepresented students, and enhance students’ educational experiences.

  • Oversee all academic probation and suspension policy and procedures. Adjudicate appeals.

Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Jan 2017–Aug 2019

  • Develop professional development programs and services to promote excellence in instructional design, use effective pedagogies, and use of new and emerging technologies to support teaching and learning.

  • Support academic departments, programs, and faculty as they design and prepare professional development activities. § Supervise the administrative assistant, graduate assistant(s), and student worker(s).

  • Manage a $118,000 budget ($16,156 discretionary).

  • Communicate broadly with all campus constituencies about professional development opportunities.

Technical Communication Program Coordinator

2014–2015, 2016–2017, Spring 2019

  • Chaired meetings of technical communication program faculty.

  • Curriculum Design: created a new course (ENG 273 Agricultural Communication), which is part of the interdisciplinary Agricultural Studies minor. Redesigned the graduate program to become a Master of Science in Technical Communication with Abigail Bakke, which was implemented in Fall 2020. Created undergraduate academic maps (first for academic planning, later for the undergraduate catalog).

  • Scheduling: Drafted a long-term plan for 2-year course offering rotations to maximize the number of available seats and support student progress toward degrees while remaining within existing staffing levels. Developed class schedules for the next academic year and submitted them to the Scheduling Committee for review.

  • Program Assessment: Led the annual program assessment and prepared internal reports for inclusion in the department’s annual document.

  • Strategic Planning: Wrote the technical communication undergraduate and graduate program reports for the Academic Affairs 2013 master plan. Planned and facilitated a program Strategic Planning Workshop (2012). Fostered alumni relations by conducting programmatic research using alumni surveys.

  • Personnel: Drafted position descriptions for the technical communication program position requests (filled in 2014-15, cancelled in 2017).

  • Advising: Advised current and prospective students on the technical communication curriculum, career paths, plans of study, and university policy.

Contributions to Academic Curriculum & Policy Initiatives

  • President’s Fall Retreat (2019, 2018, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020). Participated in large and small group discussions about university strategic goals and initiatives and identified ways to implement activities and programs in my department and in CETL to support the President’s annual objectives.

  • School of Communication Curriculum Workshop (2019). Facilitated a 2.5 hour workshop with faculty from the College of Arts & Humanities to imagine potential collaborations that could help build the School of Communication.

  • Differentiating 400/500 Courses faculty development (2019). In preparation for the 2020 HLC interim report, Elizabeth Harsma and I developed an asynchronous online course to help faculty implement differentiation techniques in their courses.

  • Co-chaired the Differentiating 400/500 Course workgroup (2018). Responding to a 2016 HLC area for continuous improvement, we researched the number of 400/500 courses during the 2017-2018 academic year, analyzed a sample of syllabi from those courses, and made recommendations for the University, GCAP and UCAP committees, department curriculum committees, and individual faculty

Contributions to Student Engagement and Success Initiatives

  • First Year Experience Expansion Workgroup (2019). Revised the syllabus and learning outcomes and developed a D2L master course shell for FYEX 100 First Year Seminar to encourage consistency across the 50 sections offered in Fall 2019. Facilitating a professional learning community of FYEX instructors to support instruction.

  • HLC Student Success Academy (2018–2019). Consulting with the College of Arts and Humanities on a pilot project to improve student experience and increase retention of first year students.

  • Scaling MavConnect to Enhance Student Success Workgroup (2018). Assisted the former Interim Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies with ideas for engaging faculty in the expansion of MavConnect beyond its original rollout.

  • President’s Commission on Diversity member (2017–present). Participated in the development of the most recent Diversity Plan. Collaborate with Diversity and Inclusion staff to plan events such as guest speakers and book discussions.

  • Summer Orientation Faculty Panel (2010–2015, 2018–2019). Informal advising for incoming students and their parents through faculty panels and individual conversations.

  • Student Writing Task Force, member (2010–11). Recommended curricular and structural changes to support writing in the disciplines, including a graduation requirement for a disciplinary-specific writing-intensive course and the creation of a Director of Writing Across the Curriculum.

Contributions to Teaching and Pedagogical Success Initiatives

  • Online Learning Solutions and Models (2018). Led a workgroup of faculty and instructional designers to develop a set of teaching, technology, and administrative competencies for online teaching and an internal standard for online course design.

  • Technology Roundtable (ex officio member, 2017–2019). Collaborate with IT Solutions, faculty, and deans on the implementation of technology solutions to support teaching and learning.

  • Faculty Development Sub Meet (ex officio member, 2017–2019; member, 2011–2012, chair 2012-2013). Assist in the planning and facilitation of the annual Tenure and Promotion Workshop and the Presidential Teaching Scholar Fellowship awards.

  • University Professional Development Committee (member, 2017–2019). Assist in the planning of internal professional development events for faculty and staff.

  • Extraordinary Education Task Force on Teaching Excellence and Innovation (2014–2015). Participated in the development of recommendations to encourage teaching excellence, become a partner in students lifelong learning, provide infrastructure to support teaching and learning, and ensure equity in educational opportunities.

  • Extended Education Committee (chair and sub-meet co-chair, 2013–14). Consulted with the Dean of Extended Education on initiatives to support students online and at alternate locations, including the use of online tuition differential funds.

Other Contributions to the University Community

  • Institutional Review Board (co-chair, 2016–2017; member 2014–2017). Reviewed research protocols to ensure adherence to the principles of respect, beneficence, and justice. Advised faculty and student researchers on the design of ethical research with human participants.

  • IFO Feminist Issues Committee (member, 2016–17). Represented the University on a statewide committee to study issues facing women in higher education and make recommendations for programs or actions on campuses and within the Minnesota State system.

  • Valley Writing Workshop Committee (chair, 2012–2014; member, 2009–2011). Facilitated an annual retreat to encourage faculty writing and improve the teaching of writing in the disciplines.

  • IFO Contingent Faculty Committee (member, 2012–2013). Represented the University on a state-wide committee to study issues facing contingent faculty in the Minnesota State System and their representation on campuses.

  • Department of English Committees: Parliamentarian (2018-2019), Personnel (member, 2016– 18), Contingent Faculty Committee (founding member, 2014–2015), Graduate (member, 2012–2014), Department, Student, & Community Relations (member, 2010–2012, chair 2010– 11), and Ad-hoc Marketing Committee (member, 2010).