Fostering Student Success
through in-house faculty development
programming
Hanna Erpestad,
Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Kelli Hallsten-Erickson,
CTL Coordinator and English Faculty
Lake Superior College
Our Mission
 Because Lake Superior College believes that an
investment in faculty is an investment in our students,
the Center for Teaching and Learning develops,
facilitates, and promotes a comprehensive
professional development program for faculty
designed to meet the ever-changing academic
environment.
(9/27/12)
Connections to LSC Initiatives
Master Academic Plan
 A commitment to provide faculty and staff professional
development, including systemic orientation and
mentoring, improving online instructional
capabilities and effectively using feedback
FY12-FY15 Strategic Plan
 4 goals addressing professional development of
instructors teaching in all delivery modalities, including
new faculty mentoring
Connections to Charting the Future
#1: Dramatically increase the success of all learners, especially those in diverse
populations traditionally underserved by higher education.
 Strategy: Implement research-based best practices for student success.
At LSC:
Constant use of research-backed strategies
(Example: FIG text Envisioning Equity)
 Strategy: Partner with diverse communities...to create welcoming
learning environments that expand access to educational
pathways and increase student success.
At LSC:
All-campus book read, a Muslim student forum
Connections to Charting the Future
#4: Expand the innovative use of technology to deliver high quality online
courses, strengthen classroom instruction...and provide more
individualized learning and advising.
 Strategy: Enhance student educational experiences by infusing emerging
technologies into courses and student support services and by developing
an integrated, collaborative approach to support
professional development of faculty and investment in instructional
design.
At LSC: Consistent practice of offering sessions dealing with
technology and instructional tools. LSC POET®.
Structure
 Faculty nominate a name for the CTL Coordinator position
for administrative approval
 Coordinator and Dean meet monthly
 Coordinator convenes 2-3 advisory board meetings per year
 Activities are planned based on input from across campus
How much does this cost?
 CTL coordinator is given 9 credits of release
 The CTL supply budget has never exceeded $5000
 Budget monies are spent with the oversight of the
advisory board
 The Dean of LAS has final approval of expenditures
Annual Events
 Excellence in Teaching Festival
 Faculty Inquiry Group (FIG)
 Faculty Duty Days
 Stand alone brown bag-style sessions
 All-Campus Book Read
 World Travelers Series
Delivery Modes
 The traditional breakout session
 Plenary sessions
 “Speedy” sessions
 D2L discussion boards
 Ongoing “core group” discussions (FIG)
Overarching Themes
Each year has a theme - Suggested by the advisory board and connected to
survey results and work plan
 AY14 theme: Serving Students with Complex Needs
Tracking and Data
 Tracking attendance using STARS
 The Annual Survey
Most satisfaction comes from the format of sessions,
opportunity to network, and learning new teaching
strategies.
 Professional Development and Sabbatical Plans
Collaboration
 Internal
Library, Intercultural Center, Student Life,
Customized Training, Workforce Development,
IT, eCampus team, Learning Center, Counselors,
Disability Services, Online Faculty Development
Coordinator and Online Course Peer Review
Coordinator
 External
Service-Learning Duluth, other MnSCU colleges
The Center for Faculty Innovation
The CFI is a physical space on campus - Library of professional development texts and materials
 A lounge
 A copier/printer
 A conference room
 The offices of the CTL coordinator & the Instructional Technologist
CFI Space
CFI Space
The CFI Online
 D2L shell that hosts a variety of materials, mostly
from sessions, posted for ongoing viewing
 Online discussions, especially during the Excellence in
Teaching Festival (next year: connected to the FIG)
Special Initiatives
 New Faculty Orientation
 New Faculty Mentoring Program
 Online Professional Development Committee
 POET® Revision Committee
 LSC Campus Climate Committee
Challenges
 Inheriting a lackluster program & finding a new leader
 MnSCU CTL office closes
 Validating the local CTL work to the new President
 Moving away from administratively-assigned duty
days to take advantage of all optional duty days
The Numbers
 An average of 7 formal monthly meetings per month
in the CFI
 More than doubled annual offerings and attendance
numbers after the MnSCU CTL office closed
 FY14: 52 professional development sessions, 590 acts
of participation
The Payoff:
Ultimately, through the support of administration and the
coordinative efforts of the CTL coordinator, but mostly
because of the faculty, it is clear that LSC is rich with
knowledge and the desire to share that knowledge with
others:
We are a model for teaching and learning for our students.