U of A Welcomes Over 200 Teachers for Advanced Placement Summer Institute

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ­– The University of Arkansas’ Enrollment Services welcomed 220 teachers to the 22nd annual Advanced Placement Summer Institute taking place this week from July 13-17.

The Summer Institute offers professional development opportunities to middle and high school teachers as they prepare to teach Advanced Placement courses this coming school year.

Teachers from across the state and around the country are being trained in 13 AP subjects through the U of A’s Summer Institute.

“We love AP at the University of Arkansas,” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and director of the 2020 Advanced Placement Summer Institute. “Last year, we awarded approximately 25,000 hours of AP credit amounting to more than $7.5 million in tuition saved for our students. Students who take AP are more likely to double major, participate in special programs like undergraduate research, internships, and study abroad, and most importantly to graduate on time. We actively recruit AP and IB students, and we admire the teachers who support them, so having an APSI on our campus is an important event for our campus each summer.”

This year marks the transition of the Summer Institute from the Honors College to Enrollment Services, and for the first time, teachers will not be spotted walking across campus, having coffee in various coffee shops, or lunching on the lawn.  Due to Covid-19, the 2020 Summer Institute is being held online.

The 13 College Board-endorsed consultants have modified their courses to a virtual format, and the teachers are ready for a week of learning about new educational resources and teaching techniques. The consultants received special Blackboard training and are working with teachers through the University of Arkansas’s Blackboard system.  During the APSI online training, the consultants serve as “super” teachers who share best teaching practices for instructing high school students who are taking Advanced Placement.  They are providing 30 hours of live online instruction.

The AP consultants include:

• John Polka, Biology, River Forest, Illinois 
• Dickie Thomasson, Calculus AB, Fayetteville
• Nancy Stephenson, Calculus BC, Houston, Texas 
• David Wentz, Chemistry, Fayetteville
• Bernie Phelan, English Language and Composition-Experienced Teachers, Barrington, Illinois 
• Katie Stueart, English Language and Composition-New Teachers, Fayetteville
• Lisa Baker, English Literature and Composition-Experienced Teachers, Wilburton, Oklahoma 
• Maridella Carter, English Literature and Composition-New Teachers, Blue Springs, Missouri
• Max Lu, Human Geography, Manhattan, Kansas
• Marc Reif, Physics 2, Fayetteville
• Matt Cone, U.S. History, Plano, Texas 
• Eugene Chase, U.S. Government and Politics, Edmond, Oklahoma
• Marjorie Hunter, World History, Marion

“Our consultants have done an amazing job shifting their course work to the online environment, and so far, the training has been going exceptionally well,” said Emily Wright, associate director for the APSI and for the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards. “We miss the in-person comradery that teachers bring to the campus, but we know the teachers are actively engaged in the sessions and consultants are providing excellent instruction that will serve teachers across our state and region well in the coming year.”

Enrollment Services received a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education that enables Arkansas public school teachers to receive funding to cover the cost of registration. The majority of participants in this year’s APSI are Arkansas public school teachers, who are preparing Arkansas students for rigorous high school classes, and ultimately, college.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3% of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.