U of A Celebrates Latest Class of Fully Credentialed ACUE Faculty

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Leaders from across campus recently celebrated 18 U of A faculty who demonstrated their commitment to student success by earning their complete Association of Colleges and University Educators certification, the only nationally recognized certificate in effective college instruction. 

These fully credentialed faculty represent the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and the Graduate School and International Education.

To complete the full credential, these faculty implemented innovative classroom practices and dedicated two to three hours per week while enrolled in each of the four micro-credentials required for full ACUE certification.

"When we support our instructors with high-quality, proven, timely faculty development programming, we say as an institution that we are committed to continually raising the bar for student success," said Deb Korth, assistant dean for student success in Fulbright College, who leads the campus ACUE certification process.

During the faculty celebration, Chancellor Charles Robinson and Provost Terry Martin spoke about the importance of teaching, reminded faculty of how students will be impacted by their participation in this program and congratulated these 18 dedicated faculty members for their commitment to student success.

The 18 newly fully credentialed faculty include: 

• Lindsey Aloia, Graduate School and International Education
• Margaret Butcher, Fulbright College
• Charles Cassady, College of Engineering
• Brandon Crisel, College of Engineering
• Elizabeth Dickerson, Fulbright College
• Michael J. Duffy Jr., Fulbright College
• Aysa Galbraith, College of Engineering
• Lisa Hinrichsen, Fulbright College
• Shanda Hood, Fulbright College
• Deborah Korth, Fulbright College
• Faith Lessner, Fulbright College
• Leslie Massey, College of Engineering
• Michael McCoy, Fulbright College
• Lynn Meade, Fulbright College
• Zachary Payton, Fulbright College
• Gretchen Scroggin, College of Engineering
• Lora Streeter, College of Engineering
• Heather Walker, College of Engineering

The complete ACUE certification entails earning all four of the ACUE micro-credentials: Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment, Promoting Active Learning, Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifelong Learners, and Designing Student-Centered Courses. Faculty are also involved in micro-certifications devoted specifically to improving online learning.

In addition to the 18 fully credentialed faculty, 76 instructional designers and faculty from across campus were also recognized at the celebration for having completed one of the four micro-credentials, including 30 who were devoted to creating an inclusive and supportive online learning environment.

As of November 2023, U of A faculty have earned an impressive total of 289 micro-credentials, and 24 hold the full credential.

Korth and Fulbright College piloted the U of A's partnership with ACUE beginning in 2021, expanding the training and certification options to the whole campus after the successful completion of a micro-credential by a first cohort.

ACUE, which is endorsed by the American Council on Education, designs certificate programs to help educators be more effective with students by using evidence-based practices that improve student engagement, increase student persistence and close equity gaps.

For more information about the micro-credential process and opportunities to join the next faculty cohort, please contact Korth at dkorth@uark.edu.