From staff reports
Clarion University has established the Center for Engaged Learning and Student Success to provide Clarion faculty, as well as staff and faculty from across Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, with the tools they need to teach and deliver all modalities of academic programs.
The center was launched through a $250,000 donation by Jane France and her husband, Christian Allison, president and member, respectively, of Clarion University Foundation board of directors.
The goal is to propel Clarion University onto the national stage as a model for best teaching practices, no matter the type of classroom (traditional to virtual), to positively impact student success.
In spring 2020, higher education institutions were forced to move swiftly to remote education. With an existing strength in delivering remote academic programs, Clarion University was able to accomplish this over the course of a few days, as opposed to a few weeks at many institutions.
Recognizing this strength, Dan Greenstein, chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, has asked Clarion University to partner with California University of Pennsylvania to develop and implement cutting-edge strategies to move faculty State System-wide to the next level of expertise in the new hybrid world.
Stevenson is an expert on pedagogy and has taught in both the K-12 setting and in higher education. Ausel has over 20 years of experience as an instructional designer in higher education, specializing in online learning and course development. She co-developed the Teaching Online Certification Course, which is used to certify all online instructors for Clarion University, as well as several other State System schools.
The start-up funds provided by France and Allison will be used to conduct a comprehensive study focused on new and emerging technologies to identify gaps in CU’s ability to lead on a national level, identify space and equipment needs for the program, provide grant support and workshops for faculty and staff to explore and implement best practices and technological developments in teaching and learning, and provide nationally renowned experts and consultants who will help develop certifications and trainings.
“We expect to compete with for-profit and national institutions,” Gent said. “We also expect that we retain Clarion’s special brand. Our faculty are known for being excellent teachers who engage and connect with our students. At Clarion we teach, we connect, and because of this, we retain our at-risk students at a higher rate than similar access institutions.”