ACE and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) today announced a significant collaboration to enhance student success through effective college instruction.
ACUE, a new company founded in 2014, has launched a national effort to advance effective college instruction through state-of-the-art online professional development programs. ACE is collaborating with ACUE in a joint venture as part of its nearly century-old mission to prepare campus leaders, support the work of colleges and universities and assist institutions in strengthening student learning, persistence and completion.
Over the past year, ACUE has developed a scalable faculty development and certificate program for college instructors. This research-based program complements related student success initiatives and significantly extends the reach of faculty development efforts.
ACE, which has long made college credit recommendations for workplace and military courses, is applying its rigorous quality assessment expertise to optimize the soundness and research basis of ACUE’s Effective Practice Framework© and Course in Effective Teaching Practices. The Framework represents a first-of-its-kind statement of professional practice and courseware specifically designed for higher education educators.
ACUE’s program is enhanced by a new application of the work ACE has done for decades using subject matter expert teams to evaluate learning that takes place outside a formal classroom for credit recommendation—since 1954 for military experiences and occupations and since 1974 for workplace courses. Those recommendations have been used successfully by students to earn credit at many institutions; and many of those students have done well academically at the more than 2,000 institutions that make it a practice to consider ACE credit recommendations.
ACUE and ACE’s shared goal is to expand dramatically the use of effective teaching practices to benefit students, faculty, and institutions.
“This important collaboration advances ACE’s historic commitment to expanding access to postsecondary education and helping our institutions build the capacity to ensure that those students can succeed,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. “We are proud to join with ACUE in this initiative to provide critical tools and resources to instructors and institutions. We encourage our members to consider offering these pedagogy modules for their faculty as they examine potential institutional commitments to optimize student learning.”
“In the last four decades, the faculty workforce has shifted dramatically. Today, a large majority of instructors in higher education are not on the tenure track,” said Matt Goldstein, Chancellor Emeritus of the City University of New York and Chairman of the ACUE Board of Advisors. “Their primary job responsibility on campus is to teach, and many developed their substantive expertise outside the academy. ACUE was founded to provide these educators with the practical, collegial support they need—and want—to be effective in the classroom. ACUE is honored to partner with ACE and our work together can speed the adoption of research-based instructional techniques at campuses nationwide.”
In addition to Goldstein and Broad, ACUE’s Board of Advisors includes a number of current and former presidents and other higher education leaders. A diverse group of colleges and universities has joined ACUE in the national effort.
“A singular focus on our campus is the success of our students, and effective instruction is a key component of our student success agenda,” said Genyne Boston, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, one of ACUE’s founding pilot partners. “ACUE’s program allows us to make very strategic and deliberate pedagogical enhancements that support student achievement."
There will be an in-depth discussion about ACUE’s work and this new collaboration at ACE2016, ACE’s 98th Annual Meeting, which begins Saturday in San Francisco. The Sunday, 3:30 pm (PST) session, "Student Success through Faculty Development: Is A Scalable Solution On the Horizon?" will be moderated by ACE and feature a dialogue with ACUE leaders, subject matter experts, and university partners about ACUE’s program, its impact, and its potential to help meet the challenge of a better prepared faculty.
About the Program
ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practices was developed in close consultation with hundreds of college educators and successfully piloted last semester at 11 institutions nationwide. The Course is the first to feature the nation’s leading experts in college instruction and to showcase authentic footage of exemplary instruction by award-winning professors. Faculty who satisfy Course requirements earn Certificates in Effective College Instruction endorsed by ACUE and ACE. The Course and related offerings are available on a fee-for-service basis.
The Course is aligned to ACUE’s Effective Practice Framework. ACE is reviewing this Framework, which is a leading statement of the teaching skills and knowledge that every college educator should possess.
The Framework was developed in consultation with dozens of subject matter experts, the leaders of prominent teaching and learning centers, and faculty at pilot campuses.
ACUE’s Board of Advisors
Matthew Goldstein, Chairman, ACUE Board of Advisors
Chancellor Emeritus, City University of New York
Molly Corbett Broad, President
American Council on Education
Ann Weaver Hart, President
University of Arizona
Elmira Mangum, President
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Peter McPherson, President
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Barry Munitz, Chancellor Emeritus
California State University System
Eduardo Padrón, President
Miami Dade College
Kevin Reilly, President Emeritus
University of Wisconsin System
Benno C. Schmidt, President Emeritus
Yale University
Charlie Rose, Former General Counsel
US Department of Education
Andy Stern, President Emeritus
Service Employees International Union
Founding Pilot Partners
University of Arizona†
Ann Weaver Hart, President
Arizona State University
Michael Crow, President
Butler University*
James Danko, President
California State University, Los Angeles†
William Covino, President
California State University, Northridge†
Dianne Harrison, President
The City College of New York†
Lisa Staiano-Coico, President
Diné College†
Martín Ahumada, President
Essex County College†
Gale Gibson, President
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Elmira Mangum, President
Florida International University
Mark Rosenberg, President
Goucher College
José Bowen, President
Long Island University†
Kimberly Cline, President
Miami Dade College†
Eduardo Padrón, President
University of Michigan*
Mark Schlissel, President
University of Missouri-Kansas City†
Leo Morton, Chancellor
Montclair State University
Susan Cole, President
New Jersey City University
Sue Henderson, President
Wesleyan University
Michael Roth, President
Rutgers University-Newark†
Nancy Cantor, Chancellor
West Virginia University†
E. Gordon Gee, President
* Content partner
† Inaugural 2015 Partners
MEDIA CONTACT: Jon Riskind ▪ 202-939-9453 ▪ jriskind@acenet.edu