GSC Faculty E-News for April 2019
Quality, Innovation and Collaboration
Spring is a time of awakening, fresh starts, and brighter days.  As we move into the spring term I want to introduce a new way of thinking about our mission, values and strategic direction viewed through three lenses: Quality, Innovation, and Collaboration . 

The quality equation for educational experiences is the inter-play between students, curriculum and faculty. Our goal is to optimize the intersection of these three items through a high level of engagement (student-curriculum, faculty-student, and student-faculty). Engagement is the key to achieving meaningful knowledge generation thereby demonstrable student learning outcomes.
Collaboration can be a challenge when in an online learning environment. Within this newsletter I have shared various options for keeping in touch with your fellow faculty. Through discussion boards, events, and faculty development opportunities, the door to collaboration can begin to open. 

Innovative thought is created through collaboration. Brainstorming with your colleagues allows for more fluid thought and a multitude of solutions and ideas for the future and present. Building a community here at GSC is a priority. If there are ways that we can help to bridge the gap or create opportunities for further collaboration, please let us know.

We would love to hear your thoughts on ways to better connect as a team. Click here to share your thoughts and ideas!

Thank you for all you do!
With regards,

Dr. Scott Stanley, Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs
Ways to Collaborate with Other Faculty
Faculty Lounge Discussion Portals


Events
  • Commencement – While we are past the deadline to participate in this year's commencement ceremony, you can still watch in the comfort of your own home! Stay tuned for more information! The link will be published the week before commencement at my.granite.edu/commencement
  • Graduate Faculty Development Meeting: This is a great opportunity to talk shop and meet your colleagues. All active graduate faculty teaching Master of Science courses at GSC are invited to attend these virtual online sessions held twice a year. Please let us know if you are able or unable to attend by registering. Register here!

We want to hear about what you are doing! Share your outreach efforts and/or collaborative teaching strategies by clicking here . 
Boost Engagement for Learners via
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
What is It?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) seeks to provide choices for our learners in the way they interact with course resources, us as faculty, and with one another.
 
Why Do It?
Course design and teaching practice that incorporates UDL creates clear pathways for all students through the course content, and it’s also been touted as an approach that:
 
  • Provides a framework for faculty to make positive changes in a strategic way that doesn’t take a lot of time
  • Reduces student confusion and questions that can get in the way of learning
  • Increases student persistence, retention, and satisfaction
 
Where Do I Begin?
Visit the GSC Faculty Lounge in Moodle here for tips about how to bring UDL into your class in just 20 days! You’ll be able to map two paths in your own courses for applying those Universal Design principles, and you’ll give your learners choices and interest points in your courses.
 
If 20 days seems too overwhelming right now, visit the GSC Faculty Lounge in Moodle here for tips about how to bring UDL into your class in just 20 minutes!
Granite State College’s
Online Teaching and Learning Collaborative

The Online Teaching and Learning Collaborative (O-TLC) at Granite State College is an online-hybrid initiative that connects the College’s resources in innovative ways to help GSC students succeed. The O-TLC connects Granite State College faculty members with critical teaching and learning resources and community partners, student supports, and initiatives geared toward academic quality and engagement. The O-TLC works to:

  • Build connections among Granite State College faculty members and Academic Affairs through synchronous and asynchronous online collaboration and professional development
  • Engage in continuous inquiry that focuses on teaching changes – big and small – that can have a positive impact on student success
  • Share information about Granite State College initiatives, celebrate successes, and learn more about future opportunities at Granite State College that embrace quality, innovation, and collaboration

The O-TLC at Granite State College is dedicated to helping all of our learners to succeed across the lifespan, and taps in to College’s 20+ years of online education expertise and rich academic supports and faculty to create a unique online-hybrid collaborative. Our primary efforts are focused on:

  • Faculty development (asynchronous, synchronous, on-demand, select in-person sessions) to meet the unique needs of our active practitioner faculty
  • Evidence-informed interventions to address the unique needs of adult learners in predominantly online educational settings
  • Wrap-around faculty and student supports that strive to enhance academic engagement and student success
  • Community sharing through open education efforts and outreach such as conference presentations, guest speaker events, podcasts, blog posts, and more

Stay tuned for more updates and information sharing in the coming months!

Julie Moser, Ed.D
Associate Dean of Academic Engagement & Faculty Development
Shari Colby
Academic Engagement
Program Manager
Tara Treichel
Instructional Designer

Tara Treichel joins Granite State College continuing her lifelong career in education. Tara holds a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has over 20 years’ experience as an educator, and has held positions in experiential and outdoor education, high school classroom teaching, administration, and instructional design. She began her career in wilderness and adventure education, leading students of all ages through outdoor leadership programs in her home state of Wisconsin. After receiving a teaching certificate in Life Science/Biology, she moved to Washington state and served as a high school teacher for 5 years, designing original curricula for classes in science, art, and physical education. In 2007, she moved to Maine to help develop and launch a marine science and leadership semester school for girls in Freeport, Maine, where she served as the Director of Education for 7 years. Most recently, she moved into higher education, serving as an instructional designer for the College of Graduate & Professional Studies, the fully online college of the University of New England.
 
With a solid foundation in curriculum design, pedagogy, and building strong teacher-student relationships, Tara is excited to join the instructional design team at Granite State College to support faculty and high quality engaging courses for students. She enjoys working at the forefront of the rapidly evolving frontier of online learning, and the opportunity it brings for developing creative, engaging and authentic learning experiences to adult learners.
 
When she's not at the office, you are likely to find Tara in her ever-expanding garden, her makeshift art studio, or outdoor adventuring by bicycle, kayak or skis.
 
 Welcome to the GSC community Tara!
Abigail Foreman
Registration & Records Assistant

Please join the Registrar's Office in welcoming Abigail Foreman as our new Registration & Records Assistant. Abigail comes to us from the Goffstown Public Library and has extensive experience in customer service.

Welcome to the team, Abigail!
Kathleen (Kathy) Patenaude
Program Director
M.S. in Health Care Management

Please join Graduate Studies in welcoming Kathleen (Kathy) Patenaude to Granite State College as the Program Director for the M.S. in Health Care Management program. Kathy earned her Ed.D. from Plymouth State University and her M.S.N. and B.S.N. from Rivier College. 

She joins us after serving several years as the chair of the Nursing Department at PSU and as the director of Undergraduate Nursing Education at Rivier College. These positions followed over 20 years of service in a variety of healthcare settings. Kathy will provide programmatic leadership for the M.S. Health Care Management program including advising newly-admitted students, speaking to prospective students and community partners about the program, developing curriculum, managing faculty and serving as a member of the Grad Studies team.

Happy to have your onboard Kathy!
FEBRUARY FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Marilyn McGair
Senior Lecturer
Asst. Dean of Undergraduate Faculty

A faculty member since 2001, Marilyn McGair wears two hats at GSC: Senior Lecturer and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Faculty. Marilyn’s approach to her own education was focused and traditional: four-year college, law school, and then began practicing law as a litigator. After almost 20 years of practicing law, Marilyn decided upon a change and shifted her career focus.

A self-described lifelong learner, Marilyn went back to school at Worcester Polytechnic and earned certifications in programming, databases and e-commerce. She combined her legal background with technology as a consultant and started to teach management and I.T. classes at Granite State College. This bold change was a defining moment in her life and career, so she recognizes what her students face when they are making the similarly bold choice to take on new academic responsibilities and earn their degrees.

Marilyn’s primary focus as a faculty member is on critical thinking, business law, politics and information technology courses. Over the past decade, she has taught both on campus and online classes such as computer programming, software tools, law and society, legal and ethical issues in business management, critical thinking and US in World Affairs. Prior to teaching at Granite State College, she taught various seminars and classes throughout southern New England as well as at Norwich University and Johnson and Wales College

“Every time I teach a class—even if it’s a class I’ve taught a dozen times—I learn so much. I find that the best way to truly learn something is to teach it. It’s an amazing phenomenon. The other wonderful part of it is the students: their thirst for knowledge and quest for learning.” She explains, “GSC students are known for their endurance and unwavering drive to achieve new heights. That’s what inspires me.”

 Thank you Marilyn for your dedication to our students and faculty!
NH Lodging and Restaurant Association: Granite State College will be hosting the NH Lodging and Restaurant Association professional development series, Managing Operations in Hospitality on April 10 th and April 13 th at our Concord campus. Participants will learn how to understand balance sheets, income statements, and cash flows, use financial statements to increase profitability, manage operating and capital budgets, and learn decision-making strategies related to cost, volume, profit and pricing.

Network4Health Scholarship: In the state of NH, there’s a great need for more professionals and pathways to careers, especially in the Behavioral Health field. Granite State College and Network4Health have teamed up to offer qualified students up to $5,000 scholarships during the academic year enrolled in a Behavioral Health Degree program at Granite State College. To learn more and read about the requirements, visit: granite.edu/network4health-scholarship .

Catholic Medical Center: Granite State College and Catholic Medical Center have partnered to offer 10% off all degree programs at Granite State College for all CMC employees, as well as in-state tuition rate no matter their residency.

Hypetherm: Granite State College and Hypertherm have partnered to offer 10% off all degree programs at Granite State College for all Hypertherm employees, as well as their spouses and dependents. Along with deferred billing for the employee only and in-state tuition rates no matter the employee’s residency.
If you have questions about potential partnership opportunities or professional development for your business or community please reach out to Rachael French , GSC Business Partnership Manager.

Information about the many services provided by GSC Learning Solutions can be found here !
Engaging Students via Challenge Questions!
“There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.”
― Idowu Koyenikan