GSC Faculty E-News for May 2019
Take Time to Recognize your Contribution in Student Achievement!

Many GSC students will be celebrating with family and friends this Sunday at Commencement the achievement of earning a college degree. I also ask that we take this celebratory moment to acknowledge your contributions in their achievement. GSC faculty are essential in the development and maintenance of the curricula, providing engaging learning experiences, and ultimately facilitating knowledge generation. Each term you are posed with the challenge of demonstrating to students the intelligibility, plausibility, and fruitiness of the ideas being explored. Your learner-centered (andragogical) approach resonates with the students within the classroom. It is through your efforts as faculty that students transcend the paradigm of students to alumni. This transcendence is illustrated through their demonstration of the student learning outcomes for the course, program, and degree level.

Within this month’s newsletter you will find information about new faculty, highlights on current faculty, updates on current initiatives, and upcoming faculty development sessions and workshops. I encourage you to participate in the exciting faculty development sessions and workshops highlighted in this newsletter. These sessions are a great way to collaborate with other faculty and share your expertise.

Please take a moment to acknowledge your impact on this year’s graduates. You have made a difference and helped to graduate a new class of professionals and lifelong learners from Granite State College. Thank you for all you do for GSC and our students!
With regards,

Dr. Scott Stanley, Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs
Congratulations to our 2019 Distinguished Faculty!
Since 1985, Granite State College has presented select faculty with its annual Distinguished Faculty Award to acknowledge faculty who have made outstanding contributions to the teaching/learning process at Granite State College.

This award recognizes distinguished teaching and other notable achievements such as curriculum development, assessment of prior leaning, creating community connections, and mentoring.

It's our pleasure to announce this year's recipients:
Rita Kondrath, M.A., Ph.D .
Faculty, Undergraduate
 

 
Marilyn McGair, J.D.
Faculty, Undergraduate
Asst. Dean of Undergraduate Faculty
Increase Learner Choice through
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
What is It?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) increases student choice with course resources, us as faculty, and with one another.

Why Do It?
UDL creates clear pathways for all students through the course content, and it’s also known 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. There are videos about how to bring in UDL in just 20 minutes, 20 days, or even 20 months for more advanced needs! You’ll be able to map paths in your own courses for applying those Universal Design principles, and you’ll give your learners choices and interest points in your courses.
The GSC Online Teaching & Learning Collaborative Announces Faculty Development Choices & Drop-In Sessions!

As active practitioners, we know you’re busy and are excited to offer you choices for faculty development and opportunities to connect with us and one another! The GSC Online Teaching & Learning Collaborative (O-TLC) is pleased to announce both informal drop-in sessions (both in-person and web-based or phone options) as well as themed-based professional development – again, with choices for in-person or online options! Stay tuned for more choices on topics such as Universal Design for Learning, Copyright Basics, and more!
Teach Beyond the Text: Rich Media Workshop Choices
At Granite State College, we know that quality education includes relevant opportunities for students to engage with resources beyond the textbook. Rich media is one way we can create this environment for our students, but how do we begin and what steps do we need to take to make sure these opportunities help students meet the course learning outcomes? Join Rich Media Specialist, Instructional Designer, and fellow faculty member Steve Covello for an intensive "flipped" workshop to explore what is possible to boost engagement effectively with rich media. You will share an actual Use Case in advance of this session to:

  • Explore rich media tools that are available to you as GSC faculty
  • Practice with rich media analysis to align your educational technology use to target goals and outcomes
  • Develop an action plan that will help you map out next steps for continued collaboration with our Instructional Design team
In-Person Only Options (Registration Required)

  • July 25, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST, Concord GSC Campus, Room 103 – Register today here!

  • November 8, 2019 (Intensive Workshop Day) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST, Concord GSC Campus, Room 103 – Register today here!
 
Online Only Options
(Zoom, Web-Based Meeting; Registration Required)

  • September 20, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST – Register today here:

  • January 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST – Register today here!
Beginning in August: First Fridays @ GSC:
Faculty Drop-In Sessions from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST (Online or GSC Concord Campus)
Beginning in August 2019, faculty at Granite State College can drop in to an open faculty development session hosted by Julie Moser, Assoc. Dean of Academic Engagement & Faculty Development, and a member from the Instructional Design Team on the first Friday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST

Ask us anything! Get advice and support about teaching, course design, or Moodle! Connect with other colleagues in an informal and supportive session, either online using Zoom or in-person at our Concord location. Stay for a few minutes or the full session!
 
Save the Dates & Info – No Registration Needed!
  • August 2
  • September 6
  • October 4
  • November 1
  • December 6

Concord GSC - Room 103
Phone in (dial by your location)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 609 317 833
Julie Moser, Ed.D.
Associate Dean of Academic Engagement & Faculty Development
Shari Colby
Academic Engagement
Program Manager
Mercedes Hunt
Senior Lecturer
Director of Undergraduate Business & Finance Programs

Mercedes Hunt has enthusiastically joined the Academic Affairs Department at Granite State College. She holds an MS in Recreation, Parks and Tourism from San Francisco State University with a concentration in Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism and a doctorate in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with an emphasis in Sustainable Events and Tourism from the University of Utah.

Originally from California, Mercedes Hunt began her career in Los Angeles working in event rentals. She helped plan and manage celebrity weddings, the Emmys, the Grammys, and other large events such as the opening of the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the annual Los Angeles Zoo Gala. From there, she managed a couple of aquatic programs that taught sailing, kayaking and environmental science to children and adults. After being accepted to the PhD program at the University of Utah, she was offered the position of Events Director and eventually the Managing Director of the The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). During that time, she organized and managed four international conferences in California, Kenya, Brazil and Ecuador.
After completing her PhD, she took a lecturer position at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, VA where she taught hospitality, tourism, event and recreational planning both online and in the classroom. After leaving ODU, she moved to New Hampshire and started Map & Compass Consulting LLC, a firm that offers sustainability consulting for the in event, public assembly facility, tourism and hospitality industries. 

She has also been involved in a number of research studies where she has assessed visitor use patterns at California Welcome Centers, sustainable practices in resorts and also completed a study on employee perceptions of sustainability practices in US convention centers. 
After having worked for a variety of public, private and non-profit institutions, Mercedes is thrilled to be utilizing her knowledge of best (and worst) business practices through her new position. She is motivated to utilize her background in outdoor, experiential education to further develop and create opportunities for practical, outside-the-box, hands-on experiential education in an online format. Mercedes will be working with faculty, local businesses, and other applicable stakeholders to promote and enhance the business programs at GSC.    

She is passionate about sustainability and the well-being of our world communities. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog Skipper, sailing, dancing, and skiing. She is an adventure enthusiast and is always seeking new experiences whether it be food, activities, languages or to learn about new cultures. She speaks Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, ASL and is currently studying Turkish.
 
We are glad to have you aboard Mercedes!
Network4Health’s Foundations of Project Management will kick off on Tuesday, June 4 th for a three day, 10 module workshop series. Participants will apply various project management processes and tools to effectively deliver on time and within budget, determine and manage risk for strategic and ethical decision- making, and respond positively to changing project management environments including human resources, cost, timelines, and workflow. Participants will conclude the workshop series with a project plan that’s ready for implementation. Program Faculty Director of the M.S. in Project Management, PMP, PMU Fellow, Karen White will facilitate the workshop series.
 
  • Granite State College has partnered with Concord Hospital, The Moore Center, and Easterseals to offer their employees NH in-state tuition regardless of residency and 10% off tuition on all programs and degrees.
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 !
Empowering Students through Performance Presentations
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
– Nelson Mandela