GSC Faculty E-News for May 2020
Humanity and Student Perception of Quality in Adult Education

 
With each month that passes, we are learning more about how to coexist with COVID-19 and more about ourselves as humans. This is an opportune time to highlight the connection of students’ perception of quality in higher education and the human elements associated with teaching. As teachers we are driven to provide a quality educational experience for our students. “Quality” is a term that has varied meaning dependent upon the context and the perspective of the individual making the value assessment.  Merriam-Webster dictionary defines quality as a peculiar and essential character or an inherent feature. The interface between quality and value to the learner is imperative to understanding the students’ perceptions of their educational experience.
 
Boshier (2006) investigated the perspective of quality in adult learning.  The study consisted of over 2000 student responses to a questionnaire and a random sub selection for interviews. The majority (96%) of students believed their instructor and their teaching skills were the prime cause of quality in their course. The instructor’s caring approach, patience, dedication, and encouragement were rated the highest contributors to course quality. At GSC, we have heard the same sentiments about our faculty. It is through your caring and compassionate approach that contributes to students’ perception of a quality educational experience. At times you might not be intentional about your affective approach to teaching, but I want to make sure you understand it is meaningful to our students. During a time when we are socially distancing as a society and providing instruction through an online means, the human elements of teaching are never so more important and valued by students. Thank you for everything you do for our students! 
 
Granite State College will continue as necessary to provide status updates to the College community concerning the pandemic. The status updates are emailed to the College Community and posted online at  https://www.granite.edu/coronavirus-info/ .
 
Please be safe and be well.
With regards,

Dr. Scott Stanley, Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs
Welcome to the GSC Neighborhood!
Meet our School of Education!
Find out more about this team by accessing the following URL:

Thank You for Your Teaching Service!
Thank you to all those faculty that have helped Granite State College provide a quality, innovative, and connected education for our students. We have added this section to congratulate those faculty that will be retiring from GSC. We wish them all the best in their new ventures and want to thank them for their service and dedication to our students!

  • Thank you to John Ford, who has served our students as an instructor at Granite State College. We appreciate all the passion and expertise shared with our students and faculty over the past 16 years!

  • Thank-you to Karin Allard, who provided curriculum support and served as an instructor with Granite State College for 22 years. We appreciate your work and dedication to our students!  
Course Wrap-Around Process Continues

Continued enhancements and innovations are occurring thanks to the collaborative team effort of GSC staff and faculty. The Course Wrap Around process began in early 2019 to create a wrap-around approach to course design, development, and evaluation focusing on nine high-impact, high-enrolled courses. The graphic below illustrates the major phases of the work that occurred. 
At this time, our faculty directors, expert faculty, instructional design team, and library and student support staff have completed the process for six of the nine courses outlined. Teams met to review course data, celebrate successes and discuss future improvements for each course based on student and faculty feedback, and trending engagement data. 
 
This collaborative approach focuses on quality and innovation based on information gathered during the Course Overview phase. This collaborative work taking place has helped to identify and examine ways in which we can continue to help all students succeed. 
  
For those of you who are part of this project, thank you for your dedication! We’ll continue to share updates, as well as tips and strategies that might help you in your own courses. And as always, if you have an academic engagement strategy that has shown positive success in your courses, we want to hear from you! Click  here  to share!
Faculty Development Opportunities
Teaching & Learning Online First Aid Kit

Although teaching and learning online is second nature for many of us, maintaining high levels of engagement during a global crisis is uncharted territory for us all.

The College has developed a central website for our community that provides updates, key resources, FAQs for students, and tips about ways to care for family and remote work.
Ask Us Anything! Virtual Faculty Coaching Team Q&A

GSC’s Virtual Faculty Coaching Team Answers Your Questions About Teaching & Learning Online. We respond as quickly as possible and post our answers as Open Education Resources that can be repurposed to fit your needs!

Are you looking for some guidance to add Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in your class? Check out these great resources on UDL that can help in the Faculty Lounge!

Julie Moser, Ed.D.
Associate Dean of Academic Engagement & Faculty Development
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Shari Colby
Academic Engagement
Program Manager
Tips and Tricks to Enhance Online Collaboration and Learning – Free Video and Q&A Session
 
As we work to meet the evolving expectations of online education and collaborative work in these times, it’s important to practice easy yet effective strategies to create ideal outcomes in the online space. Granite State College has been at the forefront of online education for more than 21 years, and we’re pleased to share a brief video on tips and strategies for online collaboration and learning.
 
This 15-minute video, Online Collaboration and Learning , is available on-demand .
 
Excel Basics – June 29 through July 17, 2020
Overview:
Microsoft Excel is an important tool that is used in both personal and professional settings. From changing the serving size of a favorite recipe or personal budgeting to evaluating programs, data analysis, and communications, Excel is a powerful, efficient, and accurate tool that can help you do a variety of personal and professional activities. You will have a chance to bring your own project to practice with or select from ready-made projects to learn basic Excel skills. 

Outcomes:
  • Apply basic Excel terminology
  • Enter, edit and format data in Excel
  • Calculate totals using AutoSum feature
  • Create basic formulas
  • Describe relative referencing
  • Use SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, MAX, and MIN
  • Apply an absolute reference and use an IF Function
  • Use conditional formatting
  • Choose, construct, and format a chart type
  • Describe key chart elements

Who Should Attend:
  • This series is open to anyone who wants to learn the basics of Excel, become more confident in their ability to use Excel, or learn how to present well-formatted data
  • Granite State College Undergraduate Degree students who want to demonstrate proficiency in Excel Basics and qualify for Granite State College credit for what they know 

Training Type & Timing:
  • This is an independent, self-paced resource course with recommended completion deadlines, instructor feedback, and live web-based instructor-facilitated support sessions
  • Participants have three weeks to complete four modules, access resources, and receive instructor feedback (June 29 through July 17, 2020)  

Investment: $99 /person provides participants with:
  • Free access to Office365 during the series (includes Microsoft Excel)
  • Access to all resources – no additional costs for instructional resources
  • Free PDF download and web link of the open education textbook
  • Three weeks of instructor feedback and two live web-based support sessions
  • 2 CEUs upon successful completion
  • Granite State College credit: Participants who complete both the Excel Basics and Intermediate sessions are also undergraduate degree students with the College will qualify for 2 Undergraduate Studies credits (normal evaluation procedures will apply)

Excel Intermediate (online course)
  • August 24 to September 11
  • Drop-in zoom sessions: Dates and times are dependent on participant and faculty availability.
  • Completely online!
  • Only $99!
  • Registration coming soon!
Creativity for Problem-Solving & Stress Relief: Free Video & Sneak Peek for a Fall Professional Development Offering!

Anyone – especially YOU – can develop creative skills to enhance problem-solving. We’re pleased to share a free, on-demand resource that provides quick tips to help you develop a creative practice.
 
 
This resource will provide a highlight of the skills and topics that we’ll cover during an upcoming online professional development session:

  • Title: Bust the Creativity Myth: Enhance Problem-Solving through Creative Practice
  • Format: Online with personal feedback and connection with the instructor
  • Dates: October 12 - November 6, 2020
  • Cost: $99 per person

Description
One of the most in-demand skills companies look for is creativity and anyone – especially YOU – can develop creative skills! Why do companies seek this skill and why is it also important in our personal lives? Research shows that creativity sparks innovative problem-solving, increases confidence, and relieves stress. And yet, it takes intention to boost creativity and develop a reflective practice. An introduction to research in the field and key concepts about creativity will be shared. In addition, easy activities that anyone can do will help you develop a creativity habit and explore how to apply newfound skills in your personal and / or work life.
 


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.
May Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Kathy DesRoches

Kathy DesRoches has served as the Director for the M.S in Leadership program at Granite State College for the past four years. She holds a Doctorate from Plymouth State University, MALS from UNH, and BA in English Literature from UNH.

Kathy is very passionate about OER as a model for student success and inclusion. She has been busy co-writing a text that integrates students' work. She is continually seeking to find new and innovative ways to engage her students and frequently applies tools such as hypthos.is , LinkedIn, Padlets, and Flipgrid in her courses.
She is excited to introduce a new Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership this coming fall. The program was created based on a significant need.

Kathy spent her previous 8 years at Manchester Community College in workforce development & twenty-five years at UNH.
In her spare time, she started the nonprofit NHVegFest which has grown into an event where there are thousands of attendees, 80 vendors, food trucks, and speakers. The festival was postponed this year and will likely be canceled, but please be sure to check it out next year!
Kathy is married to an Engineer, lives in Epsom, and has one adorable dog named Jean-Paul.

She is currently learning woodworking, specifically, bowl turning. Kathy loves to knit, read, yoga, and hike. She has hiked over 200 km of the Portuguese Camino way from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain.
May Staff Spotlight
Meet GSC's Registrar!

My name is Cortney French. I am the Registrar at Granite State College. I began my career in higher education as a Basic Skills Instructor at Coastal Carolina Community College. There, I had the pleasure of working with adult high school/GED students, traditional college students and the Marines at Camp Lejeune.

Once I relocated back to New Hampshire, I began a career working in Financial Aid. My first role with GSC was as the Assistant Director of Financial Aid. From there, I transitioned into the Associate Registrar’s role and the rest is history. I have been with the college for twelve years.

When I am not obsessing over student record information and FERPA regulations, you can find me out on the water, hiking, or introverting in my home. I work with a great team of people in the Registrar’s Office and we are always here to assist you in any way possible. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or concerns. We love interacting with our wonderful faculty. Thank you for all that you do.
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow