Teaching and Learning Center into Third Year Offering ACUE Credential
May 3, 2022
After a rocky start caused by the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Teaching and Learning Center is now into its third year offering faculty a credential through the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).
The Credential in Effective College Instruction is the only college educator credential available in the nation and it gives faculty research-based teaching strategies to help students both online and in the classroom.
“The mission of ACUE is to ensure student success and equity through quality instruction,” said Dr. Joan Jaimes, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center. “It is an investment San Antonio College is putting into faculty and their professional development.”
Earning the credential is open to adjunct, part-time, and full-time faculty at SAC as well as teachers who are partners in the early college high school program or the dual credit program.
First offered in February 2020, the credential courses were halted while the college transitioned to remote learning. However, the credential courses soon returned online and many faculty in the first cohort came back to start again. Since then, two cohorts have completed the credential and most of the educators who have enrolled in the classes are 75 percent into earning the full credential.
The credential is composed of four microcredentials, each on a different topic:
- Promoting Active Learning Online
- Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Online Learning Environment
- Inspiring Inquiry and Lifelong Learning in Your Online Course
- Designing Student-Centered Courses
Each microcredential contains between six to eight modules and takes about two months to complete.
There are two avenues that can be taken to earn the credential. The first is to commit an academic year to pursuing the four microcredentials one after the other. The second is to enroll in microcredential courses at different times and completing the credential over an extended period. Since they are not in a sequential order, an educator can begin with any microcredential. After finishing each microcredential, an educator will receive a badge to mark their progress.
The modules for the microcredentials are taught in a hybrid environment. Educators can work at their own pace through the modules in Canvas and can meet on Fridays on Zoom for discussions on the lessons. Classes are limited to 33 people at a time.
In addition, there is a separate microcredential that is offered but not part of the full credential. It is called Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning.
Jaimes said the Teaching and Learning Center is now recruiting interested educators to begin the program for Summer and Fall 2022.
Starting Monday, June 6, educators can take one of two microcredentials that will be offered for the summer: Designing Student Centered Courses, a stackable microcredential that goes to earning the full credential, and Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning.
The deadline to enroll for the microcredentials is Friday, May 20.
For educators who want to pursue the full credential, courses will begin on Friday, September 16, and conclude May 2023. The deadline to enroll in the full credential is Wednesday, July 6.
The Teaching and Learning Center will also offer three microcredentials in Fall 2022; two are stackable and go toward completing the full credential: Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifelong Learners in your Online Course and Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Online Learning Environment. The third offering will be Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning.
All three will begin on Monday, October 3, 2022, and will end before the Winter Break. The deadline to enroll in the microcredentials is Wednesday, July 6.
To learn more, including attending informational sessions hosted by ACUE, visit the SAC ACUE webpage or contact Dr. Joan Jaimes at jjaimes23@aplrealestate.com or 210-486-0413.
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