Closing remarks from the project team

Those of us on the Encouraging Faculty Development Through Micro-Credentialing project team, hope this resource is helpful to people considering the build of a faculty development reward and recognition system at their University, or for their region.

In closing; a few final remarks from the project team:

Algoma University

“It is tremendously exciting to get to contribute to something that I believe adds up to more than the sum of its parts. This project has given Northern Ontario universities the opportunity to pool resources and give faculty access to developmental pathways that might otherwise be unavailable. While we may be geographically isolated by the vastness of the North, it is partnerships like this that help bring our institutions close together.” Dave Jamieson

Lakehead University

“When teaching and learning centres are small (in terms of staff), it is wonderful to be able to share resources and experience across institutions – we are able to provide more and varied training opportunities through the collaboration. However, sustaining the opportunity requires commitment and intentionality, that is sustained by careful thought and planning. The importance of relationships can not be minimized.” Dr. Rhonda Koster

“Effective teaching practices, that support learning, is a complex process to master, and continues to evolve with and through technology. Centers of teaching and learning live and breadth faculty development as a means to support engaging and enjoyable learning experiences. Because we appreciate that is incremental and long term, so a significant commitment, every tool we can employ to support and reward this development investment is appreciated. Expecially in areas where we are under resourced to meet all of the areas where this commitment is being made!” Dr. Lisa O’Neill

Laurentian University

“This project has provided the opportunity to work with our educational partners in Northern Ontario to provide a variety of teaching development opportunities. These in turn have allowed faculty to customize their individual paths as teachers and have strengthened the collective missions of our teaching and learning centres.” Bettina Brockerhoff-Macdonald, PhD

Nipissing University

“Most Ontario universities are large and located in major populations centers. As a small, regional university, Nipissing is neither. Thus, we’ve always seen the need to collaborate, and start small, in order to create big change. Teaching and learning is the “bread and butter” of a university, and thus cooperating with our Northern partners in this area was a perfect fit. This project built on a relationship of trust and empowerment that we mobilized in early 2020, and as we move forward the need to share training and development opportunities and document the interconnectivity is even more important.” Dr Patrick Maher

“Working on this project, and seeing it come to life through co-design, was so rewarding. As a member of a small but mighty teaching and learning centre, it is so valuable to work alongside others and to strengthen the teaching and learning landscape in our region. Providing opportunities to share programming and ideas with the other NOUA institutions serves to strengthen all of our faculty development work” Heather Carroll