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Criterion One- Demonstrated ability to teach effectively and/or perform effectively in other current assignments.
Criterion One- Demonstrated ability to teach effectively and/or perform effectively in other current assignments.
Introduction
Introduction
I have been teaching at the collegiate level for the past 13 years; 11 of those years, my teaching has been delivered entirely online and asynchronously. One of my key strengths as an educator is building student-centered curricula that connect theory to practice, represent a diversity of voices, and recognize that not all individuals learn in the same way. The student population with whom I have specialized has been non-traditional. This includes older learners or those who are members of underrepresented groups. In addition to this non-traditional population, as detailed in greater depth in Criterion 4, the COVID-19 pandemic drew new students to the program. While being traditional age, these new students have life circumstances or opportunities that necessitate a different approach to degree completion. This diversity of students has expanded my curricula to connect with working professionals, student athletes, young parents, and those who have mental and emotional health challenges.
Teaching in the applied space is both an opportunity and a challenge, which I embrace with a spirit of innovation and creativity. When I speak with students, I explain that applied learning at MSU Mankato means what they learn today must readily apply to their future professional and personal lives. I believe this is living the MSU Mankato promise of "big ideas, real-world thinking, and inspired action." (Minnesota State University, Mankato University Brand Refresh, 2024). As the developer of much of the Applied Leadership curricula used in the program, I teach contemporary topics, especially virtual collaboration and teamwork. I provide formative and summative assessments that connect students' lives to the theories presented. Strategically, I promote self-discovery, build academic confidence, and generate student work that has an impact beyond the classroom. In short, I seek to empower an army of socially aware change agents prepared to effectively lead and be part of successful teams in various roles and industries/sectors.
As the Applied Leadership Program Director, I operate as an academic entrepreneur. I do not seek to duplicate what currently exists. My goal is to fill the gaps in student demand and feed organizations that do and will employ our graduates. I also believe in affordability, sustainability, and quality. This requires working with existing resources in new ways to achieve year-over-year growth without sacrificing student success or academic rigor.
In this section, you will learn more about my pedagogical approach, the design of the Applied Leadership Program, the work done during my sabbatical (Fall 2023), and my role as program director.
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching is as valuable to my career as the program directorship for Applied Leadership. I am highly productive as a faculty member and teach three to four courses each semester, as well as one course each summer. I teach a wide variety of courses, so I invest considerable time preparing and designing online classrooms that align with best practices in higher education. As you will read in Criterion 3, I gained significant knowledge in these practices through the ACUE Effective Online Teaching Practices certificate course I completed in spring 2024. I also offer many individual study opportunities for students in both AOS499 and SOC499 that allow students to do special projects, service-learning, and shadowing/internship coursework. This is not paid as part of my teaching load but is an essential addition to my workload that bridges the gap for many non-traditional students and provides additional revenue to the program and department.
During this assessment period (2021-2024) I taught seven (7) different courses in the AOS and SOC prefixes and several sections of Individual Study each semester. I also had a three (3) credit assignment as program director in fall and spring semesters each year with the exception of fall 2023, when I was on sabbatical and therefore had no teaching assignments.
Pedagogy
Pedagogy
My pedagogical approach is an adaptation of Bryan Easley's Integrated Learning Model (2016) focused on a learner's ability to master situations one might expect in their professional or personal life. I aim to facilitate student opportunities that include learning across my curricula and various disciplines. To achieve this, student work needs to include self-reflection, analysis, and critical evaluations.
The methods and strategies I use to deliver instruction are grounded in my overall philosophy of teaching, including the realities of non-traditional students who balance work, family, civic pursuits, and academic coursework. I believe strongly that if one does not apply theory in practice, they will not retain it long-term. The wide availability of Internet and artificial intelligence resources necessitates that I design and deliver unique and contemporary content with learning activities and assessments that limit academic dishonesty.
If you compare the syllabi in the evidence folder, you will see that I have a rhythm to my pedagogy that carries from one course to the next. Students who take multiple courses from me consistently praise the ease of navigation and ability to understand what is expected of them. Courses consist of video lectures that I develop using books, journal articles, and videos. While some courses require traditional textbooks, I increasingly use open-source materials that reduce the cost burden on students. Lectures, along with the readings and videos, are curated to the diversity of learning styles--VARK (visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic) and the diversity of cultures in a global economy. For example, I will often choose a video presented in English but with the speaker from Kenya or New Zealand that helps improve listening skills.
Once students have content, they have low-stakes opportunities to test their knowledge called “check on learnings.” These short quizzes offer students multiple attempts to obtain participation points, and through frustration, they often learn to take better notes or read assigned materials in greater depth. Class discussion boards then take the topic(s) from content and allow students to share their opinions, additional research, and personal experiences with classmates. I serve as a facilitator. The students are expected to interact with one another and learn additional networking skills with classmates who they will likely never meet in person (also see Criterion 3).
Assignments or assessment of student learning come in the form of formative and summative assessments throughout the course that encourage academic writing and aid students in learning the value of form and style using APA. Students will produce essays, memos, and PowerPoint presentations that ask them to link theory and topics from the course with their own experiences. They also conduct activities such as interviewing, synthesizing data, and learning how to check their biases in their work product. These formative assessments prepare students to complete a final summative project or assignment. This incentivizes students to do the formative assignments because they are valuable building blocks, thus increasing the student’s overall grade.
As an educator, it is important for students to learn and use the content and experiences from class in their daily lives. It can be a student athlete who uses leadership lessons to lead their team or a professional that learns a new theory that can be applied in their workplace. Both will be rewarded with praise for their innovative thinking and that motivates them to keep learning. Students regularly comment that my classes are valuable from day one, and they use them with a spouse, child, or roommate to improve communication and harmony.
In addition to creating a great course design, a good teacher must communicate that design to students and establish expectations through syllabi. Using an online course layout is critical, as you will see in a side-by-side comparison of the two below. I provide consistency between courses and experiment with different online teaching techniques to effectively meet student needs. There are examples of syllabi from new courses that were designed and delivered between 2021 and 2024 in the Criterion 1 evidence folder.
AOS492- Leading Virtual Teams Syllabus screenshot
The syllabus is organized into units so students can easily see what is required to complete the unit and includes due dates.
AOS492- Leading Virtual Teams D2L screenshot
The D2L classroom is organized into units so students see what is required for the time period of the unit and includes calendar features that remind students when items are due.
Teaching Evaluation Summaries- Quantitative
Teaching Evaluation Summaries- Quantitative
The numeric scores below demonstrate a strong record of positive teaching evaluation. Of the courses evaluated since fall semester 2021, I earned average ratings as high as 4.91 out of 5 for areas such as instructor's interest in whether students learned, confidence in instructor's knowledge, and instructor's use of technology to facilitate student learning. My lowest average rating was 4.74 out of 5 for the question amount learned in the course. Overall, this data suggests a high degree of student satisfaction and I believe it results in higher student interest in my courses.
I still investigate lower scores despite the high numeric averages so I can identify opportunities for improvement. My lowest score was 4.41 in the new AOS492 Leading Virtual Teams for the amount of student learning in the course question. My investigation found that because many students in Applied Leadership are working professionals, they tend to rate this category lower due to their previous and current leadership experience. In the next iteration of the course (fall 2025), I will survey the students to identify areas where there is significant previous knowledge and shift the course focus to areas with gaps. With this information, I find additional examples to generate excitement and expand learning while supporting the students with limited professional experience. Because I build my courses and do not rely strictly on a textbook or software package, I am more nimble and adapt to student needs. This is key to my personal teaching approach.
Teaching Evaluations- Quantitative and Qualitative Approach
Teaching Evaluations- Quantitative and Qualitative Approach
My curriculum is student-driven, and I evaluate it for its academic value and student satisfaction. Annually, I compare the numeric ratings and student comments with previous semesters. I examine the ratings the first time a new course runs. From experience, I recognize that some differences in ratings exist due to the changing individuals each semester, and understand it is not an exact comparison.
The numeric ratings are only one way I put the student at the center of my teaching. I review the comments for specific issues, and in my courses, I often set up a discussion board where students reflect on the course itself and the material.
In summer 2024, the University switched to a survey embedded in each course rather than a central repository, and the aforementioned summaries denote the different evaluation reporting.
Teaching Evaluations- Alternative Feedback/Qualitative
Teaching Evaluations- Alternative Feedback/Qualitative
In mentoring graduate students, I assert that qualitative data provides a richness and context that a numeric rating scale cannot. To obtain this qualitative data, I offer bonus discussions where students can reflect on the course and how it connects to their real lives and needs as current or future leaders. Below are two examples. The first is a course reflection and description of their journey in AOS301, Introduction to Applied Leadership. This is often the first course a student takes in the program. The data is collected from a discussion board, and students are awarded points for posting. I learn about their personal journey and expectations. This also improves student advising. Below, on the right, is another example of qualitative feedback (from the new AOS492 Leading Virtual Teams course) where students are asked to offer suggestions on future course improvements and their content evaluation. As you can see, this student's response demonstrates a higher level of professional experience, and she already works virtually. This feedback is invaluable to inform content changes and enhancements.
This course had taken me a quite the journey. I was a little nervous when I first switched majors but I knew that this one would be a good choice. I was extremely happy that it would bring me to graduation much sooner. I am happy that I am again even closer to graduation. I have enjoyment learning which parts of my career field I like and would like to learn more about. There have been several things that this major will allow me to learn more about that I would not have able to in another major. Some of these things include outside certifications, human resources, and project management. I look forward to the wide variety of classes I will be able to take. I have enjoyed taking this class and learning my strengths and how that will help me become a good leader.
Student Reflection, AOS301 unit 7.2, spring 2022
Course Reflection, AOS492- Leading Virtual Teams, unit 8, fall 2024
Applied Leadership Program Growth
Applied Leadership Program Growth
As Program Director, I use the University's data resources to inform the operations of the program, as well as marketing and growth strategies.
The charts below denote the outcomes of the Applied Leadership program between 2019 and 2024. During this period, the program grew by 14% overall and in FY2024 numbered 154. I attribute the slight decrease from FY23 to FY24 to my sabbatical, as I was unavailable to actively recruit new students. Program graduates during this period increased by 21%.
-Source: MNSU IDL
Source: MSU Mankato Institutional Data Library (2024)
Program Director
Program Director
Part of my leadership role at the University, College, and in the program is serving as program director. I invest at least 15 hours per week in fall, spring, and summer semesters while being compensated for three credits in fall and spring semesters. I represent the program in my department on the curriculum/program coordinators committee. I attend MSU ONLINE meetings and financial briefings, visit other academic departments, colleges, and units (e.g., Athletics) across the University.
Personnel Leadership
Personnel Leadership
The program's growth and financial planning facilitated a request for two positions since 2021. The first position was the hire of an advisor/recruiter position for the program. Until 2021, the program received advising services from an SRC (student relations coordinator) in Extended Education. At the end of that academic year, we were informed this position would be changing, and advising would return to the program. I successfully submitted a position request, and it was approved. I chaired the search committee and in the summer of 2022, we were able to hire the existing SRC for a new role specific to Applied Leadership. The increased number of students in the major and the quantity of courses scheduled also necessitated a 2022 personnel request to hire a fixed-term faculty member to teach in the program. This request was approved and I chaired this search committee. We hired Dr. Moses Masibo as an assistant professor (full-time fixed term) who started in fall semester 2022. The success of the full-time faculty position allowed for a 2023 request to make this position probationary, tenure track, and I again chaired the search committee that hired Dr. Masibo in this role. In addition to assisting with the teaching workload, Dr. Masibo was trained to serve in the advising and program director role during my 2023 sabbatical.
While Dr. Sara Leigh, our advisor/recruiter, knows the role well, she still needs the support and work direction of the program director. I meet at least once weekly with Dr. Leigh, and together we plan and execute marketing and recruitment plans, review the pipeline of new students, tackle advising challenges, and review plans of study for graduating students. The Applied Leadership team, including Dr. Masibo, met weekly in the FY2023 academic year to transfer knowledge on advising, the nature of the Applied Leadership program, our recruitment process, and the University's policies and processes.
Academic Schedule and Sabbatical Project 2023
Academic Schedule and Sabbatical Project 2023
As you will read in Criterion 4, I invested my sabbatical in a rework of the academic map for Applied Leadership in terms of the number of courses we offer in the AOS prefix, the topics of those courses, and the schedule of courses to support the current program and projected growth. There has been a long-standing challenge with finding sufficient online courses for Applied Leadership students to fill their schedule. Post COVID-19, overall student demand increased for online course delivery, which presented both opportunities and challenges. Today, there are more courses but fewer seats in other disciplines because their majors are taking those seats. A considerable part of my role as program director is working with other program directors and department chairs to identify courses of interest to the Applied Leadership students that fulfill the degree requirements. During my sabbatical, I worked extensively with Communications, the College of Business, and my own department to identify key courses of interest to our students and made them part of the new rotation or what we termed the "carousel". The goal was not to duplicate existing courses but to develop new courses of interest to students and meet the needs of employers. For example, during my sabbatical, I met with the Vice President of Human Resources at John Deere to better understand the company's changing needs and how they structure their tuition reimbursement program. In this work, I found that many large corporations are changing their tuition benefits. This is important to know due to Applied Leadership's ongoing growth with employed professionals seeking degree completion.
The result of the sabbatical project was the creation of the following courses with their first delivery semester. Performance Evaluation and Coaching (Spring 2024), Leading Virtual Teams (Fall 2024), Ethical Leadership (Spring 2025), Leading Projects (Spring 2025), and Financial Literacy for Leaders (Spring 2025). We also secured courses in COMM, MGMT, NPL, and SOC to complete the Applied Leadership degree requirements (upper division credits) and general education courses in MUSC and SOC are offered regularly online and asynchronously.
By offering a regular rotation of courses, I created a fast-track pathway that can be completed in as little as 15 months, as well as a part-time student pathway. Outlining all the courses required for program completion in a planned schedule increases advising efficiency and is more transparent in our marketing.
Beyond the sabbatical project, I set up the course schedule in terms of when courses are offered and who will teach them. I do this in concert with my colleagues Drs. Leigh and Masibo, my Department (for overload opportunities), and other program directors or department chairs for non-AOS courses. The goal is to establish a set schedule of courses that as enrollment grows in the major, we can add more sections of the same courses as needed. In our first semester of the carousel schedule (Fall 2024), we had enough enrollment to require an additional section of AOS301, Intro to Applied Leadership, in the second half of the semester and engaged adjunct faculty to cover the additional credits offered.
Program Marketing & Recruitment
Program Marketing & Recruitment
Program marketing is led by the program director and I draw upon my previous experience as Dean of Student Affairs at a Technical College, as well as my decade of experience at MSU Mankato with this program. I identify and execute recruitment plans to increase the enrollment in the program. Between 2021 and 2024, the focus has been two-fold. The primary market for Applied Leadership is the returning or transfer student (the non-traditionals). In summer 2024 we embarked on an email campaign to reach out to MSU Mankato students who "stepped out" over the last five years from appropriate majors (i.e., not Nursing or Dental Hygiene) to invite them back. The campaign reached more than 2,000 students and was assisted by Dr. Leigh and the MSU ONLINE marketing staff. In our first outreach, we had a 5% return, which is considered successful in marketing, and it did not have any associated marketing expenses other than already budgeted staff time.
The other market I have been cultivating across campus is the traditional student. Following the pandemic some students are no longer interested in, or able to do a face-to-face, on-campus program but can be retained at the University by changing their major to Applied Leadership. During my sabbatical, I met with Athletics, for example, and researched the needs of the coaches to produce winning teams with students who remain eligible to compete and can graduate in four years. I received names of former MSU Mankato athletes whose coaches asked me to contact them personally and invite them to come back and finish their degree. I work closely with the advisors in Athletics to help when a student is struggling in their current program. A change in major to Applied Leadership can keep them in school and on the team. My previous experience as an athletic director/dean at a two-year college helps me understand NCAA eligibility and student athlete challenges balancing school and sports. Our enrollment of student athletes has increased during the past four years, and we anticipate it to grow substantially.
CDS, Academic Schedule and Financial Management
CDS, Academic Schedule and Financial Management
CDS
Between 2021 and 2024, I authored seven (7) CDS proposals, shown below on this chart from the CDS system. These include changes to the academic map, discipline narrative, course numbers, and the variable credits/max credits in our courses. An example of this is the credit limit for AOS492 Select Topics. We use this course number to beta-test new courses before we develop a new course proposal in CDS. Recently, we learned from the Registrar that students who took all the new AOS492 courses could not have more than 9 credits/3 courses on their transcript. This is something no one in the Department knew. Once it became a problem on the transcript. I jumped into action this fall and authored a CDS proposal to increase the credit limit for AOS492. This will enable students to take the new courses and get credit for all of them. Of note is the approval of AOS380W- the Applied Leadership Workshop as a writing intensive course. This now fulfills both a program and general education requirement, that reduces the number of credits students need to meet the University's graduation requirements.
Source: MSU Mankato Curriculum Development System
PROGRAM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
As an MSU ONLINE program, Applied Leadership operates using a business plan or financial sustainability model. Between 2022 and 2024, I worked regularly with Karen Burger to beta-test the predictive model that today we use regularly to make spending and resource allocation decisions. This means that as a program director, I plan our program budget, estimate enrollment, allocate resources such as faculty (adjunct, in-load, overload) and ensure that we are operating sustainability which also supports MSU ONLINE and the University as a whole. As seen in the chart below, the program has been at or near the revenue to instructor cost ratio goal of 2:1. We have been profitable every year except for FY2024 when we had to absorb the cost of my sabbatical and new probationary faculty course release for Dr. Masibo as required by the IFO Contract. The program has an overall positive return on investment of $19,827. This is despite the increased personnel expenses in FY2024.
-Source: MSU Mankato ONLINE Predictive Model
Future Outlook
Future Outlook
My efforts as program director in Applied Leadership have been driven by creativity, opportunity, and enthusiasm for seeing students succeed and become leaders and great team members. The COVID-19 pandemic, while challenging, provided an opportunity for Applied Leadership to attract new students seeking a fully online and asynchronous degree. I also regularly work with prospective students to access Minnesota Workforce retraining funds, the NorthStar Promise, and other financial aid to support their degree completion.
With the carousel schedule, we can be more efficient in our marketing and recruitment. This will afford more time to partner with other programs, the new schools at MSU Mankato, and other community and technical colleges. I envision various stackable credentials that align with the Applied Leadership pathway, resulting in students earning more credentials without adding more time or cost to their degree completion. Future growth in the program has the potential to achieve 200 students in the major per semester in the next couple of years.
Letters of Support
Letters of Support
All letters of support were supplied in electronic format by the individuals who signed them with the express permission for use in this tenure and promotion application.
Tim Benson Support Criterion 1.docxIan Smith Support Letter .pdfPage updated
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