Dear Spalding Community,
We are excited for the start of the 2020-21 academic year and cannot wait to see our students again soon. The fall semester will continue Spalding’s rich tradition of innovative teaching and learning across multiple formats. While we are, of course, looking forward to the safe restart of in-person instruction on our campus, we are also continuing to grow and enhance our online course offerings. We are mindful of the important work our students, faculty and staff have been doing since March, when we transitioned to remote learning in a matter of 10 days.
Following last spring’s unprecedented movement of courses, information and people – including transitioning faculty, staff, and students to work from home – we wanted to review the important direction that Spalding University was moving, regarding teaching and learning, prior to the pandemic. We also want to discuss how those activities connect to the directions we are heading as we prepare for classes in fall 2020.
Several important educational outcomes have been realized at Spalding since early 2018 in the delivery of academic programs, courses and services. Here are some of the important developments that have taken place:
• Since February 2018, an intentional transition has been taking place to provide a broader ecosystem of course modalities and options for traditional and nontraditional learners at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2018, a 14-person online taskforce of faculty and staff studied and recommended taking more programs online and providing more hybrid options as well. As a result, between Academic Year (AY) 2016-17 and AY 2019-20, undergraduate online and hybrid courses grew as a percentage of all courses from 16% to 24%, while master’s courses grew from 4% to 7%, and doctoral courses grew from 12% to 14%. Hence, online, hybrid, and remote learning options have been growing at Spalding and providing additional accessible platforms to complement face-to-face courses. More digital immersive options will be coming for Spalding students.
• In line with the vision of the 2018-19 Spalding online taskforce, the University has also linked its online courses and programs to an online program management organization, Symbiosis, that will build up to 20 new online courses for our faculty in AY 2020-21. The University will utilize funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief program (part of the CARES Act) in order to deliver new courses that will be connected to both hybrid and fully online programs. The Provost, Academic Deans and a number of faculty leaders are currently working with Symbiosis on identifying courses for development.
• All Spalding students have access to the internet, computers and technology aides, and Spalding’s staff in information technology and online learning have equipped our students with the tools they need to successfully complete their academic coursework. In August 2020, Chief Information Officer Ezra Krumhansl will unveil a new video conferencing platform for faculty and their students in classes: Office Suite HD Meeting. HD Meeting is a branded Zoom product that will allow both full-time and adjunct faculty access to video conferencing for both real-time instructional use in the classroom and one-on-one and group meetings with students. Additionally, HD Meeting has a classroom-style “breakout groups” feature that divides synchronous classes into breakout groups during the class session. CIO Krumhansl will announce HD Meeting training soon.
• The University has continued to invest in the latest tools and applications in regard to cutting- edge educational technology. This summer faculty and students got access to our new learning management system—Canvas. Not only is Canvas the higher education industry’s gold standard, but it provides a state-of-the-art mobile app for students that will allow them to access course content and communication quicker, easier and better.
• The University continues to invest in academic support services for undergraduate and graduate students with an excellent writing center and math lab and increased graduate assistant support for various faculty and staff units so both undergraduate and graduate students will be supported in their quest to become better students in their academic, personal, and leadership endeavors. Continuing to offer these services in a hyflex/hybrid online and in-person format in AY 2020-21 will be one of the goals of the student success area.
• Spalding continues to provide financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants and loans for both undergraduate and graduate students, and graduate assistantships provide $450,000 per year for approximately 75 graduate students. An increasing number of students will receive some form of financial aid in the coming year, making a high-quality Spalding degree affordable.
In March 2020, we were able to adapt not to a storm, but a climate shift in higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With our commitment to the best in face-to-face and remote learning, Spalding is making 21st century education accessible and attainable for our students. Each student is important at Spalding. Our commitment is to allow students to have a highly individualized experience that is cutting-edge and academically rigorous and yields the outcomes that will help each student not only find intellectual satisfaction but apply the Spalding mission of “meeting the needs of the times.”
We look forward to serving you in the coming academic year!
Sincerely,
Dr. John Burden, Provost
Dr. Tomarra Adams, Dean of Undergraduate Education
Dr. Kurt Jefferson, Dean of Graduate Education