SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2023: Poly – Katie Matt

Dr. Katie Matt is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at SUNY Polytechnic where she has taught numerous courses online, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She earned her BS and MS in accounting from SUNY Poly and her doctorate (Ph.D.) from the University at Buffalo, focusing her area of study on the online accounting classroom. She holds an advanced certificate in college teaching from the University at Buffalo. She has been awarded certificates of Women Who Inspire in 2019 from SUNY Poly, as well as Outstanding Contribution to AACSB Standards and Student Success in 2017 from the College of Business Management. She has taught accounting courses for almost 8 years for the College of Business at SUNY Poly. Most recently, her areas of teaching have been focused in SUNY Poly’s MS in Accounting program, which is a fully online graduate asynchronous program. More specifically, she has been teaching in the area of forensic accounting, a concentration in SUNY Poly’s MSA program that Dr. Matt co-developed.

I learned very early on as a graduate assistant that teaching was a passion for me, and that I would pursue this as my career. I was fortunate to have excellent educators and mentors along the way, showing me the impact that a supportive educator can have on their students. When teaching online, it is not only important to dedicate a great deal of time on course design and content, but also making connections with your students. In addition, engaging students in group work to encourage networking and communication between students as well.

When preparing to teach asynchronously online, I focus on a course design that is clearly positioned, concentrated and detailed so that students have all course information available to them, at any time. This is important as many students taking online classes work on their coursework at various times. I also believe in the importance of communication in the online classroom. I am available to my students to discuss course topics, answer questions and more most frequently requested via email, but also on zoom or even by phone. I strive to make students feel as though I am right there in the online course with them and prepared to support their learning along the way, while giving them the freedom to navigate the course and work through the materials at the times that work best for them. I enjoy teaching online, as I am able to work with a diverse student population and connect with students both near and far.