SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2025: Empire – Joanne Knapp-Elvidge

Joanne Knapp-Elvidge is an Academic Coordinator, Lecturer, and Mentor for SUNY Empire State University in the School of Human Services.  She is also a graduate of the institution, earning a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts. Joanne has been teaching at a collegiate level for 22 years.  Her first teaching experience began with Corning Community College, teaching career exploration courses in a classroom setting to first-generation college students under a SUNY Bridge College to Work grant.  This experience ignited her passion for teaching.  A year after earning her master’s degree, Joanne accepted an Adjunct position and began teaching Independent Studies at Empire State University for 15 years.  She eventually transitioned, with some reservations, to teaching online courses.   Those reservations quickly disappeared after teaching her first class, as she recognized the opportunities for her and the students in her class.  Three years ago, Joanne transitioned from working in the human service field for 35+ years to working full-time at the university.  

I have the best of both worlds.  I teach and develop new courses for the School of Human Services, and under my Academic Coordinator role, I revise existing courses for our Addiction and Healthcare studies.  The key to developing and revising existing courses is to provide and create a positive and welcoming learning environment for our students.  This can be accomplished by working/consulting with experts in the field; utilizing current and reliable resources and creating assignments that provide students with opportunities to grow personally, professionally, and educationally.   

We must develop courses that engage/challenge students in discussions; promote critical thinking, and embrace the knowledge, skills, and experiences students bring to the class.  Our courses should foster acceptance of differences and teach students to grow and learn from those opportunities.  The use of technology in any form will bring forth various challenges.  As developers and instructors, we must continue to educate ourselves on the use of technology and work in partnership with IT and different support services and programs. As an instructor, we must remain current on events, be present, show enthusiasm, and lead by example.  I enjoy teaching online courses and the learning opportunities I am presented with daily!