Joining the SUNY Online Teaching Fellows program means becoming part of the formal Community of Practice at SUNY. Members of the Community are known as ‘SUNY Online Teaching Fellows’ and are asked to share their experience and expertise through roles that ensure they are recognized and supported by SUNY, campuses, and their peers. The SUNY Online Teaching Fellows program is open to all online learning practitioners and relies on self-nomination supported by a set of expectations to ensure SUNY Online Teaching Fellows can contribute effectively to the online community.
Though many of us wear multiple hats and could fit multiple roles, we ask that you select the one role where you meet the qualifications and can make the commitments for participation in the community without reservation.
Read the expectations on experience and expertise associated with each of the roles and then click “Join here” to submit the form to join as a SUNY Online Teaching Fellow!
Interested in Online-Enabled Education – Join here!
Select this role if you have little or no experience in online education, and are interested in learning more about online teaching and learning, or you just want to keep up to date with SUNY Online Teaching activities.
A SUNY Online Teaching Fellow in the Interested role would be anyone on a SUNY campus interested in:
- Gaining a broad understanding of online education and learning about online teaching in SUNY.
- Actively participating in the SUNY Online Teaching Community of Practice.
and/or
- Designing and delivering effective, efficient, and engaging online environments.
- Learning more about effective online teaching practices.
Experienced Online Practitioner – Join here!
Select this role if you meet the criteria as evidenced by your responsibilities in teaching online or supporting those who teach or learn online, AND if you are willing to make the specified commitments to the community of practice OR you just want to keep up to date with SUNY Online Teaching activities. The Experienced role is intended to recognize all individuals who have experience contributing to high quality online teaching and learning.
A SUNY Online Teaching Fellow in the Experienced role would be anyone on a SUNY campus with any of the following titles or job responsibilities:
- Online Educator- Online teaching requirement: Has received formal training and has experience teaching a minimum of 3 semesters in an online or blended format within the last 5 years. (Emeritus faculty are exempt from requirement if they have taught online.)
- Online Instructional Designer – supports online faculty in the design/development of at least 3 blended/online courses. Has formal training and expertise in supporting faculty in the design and development of effective teaching and learning environments.
- Online Faculty/Technology Support – Technologists, LMS administrators, faculty developers, instructional designers who do not teach online or do not review courses. Has three current years professional experience providing instructional support and training for online programs, students, or faculty. [Interest Group: The Educational Technology Officers Association (EdTOA) and SUNY Computing Officers Association (COA)]
- Online Program Manager/Administrator – Expertise in online administration specific to online teaching, leadership, support, administration. Has expertise in administering or overseeing online programs with at least 3 current years professional administrative experience. [Interest Groups: Directors of Online and Distance Learning Environments (DOODLE) and SUNY Council of Chief Information Officers (CCIO)]
- Multimedia Developer/Designer – Has 3 current years of experience and training in developing or designing effective multimedia objects used in online courses. (Audio, Video, Animation, Simulation, Gaming, Graphic Design, etc.) Recognizes that effective multimedia design incorporates current best practices including Universal Design and ADA compliance. [Interest Group: The Educational Technology Officers Association (EdTOA)]
- Learning Resource Expert – Provides library support for online courses (e.g., online learning librarian, online course support or enhancement) with 3 current semesters of experience collaborating with online faculty. [Interest Groups: SUNY Librarians Association (SUNYLA)]
- Online Student Support – Those in Student Support/Affairs roles that support students in Online Programs. Three current years of professional experience providing online student support (e.g., Help Desk, Learning Concierges, Advisors).
- Student Assistant – Students (e.g., graduate assistant) with at least 3 current semesters of experience in online teaching and learning support roles. This by its nature is a transitory role.
Expert Online Instructional Designer – Join here!
Expert Online Instructional Designers have significant expertise supporting faculty in the design and development of effective online teaching and learning environments. Select this role if you meet the specific expertise criteria, and are willing to make the specified commitments to the Community of Practice.
Criteria for the Expert Online ID role:
- Minimum of a Masters or Bachelors level education. Instructional design certification if degree is in a field unrelated to instructional design.
- Minimum of 3 semesters of teaching or training in an online or blended format in the last 5 years.
- Expertise supporting faculty in the design and development of effective teaching and learning environments with a minimum of 20 online/blended courses in the last 2 years.
- Expertise developing and delivering professional development in online education to faculty.
- Experience conducting formal rubric-based online/blended course reviews for faculty.
- Commitment to engage actively in the Community and contribute instructional design expertise.
Online Teaching Exemplar, Coach and Mentor – Join here!
An Online Teaching Exemplar, Coach, and Mentor will have significant recent experience or expertise in online teaching and learning and be willing to coach and mentor other faculty. Individuals in these roles are actively involved in the online teaching and learning community through participation in SUNY communities, like SUNY Online, Directors of Online and Distance Learning Environments (DOODLE), national associations, like Online Learning Consortium (OLC, formerly SLOAN-C), University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET), Quality Matters. Select this role if you meet the specific expertise criteria for this role, and are willing to make the specified commitments to the Community of Practice.
Criteria for the Exemplar role:
- Has taught at least 3 courses in an online/blended format within the last 2 years.
- Models best practices in online teaching.
- Demonstrates evidence of positive informal student feedback (e.g., emails, blog posts).
- Demonstrates teaching expertise through various forms of recognition (e.g., awards, honors).
- Has been formally trained in online teaching and learning best practices (e.g., via SLN/Open SUNY/SUNY Online, Online Learning Consortium (formerly SLOAN-C) workshops, Quality Matters).
- Demonstrates evidence of formal or informal mentoring or coaching to online instructors in their campus community.
Online Innovator/Researcher – Join here!
An Online Innovator/Researcher is engaged in scholarly work on how people teach and learn in technology-mediated environments, and/or engaged in innovation using practices of technologies that push the boundaries of online teaching and learning with at least 3 years professional experience in online education. Select this role if you meet the specific expertise criteria for this role, and are willing to make the specified commitments to the Community of Practice.
Criteria for the Innovator and/or Researcher role:
- Evidence of scholarly publishing such as publication in peer-reviewed journals, and invitations for keynote address presentations.
- Evidence of online teaching and learning innovation that are recognized with awards or other honors.
- Evidence of innovation in online education that is grant-supported.
- Evidence of active involvement in associations, organizations, or bodies related to online education, such as holding nominated or elected positions on online learning-related boards, councils, or commissions at the state or national level.
- Commitment to engage actively in the online community, share research, and further the Community’s knowledge of effective online teaching and learning.
Friend of SUNY – Join here!
The SUNY Online Teaching Community of Practice is focused on SUNY online learning practitioners; however, we recognize the benefits of extending our Community to include non-SUNY online teaching practitioners. Select this role if you are interested or experienced in online teaching and learning in any capacity and are not employed by SUNY or a member of the SUNY academic community.
