Wake Forest joins semester online to offer for-credit online courses to top undergraduate students worldwide
After a vote of the College faculty this week, Wake Forest joined the Semester Online Consortium, the first-of-its-kind program to offer for-credit undergraduate courses through a consortium of top-tier universities.
Semester Online offers rigorous, small, online, for-credit courses in real time, to qualified college students from anywhere in the world. Wake Forest joins the Semester Online growing roster of nationally renowned colleges and universities including Boston College, Brandeis University, Emory University, Northwestern University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, and Washington University in St. Louis.
In spring 2014, Wake Forest will offer its first Semester Online course, Introduction to Bioethics, which will be taught by professor of biology Carole Browne. The course will examine contemporary issues in bioethics, including responsible conduct in research, implications of technological advances in biology, environmental issues, and controversies in health care and medical practices.
“Wake Forest’s time-tested model of education, defined by a highly personal approach and a focus on educating the whole person, is characterized by small classes and a tight-knit community,” said Wake Forest Provost Rogan Kersh. “We have engaged in an ongoing campus-wide dialogue about how Wake Forest might best utilize online tools and other technological innovations to effectively enhance our high-touch, face-to-face educational experience. Semester Online is the first online program that is able to offer this level of engagement to our students and faculty.”
The full news release announcing the new initiative is posted on the Wake Forest news site, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
Categories: News You Can Use, University Announcement
Browne directs local science competition
Wake Forest senior Sean Cusano (’13) and first-year Wake medical student Matthew Martin (BS ’12) examine a team’s bottle rocket.
On Saturday, 179 local middle and high school students competed in a regional Science Olympiad tournament, a track meet-like event that featured 46 different events in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Nine high school and eight middle school teams from Alleghany, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties participated.
Wake Forest biology professor Carole Browne served as the Science Olympiad regional director and coordinated more than 40 volunteers from Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem community.
In addition to students from the Reynolda and Bowman Gray campuses, the following faculty and staff also gave of their time to oversee events such as Bottle Rocket, Forensics, Shock Value, Designer Genes and Elastic Launched Glider: Read more
Categories: Events
Congratulations to 2012-2013 ACE Fellows!
The ACE Fellows Program, in partnership with the Institute for Public Engagement, the Teaching and Learning Center, and the Dean of the College, provides support for selected faculty fellows interested in incorporating service-learning into their courses.
The program provides stipends of $1,250 as well as services designed to enhance teaching and enrich learning. ACE Fellows have the opportunity to work with new and veteran ACE Fellows as they establish relationships with community partners, develop syllabi, and assess pedagogical strategies and outcomes.
Here’s a list of the ACE Fellows and the courses in which they plan to integrate service-learning classes: Read more
Categories: Faculty News
Professors stress out, too
In addition to his roles as professor and chair of the counseling department, Sam Gladding is working on the next edition of the History of Wake Forest. Teaching, scholarship and other projects keep faculty on the go.
Across the nation, faculty roles are becoming more complex and more demanding, says Catherine Ross, director of Wake Forest’s Teaching and Learning Center. The resulting stress affects both their personal and professional lives.
The University decided to combat the phenomenon this spring by hosting workshops and discussions for Wake Forest professors and faculty from other nearby North Carolina universities.
Ross created the Graylyn Teaching Renewal Retreat to give professors a space outside the pressures of the academic calendar where they could discuss their challenges with like-minded faculty and provide each other with resources and strategies for relaxation and more efficient teaching.
Eric Carlson, an associate professor of physics who joined Wake Forest in 1995, chose to attend the retreat to de-stress and gather new ideas. “After teaching for more than 20 years, it’s hard to be innovative. Creativity takes effort, and it can tire you out,” he says. Read more
Categories: Faculty News
September 2010 faculty milestones
Biology professors Robert Browne, Gerald Esch, Carole Browne and Ron Dimock are among the faculty celebrating anniversaries this month.
45 Years
Gerald W. Esch, Charles M. Allen Professor of Biology
J. Howell Smith, Professor of History
40 Years
Ronald V. Dimock, Thurman D. Kitchin Professor of Biology
Fred L. Horton, J.T. Albritton Professor of Religion
Read more
Categories: Faculty News
