When UTC earned reaccreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2011, the University began a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focusing on closing the gaps between student and faculty perceptions of higher-level thinking skills in the classroom.<\/p>\n
The goal of ThinkAchieve is for UTC students, over the course of their university experience, to increase their overall critical thinking skills, as exhibited by the ability to identify, evaluate, and interpret information; solve problems, develop innovative solutions through creative thinking; and communicate ideas and information effectively.<\/p>\n
To honor the professors who have embraced ThinkAchieve, the University has created the ThinkAchieve Faculty Award. Dr. Jennifer Boyd, Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Dr. Lisa Burke, Associate Professor of Management in the College of Business, and Dr. Charlene Simmons, Associate Professor of Communication, are the most recent recipients of this award, which provides recognition and monetary awards for faculty members who have demonstrated exemplary teaching that meets the goals of ThinkAchieve.<\/p>\n
\u201cThinkAchieve supports faculty members in enhancing teaching and learning at UTC through professional development opportunities, grants, and awards.\u00a0Faculty members are integral players in promoting student critical thinking skills through the implementation of innovative classroom and experiential activities that promote active learning, and ThinkAchieve helps make that happen,\u201d Dawn Ford, Assistant Director of the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning, said.<\/p>\n
Boyd is so dedicated to teaching, she has developed hands-on activities for the department\u2019s \u201cPrinciples of Biology Lab,\u201d a course that she does not regularly teach. She\u00a0independently designed labs focused on species diversity and trophic interactions. These labs are now taught to hundreds of students each semester.<\/p>\n
Burke developed the course \u201cTraining and Development\u201d based on her own experience and research. In the course, students are required to apply their knowledge of the training process and create and deliver actual training sessions and access the effectiveness of their training program.<\/p>\n
Simmons has integrated an unique team-based approach to one of the Communication Department\u2019s most difficult courses, \u201cCommunication Law and Ethics.\u201d Simmons engages with students through online social networking site, Facebook. Using an alias, \u201cQuinn C. Law,\u201d she acts out various legal and ethical questions and issues. Students comment on Quinn\u2019s Facebook page, and are actively engaged in their teams, solving legal issues and tackling ethical questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When UTC earned reaccreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2011, the University began a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focusing on closing the gaps between student and faculty perceptions of higher-level thinking skills in the classroom.<\/p>\n