Professor Rank Statement
Dear Sitting Committee,
I am submitting my professional ePortfolio and writing to request for rank advancement to Full Professor at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). The ePortfolio contains evidence of my last six years as an Associate Professor that demonstrate my “mastery of teaching,” scholarship of teaching and learning, and my institutional leadership to SLCC. Additionally, the evidence in the ePortfolio demonstrates my commitment to and passion for inclusive, engaging, challenging, collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary teaching and learning at SLCC, which aligns with the College’s Mission, Vision, and Values, as well as the institution's Strategic Plan. The information in this statement offers an overview of the evidence contained in the portfolio. Please explore my ePortfolio to more fully experience my academic career at the institution.
My inclusive pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning have always involved intentionally and thoroughly grounding all of my teaching modalities (hybrid, online, and in-person) in High Impact Practices (HIPs) and Open Educational Resources (OER). Studies have shown that students who have been historically, politically, economically, and culturally underserved and marginalized by academia and the broader hegemony, thrive in HIPs-oriented learning spaces. Since I do not always know who is underserved when students first enter my classes, I have made them enriching for everyone by giving all students opportunities to experience HIPs in my classrooms. These HIPs include collaborative assignments and projects, common intellectual experiences, diversity and co-curricular projects, publication projects, inquiry-based research, and ePortfolios as “capstone in progress.”
I incorporate other pedagogical practices into my online, hybrid, service learning, and in-person learning spaces. Some of those practices include GIS active learning strategies (with plans to research if GIS should be considered a next-generation HIP), ePortfolio pedagogy (reflection, interdisciplinary course design, multi-modal communication, etc.), flipped classroom, student-centered learning, community-based learning, and more. Regarding outcomes and assessments, I approach it from a few avenues. For traditional courses in general education or for transfer, I approach assessment partly using the AAC&U Value Rubrics. But for courses in GIS, the focus is competency-based education, with a focus on the Department of Labor's Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM).
However, what distinguishes teaching ranks between an Associate Professor and a Full Professor is the service, mentorship, and leadership faculty provide to the institution and beyond. I have been a Senator, a member of Faculty Senate Leadership (FSL), and chaired a Faculty Senate committee (including the Electronic Learning and Educational Technology Committee ‘eLET’ and Faculty Senate itself.) I also helped change the entire dynamic and structure of the Senate Curriculum Committee. I worked with the committee to reevaluate itself, and the resulting efforts lead to a more efficient, more rigorous committee. I lead several other efforts with redefining many of the committees within the Faculty Senate.
As the Faculty Senate President, I championed a variety of issues including inclusivity (I created the new Equity Minded Practitioners Committee), general education, and academic pathways. Furthermore, and more importantly, I strived to create an environment of respect, collaboration, and accountability within the faculty ranks. Shared governance is a critical piece to the organizational structure of the institution, and it requires that faculty be leaders and collaborators with administration along with accepting responsibility and accountability regarding their influence and choices at the college. In my time as either Faculty Senate VP or President, I did not entirely change the culture or relationship between faculty and administration, but I do believe I created an environment where new trust and respect could be nurtured and grown.
I am submitting my professional ePortfolio and writing to request for rank advancement to Full Professor at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). The ePortfolio contains evidence of my last six years as an Associate Professor that demonstrate my “mastery of teaching,” scholarship of teaching and learning, and my institutional leadership to SLCC. Additionally, the evidence in the ePortfolio demonstrates my commitment to and passion for inclusive, engaging, challenging, collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary teaching and learning at SLCC, which aligns with the College’s Mission, Vision, and Values, as well as the institution's Strategic Plan. The information in this statement offers an overview of the evidence contained in the portfolio. Please explore my ePortfolio to more fully experience my academic career at the institution.
My inclusive pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning have always involved intentionally and thoroughly grounding all of my teaching modalities (hybrid, online, and in-person) in High Impact Practices (HIPs) and Open Educational Resources (OER). Studies have shown that students who have been historically, politically, economically, and culturally underserved and marginalized by academia and the broader hegemony, thrive in HIPs-oriented learning spaces. Since I do not always know who is underserved when students first enter my classes, I have made them enriching for everyone by giving all students opportunities to experience HIPs in my classrooms. These HIPs include collaborative assignments and projects, common intellectual experiences, diversity and co-curricular projects, publication projects, inquiry-based research, and ePortfolios as “capstone in progress.”
I incorporate other pedagogical practices into my online, hybrid, service learning, and in-person learning spaces. Some of those practices include GIS active learning strategies (with plans to research if GIS should be considered a next-generation HIP), ePortfolio pedagogy (reflection, interdisciplinary course design, multi-modal communication, etc.), flipped classroom, student-centered learning, community-based learning, and more. Regarding outcomes and assessments, I approach it from a few avenues. For traditional courses in general education or for transfer, I approach assessment partly using the AAC&U Value Rubrics. But for courses in GIS, the focus is competency-based education, with a focus on the Department of Labor's Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM).
However, what distinguishes teaching ranks between an Associate Professor and a Full Professor is the service, mentorship, and leadership faculty provide to the institution and beyond. I have been a Senator, a member of Faculty Senate Leadership (FSL), and chaired a Faculty Senate committee (including the Electronic Learning and Educational Technology Committee ‘eLET’ and Faculty Senate itself.) I also helped change the entire dynamic and structure of the Senate Curriculum Committee. I worked with the committee to reevaluate itself, and the resulting efforts lead to a more efficient, more rigorous committee. I lead several other efforts with redefining many of the committees within the Faculty Senate.
As the Faculty Senate President, I championed a variety of issues including inclusivity (I created the new Equity Minded Practitioners Committee), general education, and academic pathways. Furthermore, and more importantly, I strived to create an environment of respect, collaboration, and accountability within the faculty ranks. Shared governance is a critical piece to the organizational structure of the institution, and it requires that faculty be leaders and collaborators with administration along with accepting responsibility and accountability regarding their influence and choices at the college. In my time as either Faculty Senate VP or President, I did not entirely change the culture or relationship between faculty and administration, but I do believe I created an environment where new trust and respect could be nurtured and grown.
Teaching
Instructional Design and Assessment
- Continue creating and designing an inclusive teaching practice regarding syllabi, Universal Design, and Universal Access, Open Education Resources (OER), and a variety of ways to connect with my students using a variety of technologies.
- Continue to create an Open Education Resources ecosystem of eTextbooks, hands-on, discovery-based learning activities, and “wicked problems.”
- Continue integrating more “big ideas” and threshold concepts regarding Geographic Science/GIS across the courses and program.
- Continue to enhance my use of High Impact Practices (HIPs), with a new focus on integrating GIS as the next generation of HIPs.
- Continue aligning my courses and programs with learning outcomes and assessment best practices, including Competency-Based Education (CBE).
- Continue creating and updating online courses and programs, along with being an online course evaluator for the institution using Quality Matters standards and best practices.
- Continue improving and enhancing the programs within the Geosciences Department, with a new emphasis in the upcoming drones program.
- Continued practice of general education and program-level assessments, with an emphasis on the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) and academic pathways.
- Continue building a “sense of community” and promoting the democratization of education within our community, nationally, and internationally.
- Continue my research on not just professional disciplinary development, but including various learning theories within the classroom.
- Continue presenting and guest lecturing for courses and programs within SLCC, but also locally and nationally.
Scholarhip of Teaching and Learning
- Continue improving my teaching practice by researching various learning theories, and continue taking professional development opportunities within the discipline of Geographic Science/GIS and teaching including inclusive teaching practices, OER, and active learning strategies.
- Continue researching and applying inclusive practices into my teaching and learning practice including inclusive learning theories, student-centered learning, Universal Design practices, enhanced communication technologies, and more.
- Continue professional development regarding online teaching and online course design using Quality Matters.
- Continue professional development and developing OER content for Open Geography Education.
- Continue presenting at professional conferences locally and across the nation.
Service
Institutional Service
- Continue being a faculty leader at the institution. We need more of them, and we need current leaders to stay engaged with the institution
- Continue serving on institutional committees at the college.
- Continue serving on School and Division committees at the college.
- Continue being the Coordinator for the Geosciences Department.
- Begin looking for new grant opportunities locally and nationally.
- Continue building OER material, because the resources are used locally, nationally, and internationally, and bring a positive spotlight to the institution.
- Continue serving as the Assistant Director for the National Geospatial Technology Center for Excellence.
- Continue serving as the Utah Education Steward for the National Geographic Society.
- Continue serving as a mentor and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Utah State Board of Education.
Projects and Research
- Continue with the Mapping Diversity Along the Wasatch Front GIS Project
- Continue building the Open Geography Education OER resources and website.
- Align the Degree Qualifications Profile project I created with SLCC's Pathways Initiative.
- Research and publish on GIS Education and GIS as a new High Impact Practice.
I believe the documentation of my work as an Associate Professor at SLCC regarding teaching, professional development, and service to the institution, provides clear evidence that I have successfully advanced teaching and learning across the institution. [AF1] This evidence along with my other endeavors, which cannot be entirely captured in a rank statement or ePortfolio, warrants a positive evaluation of my request for rank advancement to Full Professor.
Thank you for taking the time to read this statement and explore my ePortfolio. Finally, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your mentorship over the last eight years.
Sincerely,
R. Adam Dastrup
www.adamdastrup.weebly.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this statement and explore my ePortfolio. Finally, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your mentorship over the last eight years.
Sincerely,
R. Adam Dastrup
www.adamdastrup.weebly.com