Cassandra Rosado joins LAS Academy for Educational Excellence

The LAS Academy for Educational Excellence is a new initiative from the College of Liberal Arts & Science, set to launch in Fall 2025.

This past January,  our own Cassandra Rosado  started a new part-time role as the LAS Dean's Fellow for the Academy for Educational Excellence. She states that she is grateful to be able to continue in her role as Assistant Director of the ESL Program while contributing to the teaching development, excellence, and innovation within the College of LAS.

To learn more about this initiative and Cassandra's work, check out the following interview: 

How will the Academy for Educational Excellence impact the College of LAS?

The LAS Academy for Educational Excellence, set to launch in Fall 2025, will be a hub for LAS faculty and instructional staff (including our specialized faculty, academic advisors, academic professionals, and graduate teaching assistants) to develop teaching expertise and share innovative practices. In my Fellow position, I'm currently laying the foundation of Academy, which will aim to provide opportunities for instructors to explore the needs of our students and the workforce of tomorrow, as well as a place to build skills for delivering the education we believe is most effective for the times.

 

My priority for Fall 2025 is to launch a teaching development program for new LAS faculty. This semester-long program will offer first- and second-year faculty a community to explore pedagogical foundations and practices across disciplines. Given the College of LAS's status as the largest and most diverse college on our campus, I plan to incorporate faculty mentors and guest speakers from various departments to provide diverse perspectives and experiences. Based on interviews with new faculty this semester, I believe that this program will significantly enhance new faculty's instructional onboarding experience.

 

In addition to developing teaching skills, another priority is to increase the visibility of our excellent and innovative LAS instructors. I know many dedicated instructors who work so hard for their students every day and amaze me with their ideas and practices-- my hope is for the Academy to provide more opportunities for recognition, mentorship, and collaboration.

 

What programs are you looking forward to implementing as part of this position?

In addition to the New Faculty Teaching Development program that will launch in Fall 2025, I'm planning to launch programming, such as interest groups and development seminar series,  on topics that appeal to the interests and challenges for the broader LAS faculty community, including new and experienced faculty at all ranks and disciplines in LAS. 

 

I'm excited to expand the Academy's staff next year with the Education and Societal Impact Graduate Assistant Fellow position and several Educational Excellence Mentor Faculty stipend positions in addition to soliciting presenters who are interested in sharing and presenting on their teaching best practices and innovations. Applications for these opportunities will be opening soon, so if you or someone you know might be interested, please reach out to me.

 

One of the aspects I've enjoyed most about the Fellow position is meeting with LAS faculty to discuss teaching development, experiences, and challenges. I'd love to grab a cup of coffee with any LAS faculty interested in getting involved!