Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching (GCCUT)
My area of specialization is the Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching. This program appealed to me as it is a certificate that was meant to help future faculty members know how to craft an intentional syllabus and encourage best learning and teaching practices in their classrooms. I have always had interest in teaching and when I did my first internship teaching ALS 114: Career Decision Making I was sure this was a program I wanted to pursue. The application to the program is competitive and I was nervous I would not gain entry to the official certificate.
When I was waiting on my acceptance letter I decided to go ahead and enroll in Course Design with Dr. Devon Quick. This experience was a great entry into the program even it was a course taken out of order. Being able to restructure and analyze the ALS 114 course I had just taught and was continuing to teach gave me great moments of meta-cognition and allowed me to have a template of a syllabus going forward. What I enjoyed most about this program was the way it put me in classrooms with future academic affairs professionals. Hearing the side of Higher Education that is outside of the student affairs bubble re-framed my perspectives on what college is for, how students are interacting with the institution, and most notably, how much I assume everyone knows when they work in college that they do not know. I had spent so much time around professionals who spoke about student development and holistic wellness and engagement and sense of belonging, that it was fascinating to see faculty members processing this at their own speed in their own contexts. Throughout my time at Oregon State, I think the Graduate Teaching Certificate has been valuable for how it has humanized and given me time around future Academic Affairs Faculty and Professionals. I learned about teaching yet, but I almost feel as if the biggest takeaway for me is the perspectives and earnestness in my fellow GCCUT classmates. Because of my experience in this program I am going to make a concerted effort to make sure I always break out of my Student Affairs bubble more often. The passion of our teachers and faculty is great and reframing my work through their eyes allows me to create a mores sustainable and effective relationship with functional areas outside my own.