Learning with Learning Design: Online Faculty Institute (OFI)
Baylor Learning Design in collaboration with the Academy for Teaching and Learning welcomes faculty participation in the Online Faculty Institute (OFI). OFI seeks foremost to build a sense of belonging and connectedness for our faculty working remotely. Additionally, OFI will focus on the foundations of high-impact online teaching by helping faculty build a practical skills toolbox. A cohort of 10-15 faculty will complete a two-semester program with live sessions by Zoom twice each month and reading and writing assignments in between sessions. A three-day campus visit in Fall provides opportunities for in-person community-building with the OFI cohort and meetings with key Baylor leaders.
Participants are expected to spend an average of five hours per week on OFI study, discussions, and live meetings. Departments will fund faculty travel to Waco for the on-campus meeting and a one course release per year to provide time for faculty participation. The OFI curriculum is designed to include familiarity with Baylor distinctives, best practices in online learning, and advice for faculty flourishing in online programs at Baylor.
Scheduling
- Time commitment: 5 hours per week (20 hours per month)
- Required Zoom sessions: 90-minute live sessions twice each month
- OFI Campus Immersion in Waco: Wednesday, October 14 (4pm) - Friday, October 16 (5pm), 2026
Fall Topics
- Module 1 Christian Universities - Building a Culture of Caring
- Module 2 How People Learn - Exploring Learning via Foundational Theories
- Module 3 The Art of Facilitating Online Discussions
- Module 4 Enhancing Learning through Technologies
- Module 5 Campus Visit and Communicating Caring through Video
- Module 6 Midterm Reflection and Forward Planning
Spring Topics
- Module 1 Educators at Christian Universities
- Module 2 Developing Meaningful Assignments
- Module 3 Effective Grading and Feedback
- Module 4 Artificial Intelligence as a Learning Tool
- Module 5 Faculty Flourishing
- Module 6 Iterative Approach for Improvement
Application Process
Applications due: TBD
Submit electronically to atl@baylor.edu
OFI is available to permanent, full-time faculty members who are primarily teaching online with an appointment for the upcoming academic year and the expectation of continued employment beyond the upcoming academic year. Departments are asked to provide one course release for the academic year of participation.
Eligibility for participation and eligibility for course release are determined prior to application in conversation with chairs/division heads and deans.
Applicants begin the process by expressing interest to their chairs and confirming they would receive necessary support (course release and travel funds) if accepted into the Online Faculty Institute. The application form should be submitted with signatures by the posted due date.
Program Leaders
Dr. Scales began her Baylor career in 1999 as a faculty member in the School of Social Work. Focusing on development of future faculty, she served from 2004-2018 as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Development in Baylor’s Graduate School and from 2008-2018 she served the School of Education as Professor of Higher Education. In 2016, Baylor honored Dr. Scales with its highest teaching award, Baylor Master Teacher. Moving into online education in 2018 and returning to the Garland School of Social Work in 2019, Dr. Scales began applying her faculty development skills to Baylor through Baylor’s Academy for Teaching and Learning and Learning Design. In 2021, she began as co-facilitator of the Designing for Online Teaching Success (DOTS) program for doctoral students and in 2022 co-created Designing Instruction for Virtual Engagement (DIVE) with Baylor’s Learning Design team. She was appointed co-director of the Garland School of Social Work’s online PhD program in 2022, where she teaches courses in Ethics and Qualitative Research and facilitates a teaching practicum seminar. An accomplished researcher and writer, Dr. Scales has authored, co-authored, or co-edited eleven books and over fifty articles and chapters in the areas of case method teaching, rural social work, doctoral education, and history of Baptist women in higher education.
Dr. Zakrzewski has spent over 21 years in higher education working with administrators and faculty to develop a culture of innovative empowerment. Chris believes strongly that teaching innovation is a journey and that it requires a commitment to positive one-on-one interaction with faculty to flourish. Chris has spent time in the classroom teaching undergraduate and graduate class in-person, online and in hybrid formats. Chris most recently spent time as the Director of Educational Technology and the NYU School of Professional Studies and before that as the Assistant Provost for Technology and Instructional Innovation at Saint Xavier University. Chris speaks across the country on creating cultures of innovation and on the development of innovative learning spaces. Most recently Chris' work on Experiential Problem-based Learning was published in the Journal of Problem-based Learning in Higher Education.
Dr. Rice is dedicated to creating engaging and accessible online learning experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students. With a background in instructional design, curriculum development, and teaching, she has successfully collaborated with faculty to create and enhance courses across diverse fields, including nursing, computer networking and cybersecurity, accounting, systems engineering, and criminal justice.
Attendee Reviews
The Online Faculty Institute is thoughtfully designed and well-structured, with topics intentionally selected to support online instructors. OFI does an excellent job of weaving adult learning theories and pedagogical principles into practical online teaching strategies. One of the biggest highlights was the on-campus visit, where we got to experience faculty resources firsthand—like the recording studio, virtual reality tools, and resources available through the Academy for Teaching and Learning.
What I’ve valued most, though, are the connections I’ve made with faculty from other departments. It’s been a great way to build relationships and spark ideas for future interprofessional collaborations.