ABSTRACT
It’s a rainy day as Beth Owens arrives to meet with Dean Carlton Jacobs. Stepping into the dean’s suite, she laughs as she shakes the remaining water from her raincoat thinking to herself, “I always enjoy the rain, especially in the West. We don’t get enough of it!” Beth has lived the past 10 years in Colorado, first as a stay-at-home mom, more recently completing a master’s degree in instructional design at a nearby state university. Eight months ago, she accepted a faculty consulting position at State College, a four-year, open-enrollment college in the downtown metro area. State’s academic programs are always changing, and faculty members appreciate the instructional design support that Beth provides. At any given time, Beth is consulting on 12 to 15 projects, with only an occasional need for in-depth analysis and evaluation. Technology leadership is a part of the job, but she sees her primary role as helping faculty members make the transition from traditional teaching methods to more student-centered teaching activities.
