The purpose of the Academy for Part-time Teachers is to help you, the associate faculty, develop skills in designing and providing instruction that is consistent with your institution's commitment to excellence. It is also designed to support and enhance your teaching skills. Twenty-four (24) hours of training will be delivered by the following means: (1) orientation and in-service workshop; (2) independent study and online discussions using WebCT; (3) teaching partnering and classroom observations; and (4) summative symposium.

An academy advisory committee, made up of representatives from each of the partnering colleges, the business and industry sector, and the State Leadership Consortium for Professional Development, provides technical and practical advice to assist the project staff in making good decisions in meeting the goals and objectives of this project. The committee also plays an active role in evaluating the overall effectiveness of this project.

Each college has a campus coordinator who is responsible for recruiting participants and teaching partners, monitoring the training activities on your respective campus, and assisting the project director with project evaluation.

It is our sincere hope that this academy proves to be a meaningful and worthwhile experience for all participants. We all have something to contribute and to learn, and we all must support each other. In summary, some of the ideas of the academy are as follows:

• Provide support and encouragement

• Improve what associate faculty already know, understand, and are able to do

• Provide an atmosphere of free expression and mutual respect

• Encourage practice and/or adapt to new teaching techniques and ideas

• Introduce creative uses of technology