For Caroline Chubb, instructional technologist for the School of Public Affairs, work isn’t just about supporting faculty. It’s about discovering what’s possible in the realm of teaching and learning at UCCS.
It is in recognition of her creativity, initiative, generosity of spirit and deep commitment to bettering the faculty and student experience that Chubb was named this spring’s Employee of the Quarter.
After working in both Disability Services and the Faculty Resource Center, Chubb joined the School of Public Affairs in 2019 – just six months before the pandemic pushed UCCS to remote learning. Her work, which focuses on supporting faculty educational technology needs, became mission-critical overnight.
Chubb spent the first two weeks of remote learning creating a database of training videos for common technological problems faced by faculty members moving courses online. She advised faculty members on converting their classes to remote formats, built accommodations for students with disabilities and taught workshops on online learning technologies.
To make sure that faculty felt empowered to being their individuality to remote learning, Chubb even began sitting in on classes to learn a faculty member’s teaching style before offering them recommendations.
“I wanted our faculty to feel comfortable – to feel that they were ready to teach online,” Chubb said of the transition to remote and hybrid learning. “And it’s just incredible to see how we’ve done it. I’m not student-facing most days, but by supporting our faculty in this way, I’m able to impact students with my work.”
Faculty members report that Chubb’s creativity and tireless efforts haven’t just impacted SPA positively during the pandemic. They have set the standard for inclusive learning for the future.
Chubb has threaded a passion for individualized and universal learning into her work with faculty members. Her efforts have spanned from redesigning the School of Public Affairs’ web presence to make information more readily available for current and prospective students, to helping faculty design clearer learning objectives and more accessible classroom materials.
For Chubb, the work is simply about creating a supportive environment for faculty so they can focus on their work: teaching the students who will one day become law enforcement officers, public servants, nonprofit directors and more.
“My objective is always to make sure that faculty feel supported in what they do, because teaching is so complex, and it can be so hard,” Chubb said. “I want to make sure that we’re putting together the best quality of courses, for our faculty’s sake and for our students.”
“Everything that we do is in collaboration, with the goal of creating better learning experiences – so our students’ classes are more accessible, more meaningful and more diverse,” Chubb continued. “I feel so lucky to do this work.”
And for SPA faculty, Chubb’s efforts have transformed the School of Public Affairs for the better.
“As faculty and administrators, we often will see what is immediately necessary,” wrote Regina Winters, assistant dean and senior instructor for SPA. “But with Caroline, I get to see what is possible.”
In recognition of her efforts for UCCS, Chubb will receive one day of administrative leave, a $100 stipend, three months of a free and reserved parking space when normal campus operations have resumed and a $40 voucher to the UCCS Bookstore. Congratulations, Caroline!
Do you have a colleague whose extraordinary efforts at UCCS deserve to be recognized? Nominate them for the Employee of the Quarter award.