UT Austin Receives Center of Excellence Award
The University of Texas at Austin received a 2005 Center of Excellence Award from the New Media Consortium (NMC) during the group’s annual conference, held this year in Honolulu, Hawaii. The award recognizes the University, through its Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment, for its systemic and comprehensive approach to faculty support.
NMC, an international consortium of over 200 colleges, universities, and museums, bestows its highest honor for demonstrated excellence and outstanding achievement in the application of technology to learning. Colleges do not compete for the award, nor is it granted within predefined categories. The selection process is based on the MacArthur Awards, and like that program, the nominators and others involved remain anonymous. They are chosen from diverse organizations within and outside the consortium.
Judy Ashcroft, associate vice president and director of the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment (DIIA), accepted the award on behalf of the University. She acknowledged the importance of support from the highest levels of the institution. “A dozen years ago, anticipating that technology would become a ubiquitous component of higher education, UT Austin began critically assessing the strategic and integrated use of instructional tools to support excellence in teaching and learning,” she said. “UT Austin has a culture of assessing faculty needs, providing faculty training, and supporting a rich menu of teaching options. TELC, the Technology Enhanced Learning Committee is the latest of many task forces to look at integrating IT tools into instruction. Each new committee and task force has built on the past. The original concept has matured into a deep institutional commitment.”
“The Center of Excellence Awards celebrate the innovation and creativity that is part of the fabric of every member institution,” said NMC’s CEO Larry Johnson. “The NMC colleges recognized this year represent the best of our field, and each has had a tremendous history of accomplishment.”
The two other award recipients this year are California State University, Chico and Wesleyan University. Lev Gonick, chair of the NMC board of directors, noted that “these three colleges (have) compiled a history of accomplishment that has helped set the standards in the application of new media forms to teaching, learning, and creative expression.”
To explore some of the instructional technology projects that helped earn the Center of Excellence Award for UT Austin, visit the Gallery of Instructional Technology. For more information about the New Media Consortium and its member organizations, visit the NMC Web site.