Mike Palmquist named Associate Provost for Continuing Education

Colorado State University is pleased to announce that Mike Palmquist has been named Associate Provost for Continuing Education.

Palmquist, who served previously as the associate vice provost for learning and teaching, will lead OnlinePlus, the division that expands access to CSU faculty and research through online degrees and courses and the Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT). Palmquist is charged with pursuing innovations in learning and teaching across the university, with a strong focus on enhancing the university’s use of instructional technology in online, blended, and face-to-face courses.

Palmquist, a professor of English and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar, is internationally known for his work in computer-supported writing instruction and writing across the curriculum. In his work at TILT, he focused on efforts to enhance learning, teaching, and student success.

“Mike is on the cutting edge of the pedagogical changes that are underway in higher education and we are fortunate to have someone with his expertise lead the University’s digital education initiatives,” said Lou Swanson, vice president for the Office of Engagement, which oversees OnlinePlus.

“Online education has been experiencing a dramatic evolution," Swanson continued. "CSU has a great opportunity to use technology and the digital initiatives pioneered by OnlinePlus and TILT to provide our faculty new tools to be more effective in achieving their teaching goals and to improve the learning outcomes and experience for our students. Mike’s expansive knowledge and vision will continue to move CSU to the forefront of effective and innovative education for students.”

In his previous work with TILT, Palmquist worked closely with OnlinePlus to develop innovative courses that effectively meet learning objectives for those obtaining their CSU education online. As associate provost, Palmquist will coordinate efforts to develop innovative courses and instructional tools to position the university as a leader in the use of digital learning technologies.

“We’re entering a challenging period with calls for the transformation of higher education as a whole," Palmquist said. "Over the past few years, CSU has led innovations in online education through MOOCs and badging, as well as improving learning management systems. With increasing calls for greater accountability in all aspects of technology-supported education, the unique partnership that has been forged at CSU between OnlinePlus and the Institute for Learning and Teaching gives the University a powerful set of tools for addressing these challenges. It’s an exciting prospect.”

“I’m delighted to take on this new challenge," Palmquist added. "The dedication of the staff at OnlinePlus and TILT to serving students and faculty will play a critical role in enhancing learning and transforming how education is delivered by CSU. I look forward to a sustained period of educational innovation rooted strongly in CSU’s mission to provide educational access as a land-grant university and continuing to use instructional technology to enrich teaching and learning.”

Palmquist replaces Jordan Fritts, who has served as interim associate provost of OnlinePlus since April 2013, following the departure of Hunt Lambert, who took a position as dean of Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. During the transition, OnlinePlus has continued to grow and now serves more than 12,000 students annually, offering undergraduate degree completion programs, graduate degrees, certificates of completion, and credit and noncredit courses to students who cannot, or choose not to, come to campus.

OnlinePlus has more than 45 years of experience delivering online and distance education, providing access to a world-class CSU education to students seeking to balance learning with their professional and personal commitments.

Palmquist’s scholarly interests include writing across the curriculum, the effects of computer and network technologies on writing instruction, and new approaches to scholarly publishing. His work has appeared in journals including College English, College Composition and Communication, ADE Bulletin, Computers and Composition, Written Communication, Writing Program Administration, Marketing Education Review, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, Kairos, and Social Forces, as well as in edited collections.

Since 1992, he has coordinated the development of Writing@CSU and its web-based learning environment, The Writing Studio. He is also founding editor of the WAC Clearinghouse, the oldest and most successful open-access publishing initiative in the humanities. Established in 1997, the Clearinghouse offers resources for teachers who use writing in their courses. It provides free access to seven scholarly journals and more than 50 scholarly books.

Palmquist is the author of several textbooks, including "Joining the Conversation: Writing in College and Beyond" and "The Bedford Researcher" both published by Bedford/St. Martin’s. He is also co-author, with Kate Kiefer, Jake Hartvigsen and Barbara Godlew, of "Transitions: Teaching Writing in Computer-Supported and Traditional Classrooms," published in 1998 by Ablex.

Palmquist has served in national leadership roles within his profession, including chair of the National Council of Teachers of English College Section Steering Committee and member of the NCTE Executive Committee. He led the NCTE College Section Steering Committee Working Group on the Status and Working Conditions of Contingent Faculty, whose policy statement and recommendations were endorsed by the NCTE Executive Committee and published on the NCTE Web site in 2010.

In 2004, he was the recipient of the Charles Moran Award for Distinguished
Contributions to the Field awarded by Computers and Composition. In 2006, he was presented with the Outstanding Technology Innovator by the CCCC Committee on Computers in Composition and Communication.

For more information about Colorado State University OnlinePlus, visit www.online.colostate.edu or call (970) 491-5288.
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