GCCC Recognizes 23 Faculty Members for Completion of ACUE Training in Research-Based Teaching Methods
[Garden City, KS] November 21, 2025 -- Garden City Community College (GCCC) proudly announces that 23 of its faculty members have successfully completed training in research-based teaching methods through the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). This significant achievement reinforces GCCC’s unwavering commitment to enhancing student success and academic excellence.
As the first institution in Kansas to partner with ACUE, GCCC sets a precedent in its dedication to high-quality education. Through this collaboration, faculty members learned research-backed best practices to create welcoming and engaged classroom environments, in creating active learning environments, and in creating environments and activities that promote higher-order critical thinking in students. These skills are proven to lead to increased student persistence, retention, and academic success.
Those who fulfilled the program's rigorous standards have been awarded the prestigious Certificate in Effective College Instruction, the only effective teaching and learning credential recognized by the American Council on Education.
The faculty members who completed the ACUE training during the 2024-2025 academic year were: Tamra Altman, Sean Boller, Ron Carlson, Holly Chandler, Nicole Dick, Greg Greathouse, Renee Harbin, Larry Jenkins, Winsom Lamb, Andy Lewton, Billie Lund, Elisa Mai, Layla Martinez, Brian McCallum, Jaime McVey, Emmalee Newport, Meredith Owings, Dru Saddler, Victor Salazar, Savannah Sanburg, William Schlichter, Sherri Williams, Gabe Winger.
In a speech recognizing the achievement of this group, Dr. Marc Malone, Vice President for Instructional Services and Chief Academic Officer, said “This is the work that increases student success rates: pass rates and persistence rates and graduation rates that help close equity gaps among students. This is the work that improves student lives, making them more equipped for the world and the workplace. And this is the work that helps make good on Garden City Community College’s promise to students that from here the world is within their reach." He added, “I am so incredibly proud of the work of these faculty, and their continued dedication to the craft of teaching and its power to empower students toward success.”
ACUE’s courses in effective teaching practices are grounded in over 30 years of research, consistently demonstrating that effective teaching directly enhances student learning outcomes. Over the past year, the GCCC faculty cohort completed 25 comprehensive learning modules, actively implementing and assessing these innovative teaching strategies in their classrooms weekly.
The ACUE program is aligned with the latest research in cognition and adult learning, covering over 200 evidence-based teaching practices. These include designing effective courses, creating productive learning environments, employing active learning techniques, fostering higher-order thinking, and utilizing assessments to improve instruction and promote student learning.
Garden City Community College is proud of its faculty’s dedication to professional growth and their commitment to improving educational outcomes for all students.
Members of the 2024-25 GCCC faculty cohort proudly displays their ACUE completion certificates.
About ACUE:
The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) promotes student success through quality instruction. In partnership with colleges, universities, higher education systems, and associations, ACUE prepares and credentials faculty in evidence-based teaching practices that improve student achievement and close equity gaps. Numerous and independently-validated efficacy studies confirm that students are more engaged, learn more, and complete courses in greater numbers—more equitably with their peers—when taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty. ACUE's online, cohort-based credentialing programs are delivered through institutional partnerships and open enrollment courses endorsed by the American Council on Education. To learn more, visit www.acue.org.
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Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.