THE CENTER FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE
Mary Ballard, Director
The Center for Faculty Excellence was established in the Fall of 1997 to promote and
facilitate an environment in which teaching and learning are the subjects of serious
discussion, debate, and inquiry among faculty, thereby producing a campus climate
where both teaching and research are recognized as significant scholarly work. Our
mission is to assist faculty by providing opportunities for personal and professional
growth, for innovation and experimentation, and for change and renewal. We achieve
our mission by providing professional development opportunities in the areas of teaching
and learning; sponsoring workshops, info sessions, discussions, and webinars on a
variety of topics; providing instructional and technical support for electronic learning;
assisting in the production of audio, video, photographic and graphic media for instructional
use; and promoting appropriate pedagogical use of technologies.
The Orr Research Fund
The Orr Research Endowment was established in 1984 by Dr. Guss Orr, former Dean of
the School of Humanities, in memory of his parents, William H. Orr and Leona Hubbard
Orr. The income from the fund is used to offset certain costs associated with the
research, scholarly or creative activities of tenured faculty. The endowment is administered
by the Center for Faculty Excellence and the Southeastern Foundation.
For more information about the Center for Faculty Excellence, visit their website.
The Office of Experiential Learning
The Office of Experiential Learning coordinate the activities for Southeastern’s Real-World
Ready initiative. The office provides resources for assisting faculty as they develop
new or enhance existing courses that include performance-based, practical, applications
of knowledge as class components. The office promotes a culture of improved learning
that prepares students to be workforce ready upon graduation, while integrating best
practices and academic rigor. For more information about experiential education at
Southeastern, visit http://www.southeastern.edu/realworldready/.
The Office of Online Learning
The Office of Online Learning, under the umbrella of the Center for Faculty Excellence,
supports faculty and students in their pursuit of high-quality, online teaching and
learning opportunities. The Office is an informational hub for exploring Southeastern’s
online course offerings and programs. Along with its university partners, the Office
works collectively to ensure all online courses align with best teaching practices
and meet all certification standards. As a resource provider, the Office also facilitates
ongoing professional development and training opportunities to assist faculty in the
creation and delivery of online courses. The Office is located in Mims Hall, Room
128.
