QEP Resources

The following are resources on ACUE - the Association of College and University Educators Effective Teaching Practice Framework and implementing this framework in a college or university. If you have any questions about these resources, please contact the Quality Enhancement Plan Librarian, Ramona Miller at ramona.miller@sfcollege.edu, or the director of the Santa Fe College's Quality Enhancement Plan, Bobby Hom at bobby.hom@sfcollege.edu.

More resources on ACUE effectiveness can be found at their Efficacy Studies and Reports portal.

Budziak, Jeffrey, et al. “A State University’s Assessment of ACUE: Feasible Model for Evaluating the Impact of a Faculty Instruction Quality Program.” Teacher-Scholar, vol. 11, no. 1, Jan. 2022, pp. 1–10. Education Source, https://doi.org/10.58809/ZCAG4391.

This article discusses a training program at Western Kentucky University. Faculty across the disciplines and across all delivery modalities received training in the ACUE program. Data were collection over a three year period. The results showed that sections taught by ACUE instructors had on average 3.7% fewer Ds, Fs, and Withdrawals than those sections taught by non-ACUE instructors. [Link to Article]

Gyurko, Jonathan, and Meghan Snow. “Our ‘Directive’: Quality Teaching and Learning.” Change, vol. 52, no. 5, Sept. 2020, pp. 6–16. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2020.1807873.

This article goes through the 5 levels of the ACUE logic model: faculty engagement, faculty learning, implementation, student engagement, course-level outcomes and institutional outcomes. ACUE conducted 14 studies and collected data from more than 700 ACUE credentialed faculty and nearly 70,000 students. They found that faculty were more engaged and confident as teachers. They also found that student engagement was greater and achievement was stronger across every level. [Link to Article] 

Hecht, Deborah. “A Study of ACUE Professional Development at Rutgers University-Newark.” Advanced Study in Education (CASE) The Graduate Center, CUNY, 7 Aug. 2019, acue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/091218_ACUE_CASE_technical-report.pdf.

This report looks at the impact of  ACUE’s Effective Teaching Practices course at Rutgers University – Newark, by the Center for Advanced Study in Education (CASE). The study compared data of 43 ACUE credentialed faculty over time and the outcomes of  7,183 students. The study shows that students whose instructors had ACUE training were more likely to be successful and had higher completion rates. The article details the course modules and methodology used. [Link to Article]

Lawner, Elizabeth K., and Meghan Snow. "Advancing Academic Equity at Broward College: Improved Course Completion and Passing, Particularly Among Pell-eligible and Black Students." Association of College and University Educators. May 15, 2020 https://acue.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ACUE_Broward-Tech-Report_5.2020.pdf.

This study compares student completion and success rates for students of ACUE faculty versus students in matched non-ACUE faculty course sections. Researchers found students of ACUE faculty were significantly more likely to complete and pass their courses. Moreover, low-income and Black students experienced even greater gains, leading to outcome gaps narrowing between Pell-eligible and non-Pell-eligible and between Black and White students.

Lawner, Elizabeth K, et al. "Cumulative Academic Impact of Students Having Multiple Course Experiences With Instructors Who Have Completed One or More ACUE Microcredential Courses," ACUE.org, July 2019, acue.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USM-Technical-Report-Cumulative-Impact-2021.pdf.

This technical report from ACUE looks at how students’ academic outcomes may accumulate across multiple course experiences with ACUE faculty. Researchers looked at students at the University of Southern Mississippi who took at least one course with an ACUE credentialed instructor. ACUE “dosage” was calculated for each student based on the number of courses they took with ACUE faculty, distinguishing between a course taken with faculty who had started an ACUE microcredential at the time of the course but had not yet finished the full certificate and a course taken with ACUE-credentialed faculty. It was found that the higher a students "dosage" the higher the outcomes. [Link to Article]

Lawner, Elizabeth K., and Meghan Snow. "Improved Learning at Democracy's College: Findings from Miami-Dade College, Part B." Association of College and University Educators. February 22, 2019.  https://acue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ACUE_MDC-Tech-Report_100120.pdf 

The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) develops and facilitates online certificates and micro credentials based in effective college teaching practices. ACUE training focuses heavily on requiring participants implement strategies and reflect on the successes or barriers. Many institutions have partnered with ACUE to incorporate this professional development. Miami-Dade College is one that has had numerous faculty complete credentials. This study analyzed 78 faculty who earned a credential during the Spring 2018 semester and looked at student outcomes in the 225 courses they taught. Student success improved in these courses, with students achieving "significantly higher average course grades than courses taught by the same faculty in the prior semester."

MacCormack, Penny, et al. “Creating Value.” Change, vol. 51, no. 4, July 2019, pp. 40–47. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2019.1618144.

MacCormack looks at the current feeling that higher education has lost its value. One of the answers to this is through credentialing faculty members in ACUE. Since most students do not visit the career resource center, The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and ACUE  worked to apply the core competencies of ACUEs teaching framework with a focus on the relevance to students career aspirations. Career guidance was also embedded into courses. Participating colleges found an increase in student satisfaction along with higher grades and fewer withdrawals.  [Link to Article]

Pippins, Theo, Lawner, Elizabeth K., and Meghan Snow. "Cultivating Excellence in Teaching: Sustained Impact of ACUE-Certified Faculty on Student Outcomes at Broward College." Association of College and University Educators. April 2022. https://acue.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Broward-Technical-Report_designed_4.22.pdf

This study follows Lawner and Snow's previous Broward College study (2020) by examining the impact of the ACUE course on pass rates, DFW rates, and course grades in the year after faculty earned their certificate. Like the previous study, students in courses taught by ACUE-certified faculty experienced better outcomes compared to students in the matched course sections. The results confirm other studies that found a sustained impact of ACUE on faculty effectiveness. These positive results are especially significant, given that the study was conducted during COVID-19. Researchers suggest ACUE's emphasis on engaging students, active learning, and clarity in grading and expectations may have mitigated the academic disruptions caused by the pandemic and may have led students to better demonstrate their knowledge.

Mangum, Elmira. “Teaching and Student Success: ACUE Makes the Link.” Change, vol. 49, no. 5, Sept. 2017, pp. 17–25. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2017.1366806. 

This article has testimonies from college educators on  the design standards that the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) met and set in the U.S. in 2017. It discusses how these standards were used, why they should be used and the success of the standards. [Link to Article]

Shipp, Jeremiah E. “Faculty Development for Online Teaching: The Excellence in Online Instruction Initiative.” Quarterly Review of Distance Education, vol. 23, no. 4, Oct. 2022, pp. 47–56. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=a9h&AN=169743334&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, Winston-Salem State University credentialed faculty on evidence-based teaching practices for online instruction from the Association of of College and University Educators. (ACUE). Afterward, faculty were surveyed on their confidence in using the new teaching practices. Faculty felt that the practices improved their online courses and made them better able to connect with their students. They also felt that it provided them with awareness of their students challenges, making them better teachers.