Aaron Bacue, assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies, was recently selected to participate in Kent State’s Global Faculty Scholars Group. Bacue was nominated by Amy Reynolds, Ph.D., dean of the College of Communication and Information.
Global Faculty Scholars was established in 2014 as a result of Kent State’s continued growth in enrollment of international students. The primary purposes of this group are to enhance educator and student intercultural competence, as well as to design teaching and assessment strategies aimed at increasing learning outcomes for students from different cultural backgrounds.
Upon completion of this program, participants are able to deliver workshops designed to facilitate dialogue and discussion of critical intercultural issues faced by our faculty, staff and students. Bacue will become a member of a cohort of faculty who can be called upon to advise and consult with faculty who have concerns about course design and teaching practices to increase learning outcomes for students from different cultures, or who want to discuss intercultural communication issues in their classrooms.
“This is a great opportunity to improve pedagogy not only in my own classes, but also in the School of Communication Studies and the College of Communication and Information,” Bacue said. “From a more global standpoint, this will help us to foster empathy, cultural sensitivity and diversity among Kent’s stakeholders even outside the classroom, which will go a long way toward helping up to actualize President Warren’s priorities of ‘students first, global competitiveness and a distinctive Kent State.’”
Bacue will begin the program in the Spring 2017 semester.