Chris Sax is the Associate Provost and Dean of Academic Outreach and Innovation at Shippensburg University (2007-date). Her portfolio includes academic innovation initiatives; distance education policies, practices, faculty support, and administration; development and implementation of the university’s Academic Master Plan; Office of Professional, Continuing, and Distance Education (off-campus, online, non-credit, workforce development, summer, winter, and academic camp programs); Center for Faculty Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching (faculty development initiatives); Institute for Public Service and Sponsored Programs (external grants and economic development centers).
Chris also served in a number of administrative and faculty roles at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC; 1998-2007). Her portfolio included online course quality assurance, student learning outcomes assessment, online program and course development, and the hiring, staffing, training, and oversight of online faculty. She led UMUC’s involvement in the National Center for Academic Transformation-University System of Maryland Course Redesign Initiative (2006-2007), the American Association of Colleges and Universities-National Science Foundation’s Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) Program (2001-2002), and MarylandOnline’s Faculty Online Technology Training Consortium (2001) and Project Synergy (2000).
Chris served as co-director of the original FIPSE-funded Quality Matters grant project (2003-2006), which focused on developing a national process and rubric for the inter-institutional quality assurance of online courses. In 2005 this project received the WCET Outstanding Work Award, USDLA’s 21st Century Best Practice Award, and MDLA’s Program of the Year Award. Chris also co-led the joint UPCEA-Quality Matters project to develop a quality design rubric for online non-credit courses, known as the Quality Matters Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Rubric (2012-2013).
Additional leadership roles include:
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Region, Chair (2013-2014)
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Region, Chair-Elect (2012-2013)
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Region, Secretary (2011-2012)
• Maryland Distance Learning Association, Vice President (2004-2006, 2008-2010)
• Military Children Education Coalition (MCEC) Public Engagement, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Team Leader (2011-2012)
• Green Ridge Village Retirement Community Advisory Board (2013-date)
Leadership development programs:
• National Leadership Forum, Office of Women in Higher Education, American Council on Education (2009)
• Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership (2006)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education Workshops:
• A Basic Tool Box for Assessing Institutional Effectiveness (2010)
• Integrating Higher Education Planning and Assessment (2009)
• Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Workshop (2004)
Awards include:
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Program Development Award (2012)
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Best Program Award (2009)
• WCET Outstanding Work Award (2005)
• USLDA 21st Century Best Practice Award (2005)
• Maryland Distance Learning Association Program of the Year Award (2005)
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Best Conference Award (2005)
• Maryland Distance Learning Association Distance Educator of the Year Award (2004)
• UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Best Program Award (2000)
Teaching experience includes:
• University of Maryland University College (UMUC; 1997-2008)
• Foundation for the Advancement of Education in the Sciences, National Institutes of Health (1997)
• Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand (1993)
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1991-1992)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO; 1990)