The Chicago School is committed to innovation, student engagement, and achieving excellent academic outcomes. This commitment is reflected in the highly collaborative and collegial relationship between the college deans, who work together to create an outstanding experience for every student. By leveraging each other’s strengths and addressing collective challenges, the deans ensure their efforts are squarely focused on providing the best possible education and fostering a vibrant learning community.
Every week, Alisha DeWalt, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate & Professional Studies, Jonathan Dodrill, Ph.D., dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies, and Lance Garrison, Ph.D., dean of the College of Professional Psychology, convene to discuss how to provide their students with the best possible experiences.
“A lot of what we talk about involves using each other as sources of consultation and problem-solving because we all have our areas of strengths and weaknesses,” Dr. Garrison explains. “We aim to address these challenges to ensure our students receive the best education and experiences during their time here.”
With a diverse and widely distributed student body, these deans focus on building a strong sense of community for students spread across the country. “We are continually exploring ways to provide high quality curricular and cocurricular experiences for our students.” Dr. Dodrill says. “This includes increasing interactions between faculty and students while ensuring our students who study online receive the kind of benefits typically associated with a physical campus.”
Dr. DeWalt emphasized the importance of creating intentional online spaces to foster community involvement for online students. “Online learning is more than a modality, it is a community. Investing in this community is essential as many students taking online programs will never visit a Chicago School campus,” she notes. “For example, our counseling education division hosts virtual town halls, where counseling education students across all campuses join together. These interactions provide an opportunity for students to connect across locations, build community, and enrich their university experience.”
Dr. Garrison is also exploring innovative ways to integrate technology into the classroom to enhance student learning. “Traditionally, online learning has been very two-dimensional, involving a discussion question and responses,” he says. “However, new learning technologies, such as adaptive learning modules or interactive synchronous activities, present opportunities to enrich the online learning experience.”
One potential model Dr. Garrison is considering involves an AI tutor integrated into online learning to monitor student performance and ensure everyone stays on track. “When we integrate technology into the student experience in this manner, it creates a level playing field and a consistent, engaging experience that keeps students connected to their learning,” he says.
Bill Brown, Ph.D., The Chicago School’s provost, is dedicated to ensuring that both faculty and students have the support necessary to implement cutting-edge academic strategies and tools. “As technology advances, it’s vital that we continue to leverage it as we invest in our students, both inside and outside the classroom,” he says.
Despite these innovative efforts, strategic planning will not stop here, according to Dr. DeWalt. “To meet the evolving needs and behaviors of future students, we must continuously innovate and integrate advanced technology,” she says. “Our goal is to provide the next generation of change makers with the best education possible.”