Organizations & Subscriptions

Worcester State and CTL: The Faculty Development Center maintain a variety of subscriptions and organization memberships available for faculty use:

The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) is a nationally recognized center dedicated to supporting faculty, postdocs, and graduate students through research-based professional development and mentoring designed to increase productivity and improve work-life balance.
14-Day Writing Challenges – a structured two-week program where members commit to 30 minutes of daily writing and use a private online community for accountability and peer support.
The Monday Motivator – a weekly email providing actionable productivity tips and encouragement.
The Core Curriculum – a foundational series of 10 one-hour webinars focused on essential skills like time management, semester planning, and overcoming academic perfectionism.
A Private Discussion Forum – a secure online community for peer mentoring, problem-solving, and crowdsourcing advice.
Accountability Buddy Matches – the option to be paired with a colleague for mutual support and progress tracking.
Member Library – on-demand access to a vast archive of recorded workshops, slides, and transcripts.
Account Activation Information
Blackboard Ultra System Resources highlights tools and guides to help faculty transition to the next generation of Blackboard. Curated by CTL: The Faculty Development Center.
Getting Started – information on automatic course shell creation and login procedures using WSU credentials.
Accessibility & Organization – resources for building accessible courses with “Ally” and tips for organizing the Blackboard dashboard.
Faculty Guides & Tipsheets – a “Navigation Update Tipsheet” from WSU IT Services and a comprehensive “Faculty Guide” created by Lesley University.
Content Management – a guide for copying existing content into new Ultra course shells.
Instructional Support – links to Blackboard’s official instructor resources, a dedicated YouTube playlist for video learners, and guidance on using the “Gradebook.”
Student Support – a “Quick Start” overview guide that faculty can share directly with their students.
The Teaching Professor is a professional development resource that provides educators with evidence-based strategies, research-backed articles, and expert-led videos to enhance classroom engagement and student learning.
Magna 20-Minute Mentors – a collection of over 400 brief, expert-led videos that provide actionable solutions to common classroom challenges.
Special Resource Collections – curated “deep dives” into vital topics like AI in the classroom, student engagement, and inclusive teaching.
Full Archive Access – instant access to thousands of peer-reviewed articles and recorded seminars dating back to 2013.
Asynchronous Faculty Courses – self-paced courses on essentials like Online Teaching Essentials, Assessing Learning, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that offer badges upon completion.
Account Activation Information
Quality Matters is a global, faculty-led organization dedicated to maintaining high standards for online and hybrid education through a research-based, peer-review process focused on continuous course improvement.
QM Success Stories – monthly webinars that are free for members, where different institutions share how they implement quality assurance.
Research-Based Rubrics – access to a comprehensive set of standards and evaluation tools designed to ensure the quality and continuous improvement of online and hybrid course design.
AI-Specific Training – workshops and toolkits focused on integrating AI into course design, including sessions on AI-Driven Discussions and Designing AI Grading Rubrics.
Professional Development Workshops – eligibility for reduced-fee, expert-led training sessions that cover essential topics in digital pedagogy and quality assurance over several weeks.
Self-Paced Course Series – options like the Teaching Online Certificate and workshops on Relational Teaching and Learning or Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Accessibility & Usability Resource Site (AURS) – a dedicated portal for educators to address accessibility concerns in their digital content.
Research Library – access to a searchable database of curated research that supports their rubrics and standards.
For access, contact: dgce@worcester.edu