Part I. Personal Information and Demographic Data
Applicant Full Name / Nombre completo:
Thomas Harbison
Applicant Title / Título:
Director of Digital Education
Institution or System / Institución o Sistema:
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), City University of New York (CUNY)
Address for Official Correspondence / Dirección oficial donde recibe su correspondencia:
tharbison@bmcc.cuny.edu
Mobile Phone / Número de celular:
848-888-2809
Work Phone / Número del trabajo:
212-776-6212
Track of interest / Área de interés:
English track
Which platform do you prefer the Academy to be offered on? / ¿En qué plataforma prefiere que se ofrezca la Academia?
Zoom
Languages / Idiomas:
English
Have teach an online course in the past three years / ¿Ha enseñado un curso en línea en los pasados tres años?:
No
Have taken an online course in the past three years / ¿Ha tomado un curso en línea en los pasados tres años?:
No
Have you been in charge of an instructional technology initiative / ¿Ha liderado alguna iniciativa de tecnología instruccional?:
Yes
Have you been in charge of a distance education initiative / ¿Ha liderado alguna iniciativa de educación a distancia?:
Yes
Years of experience in Higher Education / Años de experiencia en educación superior:
16-20 years
Gender / Género:
Male
Age Range / Edad:
41 to 50
Are you Hispanic / ¿Es usted hispano?:
No
Race Category / Raza:
White
Part II. Education
Highest Earned Degree / Grado más alto de educación obtenido:
PhD
College/University / Colegio/Universidad:
CUNY Graduate Center (City University of New York)
Field/Major / Campo de estudio/Especialidad:
History
Other Degrees Earned / Otros grados obtenidos:
MS in History (certification to teach middle and high school); BA in History
Part III. Experience
Present Responsibilities (up to 150 words) / Resumen de responsabilidades (máximo de 150 palabras) *
Manage BMCC Digital Education Center operations and budget. Supervise team that supports the entire college community in their use of digital teaching and learning tools, including Blackboard and Zoom. Contribute to strategic digital education planning for the center, college, and university. Lead online program development and assessment, prioritizing growth, quality assurance, and a close fit with the evolving needs of BMCC students. Ensure online course and program compliance with state, regional, and national authorization and accreditation requirements. Identify, procure, and implement academic technologies that improve student learning outcomes. Work closely with faculty and staff across the college to enhance student engagement and success across the curriculum and course formats. Collaborate with the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship to offer faculty professional development on digital education topics. Serve as liaison to a wide range of college- and university-wide initiatives for expansion of digital education and related professional development.
Academic and Professional Distinctions and Honors (up tp 150 words) / Reconocimientos y premios académicos y profesionales (máximo de 150 palabras)
Book chapter, “‘A Serious Pedagogical Situation’: Diverging School Reform Priorities in Depression-Era Harlem,” in Educating Harlem: A Century of Schooling and Resistance in a Black Community, Columbia University Press, 2019.
Book chapter co-authored with Luke Waltzer, “Towards Teaching the Introductory History Course, Digitally,” in Writing History in the Digital Age, Eds. Jack Dougherty and Kristen Nawrotski, University of Michigan Press, 2013 (digital version available at http://www.digitalculture.org/books/writing-history-in-the-digital-age/).
Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY) Employee Appreciation, Leadership Award, nominee, September 23, 2021.
Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY) Employee Appreciation, Team Achievement Award (E-Learning), nominee, September 23, 2021.
Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY) Employee Appreciation, Innovation/Technology Award, nominee, June 5, 2020.
National Society of Colonial Dames of New York Dissertation Fellowship, 2010-2011.
Michael Ribaudo Award for Innovation in Technology (City University of New York), 2009.
TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Excellence in Faculty Development (as member of Bernard L. Schwartz Communication Institute, Baruch College, City University of New York), 2008.
Civil and Community Activities (up to 150 words) / Actividades civiles y comunitarias (máximo de 150 palabras)
Managing Editor of the Radical History Review (history journal, published by Duke University Press) since 2007.
Serve on numerous committees at BMCC and CUNY that promote increased access to online learning opportunity for our students.
Professional Goals (up to 150 words) / Metas profesionales (máximo de 150 palabras):
I would like to continue my work with faculty, students, and academic support staff at the City University of New York to improve the design of learning experiences for our students. I wish to deepen the collaborations with the academic departments at BMCC (Borough of Manhattan Community College) and bridge the gap between the needs of faculty and students in those departments with the infrastructural and technical supports provided by our Information Resources and Technology department.
Please explain what you expect to gain by participating in the H-LTLA (up to 150 words) / Explique lo que espera adquirir al participar en la H-LTLA (máximo de 150 palabras):
As detailed in the Initiative and Mentor section below, I aim to apply lessons learned during the H-LTLA to processes on my campus for designing culturally sustaining and responsive learning environments for our fully-online students.
Part IV. Professional References
Professional Reference #1 (Include name, title, institution, phone, and email) / Referencia profesional #1 (incluya nombre, título, institución, número de teléfono, y correo electrónico):
Janice Zummo
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Academic Support Services
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
(212) 776-6256
jzummo@bmcc.cuny.edu
Professional Reference #2 (Include name, title, institution, phone, and email) / Referencia profesional #2 (incluya nombre, título, institución, número de teléfono, y correo electrónico)
Gina Cherry
Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CETLS)
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
(212) 776-7210
gcherry@bmcc.cuny.edu
Professional Reference #3 (Include name, title, institution, phone, and email) / Referencia profesional #3 (incluya nombre, título, institución, número de teléfono, y correo electrónico)
Eliza Osae-Kwapong
Associate Director of Data Analytics and Design
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
(212) 776-6549
eosaekwapong@bmcc.cuny.edu
Upload a letter from a president, chancellor, or administrator stating the nominee’s qualifications for the program, leadership strengths, and development opportunities. NOTE: If at the moment of sending the application you don’t have a signed nomination letter, please upload a document with the evidence that it is being processed (for example: a print screen of an email requesting the letter) along with the contact information of the person in charge of completing it. (Accepted format: pdf) / Someta una carta de un presidente, decano o administrador que indique las cualificaciones del candidato para el programa, sus fortalezas de liderazgo y oportunidades de desarrollo. NOTA: Si al momento de enviar la solicitud no tiene una carta de nominación firmada, por favor suba un documento con la constancia de que se está tramitando (por ejemplo: una pantalla impresa de un correo electrónico solicitando la carta) junto con la información de contacto de la persona encargada de completarlo. (Formato aceptado: PDF)
Part V. Initiative and Mentor
A letter describing a project that you will consider implementing at your campus or organization with the name of the Mentor of your preference. Your Mentor can be different from your references and should be a staff with experience in the area selected. The Mentor information will be submitted with the signature to confirm the availability to guide the implementation of your campus initiative. NOTE: If at the moment of sending the application you don’t have the signature of your Mentor on the project letter, please upload a document with the evidence (for example: a print screen of an email requesting the signature of your Mentor) that it is being processed along with the contact information of the Mentor. (Accepted format: pdf)* / Una carta que describa un proyecto que considerará implementar en su campus u organización con el nombre del mentor de su preferencia. Su mentor puede ser diferente a sus referencias y debe ser una persona con experiencia en el área seleccionada. La información del mentor se enviará con la firma para confirmar la disponibilidad para guiar la implementación de su iniciativa. NOTA: Si al momento de enviar la solicitud no tiene la firma de su mentor en la carta del proyecto, por favor cargue un documento con la evidencia (por ejemplo: una pantalla impresa de un correo electrónico solicitando la firma de su mentor) que se está procesando junto con la información de contacto del mentor (Formato aceptado: PDF)
Part VI. Statement of Purpose
1. From your perspective, what are the top three issues facing higher education today? Why? (no more than 300 words) / Desde su perspectiva, ¿cuáles son los tres principales problemas que enfrenta la educación superior hoy día? ¿Por qué? (máximo de 300 palabras)
From my perspective, the top three issues facing higher education today are accessibility and affordability, the speed of technological advancement, and changing student needs.
Accessibility and affordability remain major challenges in higher education. Many students struggle to access higher education due to financial constraints, limited resources, and lack of educational opportunities. Rising tuition fees, along with the increasing cost of textbooks and living expenses, create barriers to entry for students.
Technological advancements are rapidly transforming the higher education landscape. Institutions are grappling with how to integrate digital tools and online platforms effectively. Distance learning and online degree programs have gained prominence, but there are challenges related to ensuring equal access and maintaining quality education in the digital realm. Educational institutions must adapt their curricula and teaching methods to incorporate technology effectively.
Changing student needs and demands pose significant challenges. Students today have diverse backgrounds, expectations, and goals. They seek flexible learning options, personalized experiences, and practical skills to succeed in the job market. Institutions need to adapt their curricula to align with industry demands, foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and offer experiential learning opportunities. Supporting students’ mental health and well-being is also crucial, as the pressures of academia and societal expectations can lead to increased stress and anxiety.
It is with these three issues in mind that we are designing new online degree and certificate programs at Borough of Manhattan Community College, and across the City University of New York, and placing a high priority on academic support services that guide students from start to finish.
2. What are your own institution’s priorities and challenges with regard to leveraging instructional technology and distance education for the benefit of the entire organization? (no more than 300 words) / ¿Cuáles son las prioridades y los retos de su institución con respecto al aprovechamiento de la tecnología educativa y la educación a distancia en beneficio de toda la organización? (máximo de 300 palabras)
Borough of Manhattan Community College takes pride in the diversity of our student body and constantly strives to offer a learning community that advances the intellectual and personal growth of students. Instructional technology and distance education greatly expands how many students we are able to reach, and opens up new modes of academic engagement that can enhance teaching and learning experiences. Embracing technology allows our institution to deliver engaging content, interactive activities, and personalized learning experiences.
However, a major challenge is ensuring equitable access to technology and internet connectivity for all students. In addition to infrastructural gaps, faculty members need proper training and professional development to effectively use instructional technology tools and design online courses that foster active learning and engagement. Another challenge lies in maintaining a consistently engaging and interactive educational experience across the online environment. Continual evaluation and improvement of the online learning experience are crucial to meet the evolving needs of students.
3. If have the influence to instill change at your Institution, was one thing you could change, what would that be; and what is the unique aspect of your institution you would like to keep? (no more than 300 words) / Si pudiera influir para lograr algún cambio en su institución, ¿cuál sería? y ¿cuál es el aspecto único de su institución que le gustaría mantener? (máximo de 300 palabras)
One thing I would like to change at my institution is to further build the capacity in each department to make decisions related to distance education and provision of academic support services at a distance. During the early pandemic, we made great strides in building new collaborations between Digital Education, CETLS, and the academic departments to customize faculty development and deliver it at scale to meet the rapid expansion of distance education. Now that we are turning to the next chapter, designing fully online programs that are intentionally designed as such, there is more work to be done to familiarize all departments with the tools and online environments where they can interact with each other and students. I would like to see the trainings on instructional technology more closely integrated with faculty-led mentoring and modeling of innovative pedagogies, and approaches to teaching and learning that merge the interactivity of new technologies with strategizes for meeting the diverse needs of our students.
I am fortunate to work in a Digital Education Center that is situated within the Office of Academic Affairs, allowing very close alliance with faculty and academic support staff, and putting us in a position to give both faculty and students a strong voice in guiding processes around the selection, implementation, and configuration of learning technologies to meet their needs. As we design new online courses and programs, I look forward to retaining the culture of collaboration within the Office of Academic affairs and within the academic departments.