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Ready to find out what MSU Denver can do for you? We’ve got you covered.
Apply for future courses here
Apply to join an ACUE courseMSU Denver offers the 4 ACUE courses that lead to a nationally recognized Certificate in Effective College Instruction endorsed by the American Council of Education (ACE). Since 2019, over 130 MSU Denver faculty have received the full certification, and many have completed individual courses.
One course will be offered each semester. Participants can sign up for courses individually, putting together the 4 courses over 2 years or just taking one course of interest.
The university has invested in these opportunities for all faculty (all ranks, all types). The program has been valuable to new and veteran faculty looking to deepen their practice, try out new ideas, and discuss teaching with colleagues.
Upcoming Courses
Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment (Fall 2025)
Create an optimal environment that supports learning, increases engagement, embraces diversity, and helps students persist in meeting academic challenges. This course contains 7 modules that take approximately 8 weeks to complete. Modules include:
- Leading the First Day of Class
- Promoting a Civil Learning Environment
- Ensuring Equitable Access to Learning
- Helping Students Persist in Their Studies
- Embracing Diversity in Your Classroom
- Checking for Student Understanding
- Providing Useful Feedback
Course dates: Sept 8 – Nov 9, 2025
Application deadline: August 22, 2025
Designing Learner-Centered and Equitable Courses (Spring 2026)
Design more learner-centered courses with aligned assessments, assignments, and learning experiences that offer students clarity around what they are learning and how they will be assessed. This course contains 6 modules that take approximately 8 weeks to complete. Modules include:
- Ensuring Learner-Centered Course Outcomes
- Designing Aligned Assessments and Assignments
- Aligning Learning Experiences with Course Outcomes
- Creating Equity with Checklists and Rubrics
- Developing Equitable Grading Practices
- Preparing an Inclusive Syllabus
Course dates: Feb 2 – March 29, 2026
Application deadline: January 16, 2026
What is ACUE?
Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) courses prepare and support faculty to teach with research-based best practices, improving student achievement and closing equity gaps. Completion of ACUE courses leads to a nationally recognized Certificate in Effective College Instruction endorsed by the American Council of Education (ACE).
What can you expect when taking ACUE courses?
- NEW FORMAT starting in 2024 – One (micro)course is offered each semester. Each course consists of 6-7 modules that are completed asynchronously, with one module delivered per week (with occasional break weeks).
- Each module includes research-based strategies to try out in your course immediately, teaching simulations and scenarios to discuss, and examples and methods for both in-person and online teaching.
- The average time commitment to complete a course is 2-3 hours per week over 7-8 weeks.
- ACUE courses are offered at no cost to you or your department, thanks to contributions from grants and funds.
- Completion of the four main ACUE courses results in a nationally recognized Certificate in Effective College Instruction endorsed by ACE.
Course Schedule
Fall 2024
Promoting Active Learning (Sept 9 – Nov 3, 2024)
Fostering a Culture of Belonging (Sept 9 – Nov 10, 2024) – **Additional non-certification course open to faculty and staff**
Spring 2025
Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifelong Learners (Feb 3 – March 30, 2025)
Fall 2025
Creating an Inclusive and Support Learning Environment (Sept 8 – Nov 9, 2025)
Spring 2026
Designing Learner-Centered and Equitable Courses (Feb 2 – March 29, 2026)
"You Make the Difference" - ACUE
MSU Denver began partnering with ACUE in 2019 and we have offered 7 year-long faculty learning cohorts. Over 120 faculty have become fully certified in the Effective Teaching Practices program, including special interest areas such as:
- Effective Teaching Practices
- Effective Online Teaching Practices
- Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep
- Effective Online Teaching Practices + Antiracism
What past MSU Denver participants said about this course:
- “This course has enabled me to gain confidence in areas I’ve struggled with, confirm areas of strength and fine-tune several areas of my courses, ultimately enabling me and my students to be more successful in the classroom.”
- “I love all the information and practical applications of this ACUE course. I feel energized to integrate so many aspects.”
- “I have thoroughly enjoyed this program — I have learned so much that I will be continuing to implement in my ensuing courses. … It helped me feel confident about what I have done for the past five years — but also I have so many new ideas and ways to build on my foundation as a strong instructor. This was immensely valuable!”
- “I am incredibly grateful for for the opportunity to take this course. It has helped me do a much better job, especially in this virtual environment. I’m teaching this semester and it is going so much better than in prior years.” – Jennifer Walker
Effective Teaching Practices
Apply for future courses here
Apply to join an ACUE courseACUE's Effective Practice Framework
ACUE’s Effective Practice Framework centers research-based instructional skills and knowledge that every college educator should possess, regardless of discipline or type of institution.
The core of every ACUE course is the already extensive Effective Teaching Practices Framework program. This program addresses the essential pedagogical skills and knowledge in five units of study, including examples and methods for both in-person and online courses:
- Establishing Powerful Learning Outcomes
- Aligning Assessments with Course Outcomes
- Aligning Activities and Assignments with Course Outcomes
- Preparing an Effective Syllabus
- Leading a Productive First Day
- Promoting a Civil Learning Environment
- Motivating Your Students
- Engaging Underprepared Students
- Helping Students Persist in Their Studies
- Embracing Diversity in Your Learning Environment
- Using Groups to Ensure Active Learning
- Using the Active Learning Cycle
- Developing Effective Class Sessions and Lectures
- Planning Effective Discussions
- Facilitating Engaging Discussions
- Providing Clear Directions and Explanations
- Using Concept Maps and Other Visualization Tools
- Teaching Powerful Note-Taking Skills
- Using Advanced Questioning
- Developing Self-Directed Learners
- Developing Fair, Consistent, and Transparent Grading Practices
- Developing and Using Rubrics and Checklists
- Providing Useful Feedback
- Checking for Student Understanding
- Using Student Data and Feedback to Improve Your Teaching
ACUE Graduates
Over 130 MSU Denver faculty have received the nationally recognized Certificate in Effective College Instruction!
MSU Denver ACUE Graduates - College of Business
These faculty members have all earned ACUE's Certificate in Effective College Instruction, endorsed by the American Council on Education.
Biff Baker
Department of Management
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Sheri Betzer
Department of Accounting
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Jenny Chen
Department of Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Biswadip Ghosh
Department of Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Laurel Lane
Department of Marketing
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021 & Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Adam Melnick
Department of Management
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Becky Prater
Department of Management
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice 2020
[email protected]
Salina Siddique
Department of Accounting
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Yaw Tyng Sheu
Department of Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practice 2021
[email protected]
Kevin Heupel
Department of Management
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Laurel Lane
Jacyn Meyer
Department of Management
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]MSU Denver ACUE Graduates - College of Health and Applied Science
Kristen Atkinson
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Michelle Baum
Department of Journalism and Media Production
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Darcy Beery
Department of Journalism and media Production
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Erin Boyce
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Chris Brown
Department of Human Performance and Sport
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
TJ De Cino
Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Cynthia Erickson
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Deborah Finken
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice 2021
[email protected]
Chris Garris
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Lisa Hagan
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practice 2021
[email protected]
Laurel Hyslop
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Cindy Krentz
Department of Nursing
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Steve Krizman
Department of Journalism and Media Production
Couse Completed: Effective Teaching Practice 2021
[email protected]
Linda Lockwood
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Erin Murray
Department of Nutrition
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Odon Musimbi
Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Course Completed: Effective teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Hyon Namgung
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Rowena Natalie De Sole
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Lisa Ortiz
Department of Journalism and Media Production
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Paris Prestridge
Department of Health Professions
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Julio Proano
Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Ranjidha Rajan
Department of Computer Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices & Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Diane Ream
Department of Nursing
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Michael Rhoads
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Adjoa Robinson
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Dea Robinson
Department of Health Professions
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Alfredo Sanchez
Department of Journalism and Media Production
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Erin Seedorf
Department of Health Professions
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Andrew Traver
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Pracitces 2020
[email protected]
Jessica Yang
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Xiaohui You
Department of Health Professions
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Carolyn McGary
Department of Engineering Technology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Ray Phillips
Department of Aerospace Science
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Joshua Prok
Department of Health Professions
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Yaw Tyng Sheu
Department fo Computer Information Systems
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Brenda Wagner
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Tia Whitaker
Department of Social Work
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Mark Yoss
Department of Aerospace Science
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Xiaohui You
Department of Health Care Management
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Jenn Walker
Department of Human Services Profession
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]
Katrina McLaughlin
Department of Electrical Engineering Technology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]
Laura Malpass
Department of Human Performance & Sports
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]
Katrina Chaffin
Department of Health Professions
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]MSU Denver ACUE Graduates - College of Letters, Art and Sciences
Margarita Barcelo
Department of English
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Rebecca Bryan
Department of Biology
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Maria Cattell
Department of Biology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
James Drake
Department of History
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Liz Goodnick
Department of Philosophy
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Mark Koester
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Laylonda Maines
Department of Biology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Leslie Merrill
Department of Theatre and Dance
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Sean Morris
Department of Philosophy
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Brian O'Hara
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Nicole Predki
Department of Theatre and Dance
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Maria Rey-Lopez
Department of Modern Languages
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Elizabeth Ribble
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practice 2021
[email protected]
Cheryl Sanders
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Rich Sandoval
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Arlene Sgoutas
Department of Gender, Women, Sexualities Studies
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Shalini Srinivasan
Department o fChemistry and Biochemistry
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Judith Strathearn
Department of Africana Studies
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Andrew Thangasamy
Department of Political Science
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices & Effective Online Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Amanda Wahlstrom
Department of Philosophy
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Devon Wright
Department of Africana Studies
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Michelle Dally
Department of Speech Communications
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Jeff Hammond
Department of Journalism
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Scott Landolt
Department of Earth & Atmospheric Science
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Nancy Meyer
Department of Speech Communication
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Keri Olson
Department of Speech Communication
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career prep 2022
[email protected]
Alycia Palmer
Department of Chemistry
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
David Piacenti
Department of Sociology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Courtney Rocheleau
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Jessica Weiss
Department of Art
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]
Chalane Lechuga
Department of Chicana/o Studies
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practice + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]
Maureen ( Mo) Flynn
Department of Psychological Sciences
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]Dane Borrman
Department of Biology
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]MSU Denver ACUE Graduates - School of Education
Dorothy Shapland
Department of Early Childhood Education
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]MSU Denver ACUE Graduates - School of Hospitality
Lincoln Davie
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Eunjoo (EJ) Kang
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Scott Kerkmans
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2020
[email protected]
Jackson Lamb
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Andrea Peterson
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching pRactices 2021
[email protected]
Jason Rice
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Online Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Helle Sorensen
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Jennifer Watson
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices 2021
[email protected]
Inna Soifer
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Career Prep 2022
[email protected]
Smita Sing
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]
Eric Olson
Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Course Completed: Effective Teaching Practices + Antiracism 2022
[email protected]