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University Practicum Advisory Board

Charge

The Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching collaborates with the University Practicum Advisory Board to advance

Objectives

Specifically, members collaborate to

  • Build institutional infrastructure to deliver a flexible online series of sessions designed for instructors of all levels, backgrounds, and teaching contexts;
  • Consider broader changes in the higher education landscape and emerging instructional needs, seeking input from the campus community to select the annual topic addressing “wicked problems” in higher education;
  • Select keynote speaker, invite faculty to join the Content Design Team, reflect on the curriculum, provide feedback to enhance the experience
  • Serve as a catalyst for ongoing pedagogical development by enhancing the incentives for the Practicum in the faculty evaluation system; and
  • Review assessment data, shape the planning process and contribute to the dissemination of information.

Additional information about the University Practicum can be found on the Searle Center's University Practicum web page.

Meeting Cadence

The full Board is convened twice annually by the Senior Director of the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching at the beginning and end of the academic year.


Membership

Members are appointed by the associate provost for undergraduate education and the vice president and chief information officer and include representatives from AccessibleNU; Information Technology Teaching and Learning Technologies; the School of Professional Studies, Office of Distance Learning; and University Libraries serving staggered rotations of three-year terms with Searle Center educational developers.


Searle Center Educational Developers

  • Eun Sandoval-Lee (Program Administrator), Assistant Director of Learning and Teaching
  • Jennifer Keys (Convener), Senior Director of the Searle Center
  • Lina Eskew (Program Assessment & Evaluation), Senior Assistant Director of Assessment
  • Laura Ferdinand (Communications), Assistant Director of Content and Communications
  • Veronica Womack (Content Design Team Lead), Associate Director of High-Impact Teaching

Members

  • Vicky Getis, Senior Director, Northwestern IT Teaching and Learning Technologies
  • Michelle Guittar, Interim Director of Instruction & Engagement, Northwestern University Libraries
  • Reba-Anna Lee, Assistant Dean, School of Professional Studies Distance Learning
  • Jim Stachowiak, Accessible Technology Strategy and Operations Lead, AccessibleNU and Northwestern IT

Executive Sponsors

The executive sponsors champion the University Practicum, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, as part of the Advisory Board that provides strategic guidance to navigate barriers, support planning, and cultivate broad participation.

  • Karen Smilowitz, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
  • Sean Reynolds, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer

2025–26 Content Design Team

  • Veronica Womack (Lead), Associate Director of High-Impact Teaching, Searle Center; Lecturer, Black Studies
  • Chamille Lescott, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Biomedical Engineering; Director, Master's Program in Biomedical Engineering
  • Laura Ferdinand, Assistant Director of Content and Communications, Searle Center
  • Lina Eskew, Senior Assistant Director of Assessment, Searle Center
  • Natalie Gillespie, Senior AV Support Engineer, Information Technology Services and Support
  • Rachel Goc, Learning Engineer, Information Technology Learning and Teaching Technologies
  • Reba-Anna Lee, Assistant Dean, School of Professional Studies Distance Learning
  • Steven Adams, Librarian for Graduate and Postdoctoral Initiatives, University Libraries
  • Eun Sandoval-Lee (Assistant), Assistant Director of Learning and Teaching, Searle Center

Background

The Practicum has drawn over 1,275 instructors across all schools. Past practica have focused on Foundations of Online Teaching (2020-21), Principles of Inclusive Teaching (2021-22), Universal Design for Learning (2022-23), Reimagining Assessment (2023-24), and Supporting Student Success (2024-25).