Educational Impact

Educational Impact

Ohio Wesleyan Advances National Leadership in Teaching and Faculty Development Through GLCA Fellowship

DELAWARE, Ohio - Ohio Wesleyan University is strengthening its national leadership in teaching excellence and faculty development through the selection of Andrea Colvin, Ph.D., as an Academic Leadership Fellow with the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) - a competitive appointment that advances OWU's strategic investment in faculty, student learning, and institutional impact.

Colvin's fellowship, supported by a GLCA grant, will span the 2026-2028 academic years and support her work as an assistant director in Ohio Wesleyan's Smith Center for Faculty Excellence, the university's newly elevated hub for faculty development and teaching innovation.

Expanding the Smith Center's Reach and Impact

Working in close collaboration with Barbara Bird, Ph.D., director of the Smith Center and principal investigator on the GLCA grant, Colvin will help design and lead initiatives that deepen teaching excellence and expand faculty engagement across the university. These efforts include:

• Designing and facilitating workshops focused on innovative and inclusive teaching practices.
• Expanding humanities faculty and student participation in Ohio Wesleyan's Summer Scholarship and Research Program, which pairs students with faculty mentors for intensive, original research.
• Co-creating and leading two faculty mentoring initiatives - one for first-year faculty and one for pre-tenure assistant and associate professors.
• Developing a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project that supports faculty in studying and strengthening their own teaching, with outcomes that contribute to professional presentations and publications.

Together, these initiatives position the Smith Center as a catalyst for continuous improvement in teaching and student success.

Investing Strategically in Faculty Excellence

Ohio Wesleyan announced the Smith Center for Faculty Excellence in October, following a $10 million philanthropic commitment from Katherine Boles Smith, OWU Class of 1971, and Alton Smith of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The couple's gift renamed and elevated the university's former Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, launched in 2024, signaling OWU's long-term commitment to faculty as the cornerstone of educational excellence.

OWU President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D., said, "The Smith Center exemplifies our commitment to elevating faculty excellence and student success. With leaders like Dr. Barb Bird and Dr. Andrea Colvin driving innovation, OWU is advancing the science and craft of teaching, ensuring that every student benefits from educators who are supported, inspired, and equipped to make learning transformative."

Collaborating to Improve Teaching and Learning

As a GLCA Academic Leadership Fellow, Colvin will collaborate with faculty leaders from nine other GLCA member institutions, sharing insights, testing new approaches, and contributing to a broader conversation about how colleges can strengthen teaching and learning at scale.

Colvin, who joined Ohio Wesleyan's faculty in 2009, is an associate professor of Spanish, chair of the Department of World Languages & Cultures, and director of the Latin American and Latine Studies Program.

"I'm honored to be selected as a GLCA Academic Leadership Fellow and grateful for Ohio Wesleyan's investment in faculty development," Colvin said. "This fellowship comes at a pivotal moment for the Smith Center for Faculty Excellence. I'm excited to collaborate with Barb Bird as well as colleagues at OWU and across peer institutions to expand mentoring, support reflective teaching practices, and build structures that help faculty thrive - because when faculty are supported, students benefit in powerful ways."

Using Philanthropy as a Catalyst for Faculty and Student Success

Katherine Boles Smith, a former high school English teacher, emphasized the importance of sustained investment in faculty and teaching.

"We have always been impressed with the faculty's commitment to teaching," she said. "They do an excellent job! We are excited about the ever-expanding initiatives at the Smith Center. They will provide useful skills and knowledge that will only enhance our faculty's craft and professional growth. OWU's students, of course, will be the ultimate beneficiaries."

Achieving a Broader Vision

Colvin's fellowship represents more than an individual appointment - it reflects Ohio Wesleyan's broader strategy to elevate teaching, support faculty at every career stage, and ensure students benefit from engaged, innovative educators.

With the Smith Center and national partnerships such as the GLCA fellowship, Ohio Wesleyan continues to build a comprehensive system that strengthens learning, advances faculty leadership, and reinforces the university's mission to prepare students for lives of purpose and impact.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.