The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) congratulates Therese Clarke Arado and Susan Bowers, the 2024 winners of the Excellence in Online Teaching Award.
Arado is deputy director of the Law Library and professor in the College of Law. Bowers is associate professor of Family and Consumer Sciences in the College of Health and Human Sciences
Established in 2021, this award encourages and honors outstanding online and hybrid teaching at NIU. The award recognizes faculty and instructors whose performance exemplifies a commitment to excellence in online teaching, course development and student engagement.
Arado and Bowers both will be recognized with a plaque and a $2,000 one-time stipend.
Therese Clarke Arado
Therese Clark Arado
Audrey Tobyas credits Therese Clarke Arado for helping her earn a Juris Doctor degree from NIU College of Law.
“I began law school in fall 2020, when schools were still remote due to the pandemic. I had never participated in an online class before law school and was returning to academia after a three-year gap. To say I was petrified is an understatement,” Tobyas said. “My success in law school is due, in part, to Professor Arado’s kindness, wisdom and commitment to her students.”
Tobyas adds that Arado helped her identify resources to assist her in completing coursework and research, while contributing to her success as an online student.
“Professor Arado went above and beyond to connect us with resources we may never have known about. These resources helped students to better understand complex material, earn better grades and gain confidence while navigating online education,” Tobyas said.
Heidi Frostestad, associate dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Law and director of the Law Library, recalls Arado’s leadership during some of the more challenging times of the pandemic.
“Therese became a true hero when we shifted to online learning at the start of the pandemic,” Frostestad said. “Many faculty never planned to be online teachers, but throughout the fully remote learning period, Therese provided fellow faculty members with university materials and resources, shared course materials and conducted online brown bag sessions to familiarize us with the online teaching world.”
Frostestad notes that Arado is always available to students if they have questions, while being supportive and helping them learn and grow as future lawyers.
“Therese has been an incredible resource for our college. She has taken it upon herself to become an expert in the technology our university uses to ensure that our college can provide the best resources for our students,” said Cassandra Hill, dean of NIU’s College of Law. “Whether it is helping a colleague navigate a Blackboard page or providing detailed guidance about online teaching, Therese is an invaluable member of our team.”
Arado has impacted the quality of online teaching and learning at NIU by supporting effective use of Blackboard Ultra Course View, a simpler and more modern course experience for instructors and students. She was an early adopter of this platform at NIU and served as an Ultra Ambassador, mentoring faculty members as they transitioned to using this resource.
“Therese is a leader and role model for online teaching and learning, not only within her college but across the institution,” said Stephanie Richter, director of Teaching Excellence and Support for CITL. “She is the epitome of being innovative while simultaneously being thoughtful and deliberate about the pedagogies and technologies she uses in her online teaching.”
Susan Bowers
As a non-traditional student returning to her education after a 10-year break, Olivia Gilkey admits she had some concerns. She credits Susan Bowers with offering a course that was clearly laid out, providing useful feedback and for being available to answer questions in a timely manner.
“Dr. Bowers has impacted my education by being a positive influence. When I was concerned about how I was doing, she was quick to point out my strengths and encouraged me to continue with studies or research that I was interested in,” Gilkey said. “Dr. Bowers deserves to earn this award for her patient and caring nature for her students, her well-thought-out teaching methods and for being an outstanding instructor.”
Jazmin Gonzalez, one of Bowers’ former graduate students, echoes these sentiments and notes that Bowers provided clear expectations while offering support along the way, to further her educational experience.
“Dr. Bowers created a safe online learning environment which encouraged student participation and motivation to grasp rigorous course content, especially at the graduate level,” Gonzalez said. “Dr. Bowers had a significant impact on our involvement as online students. The outside-the-box discussion formats, coupled with responsive and personalized feedback, created a collaborative and interactive virtual learning environment.”
Gonzalez credits Bowers’ proactive approach to inclusivity in online education, noting the time Bowers spent in spring 2022 making courses more accessible. In addition, Bowers worked diligently to enhance students’ online research options.
“Dr. Bowers’ involvement in creating an immersive video of the Child Development and Family Center showcased her commitment to advancing research opportunities in online education,” Gonzalez said. “She has seamlessly translated her expertise into an engaging online format, creating a virtual classroom that fosters active participation and meaningful discussions. This innovative approach, coupled with her commitment to continuous improvement, has significantly elevated the online learning experience.”
Florensia Surjadi, associate professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and faculty associate for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, describes Bowers as a pioneer of online learning in the college.
“She has developed, revised and continuously updated her online teaching pedagogy over the years and has never shied away from innovative teaching ideas and approaches,” Surjadi said. “As a demonstration of her innovation in online course development and delivery of for-credit courses, her work at NIU has been translated into various online curricula and content revisions, including assessment practices that currently are implemented in our Child Development courses and the Human Development and Family Sciences programs.”
Bowers has made a significant impact on students through responsive and personalized feedback and an outside-the-box asynchronous discussion format where students talk to each other in small groups.
“Dr. Bowers uses groups and manages project work effectively. Her students have expressed that they find these activities relevant to real world experiences,” said Tracy Miller, director of Instructional Design and Development. “She is a present faculty member for her students and initiates regular and substantive interaction, including providing timely feedback and well-crafted discussion boards that get students talking.”
