NAU-Yuma to offer community college teaching certificate

Credential also includes learning component

People interested in teaching at the community college level will be able to earn a teaching and learning certificate to do so through Northern Arizona University-Yuma starting this fall.

The Community College Teaching and Learning Graduate Certificate, which consists of 12 credits, is designed for individuals with master’s degrees pursuing teaching opportunities at the community college or higher education level, the school said in a news release. The certificate curriculum will provide a set of skills and learning outcomes around teaching and learning and working with adult students.

Adjunct faculty members are hired by colleges because they possess technical skills and practical knowledge that benefit students, the release said. Through this certificate program, potential or current faculty members can supplement their expertise and workplace experiences through knowledge gained in teaching and learning.

The coursework in the certificate program will supplement an individual’s practical and technical skills in their fields of expertise with community college organizational knowledge, curriculum design, college teaching, and an understanding of the characteristics of today’s community college student.

The first six credits of the certificate program will be offered this fall at the AWC/NAU-Yuma campus. Federal financial aid can be used for this certificate.

For more information contact Russell Prust, Chair of the NAU-Yuma Education Department, at (928) 317-7621 or russell. prust@nau.edu.