Relay Faculty and Instructional Staff

At Relay, the teaching faculty have the primary responsibilities of facilitating engaging and thoughtful instruction, designing educator preparation curriculum, evaluating student performance, conducting classroom observations, and providing student support. The instructional staff support the design and implementation of the teacher preparation programs in service of students and faculty.

Program/Managing Directors
Program/Managing Directors lead teams of Senior Managers, Managers, and Coordinators to implement cross-team and cross-functional initiatives in support of student and faculty success.

Instructional Design and Technology Support
The Instructional Design and Technology team is responsible for creating and maintaining curricular design processes, tools, and templates to ensure alignment across departments. The team builds and maintains all coursework with the learning management system (ie. Canvas) including course blueprints and rubrics. The Instructional Design and Technology team implements best practices in instructional design and ensures accessibility for all students in both synchronous and asynchronous coursework. In addition, the team partners with the academic compliance team to curate historical records regarding standards alignment and continuous improvement.

Library and Instructional Media Support
The Library and Instructional Media department supports the learning, teaching, research, and information needs of the Relay community by providing quality collections (including both texts and video), effective instruction, and exemplary services. The Relay Library curates an information and video collection that supports the curricular and research needs of the Relay community, collaborates with curriculum design faculty in integrating information and digital literacy across the curriculum, and assists and instructs faculty,
students, and staff in efficiently finding, effectively, ethically, and legally using, and critically evaluating information. Instructional Media colleagues collaborate with curriculum design faculty to produce video content and imagery in support of Relay's curriculum and manage Relay's video library to ensure that it is easily accessible and aligned with Relay's instructional goals.

Instructional Operations Support
The Instructional Operations team is responsible for cross-functional coordination and communication in support of a positive student experience at Relay. Members of the Instructional Operations team engage with departments across the institution to ensure alignment, efficiency, and continual improvement of processes and systems. This team also directly supports faculty in all non-instructional aspects of their responsibilities.

Deans, Teacher Preparation
Deans lead institutional initiatives and provide critical input to Relay’s overall approach to teacher preparation. They ensure the student experience within a region and/or department. They support department heads and faculty in diverse ways, including and not limited to observations and/or guest teaching. Reporting to the Vice Provost of Teacher Preparation, they develop, inform, and implement a data-informed strategic plan for faculty support and development aligned to the mission and vision of the institution.

Department Chairs
Department Chairs are responsible for programmatic and design leadership and student experience within the department courses and/or regions. They manage the review of courses within their department to ensure alignment to applicable national, state, and content standards. The Department Chair manages all faculty teaching within the department/region and is responsible for teaching at least one course per term. Department Chairs report to a Dean.

Directors, Clinical Practice
Directors, Clinical Practice serve as the local instructional lead in the region. They oversee and direct program implementation in compliance with state regulations and oversee support for all students as they progress through the educator preparation programs in their state. Directors, Clinical Practice typically teach, observe, coach, and grade assessments. To ensure strong school-based support for all Relay students (residents and/or non-residents), Directors, Clinical Practice collaborate and communicate with school-based mentors to ensure student success. They build strong relationships with external partners (e.g., school or programmatic partners) in collaboration with the location director, providing periodic instructional and student progress updates. In addition, they ensure collaboration between certification officers, advisors, and local faculty to ensure student support. Directors, Clinical Practice report to Department Chairs.

Professors
Professors’ responsibilities include teaching multiple courses, evaluating students’ coursework (e.g.,
assessments, observations, reflection journals, etc.), and providing student support. In addition, Professors
have managerial responsibilities in supporting assistant professors, adjuncts, and/or local field supervisors.
Professors of Clinical Practice also have local leadership responsibilities such as supporting the local Director, Clinical Practice with instructional partnerships or compliance with state regulations.

Professors, Curriculum Design
Curriculum-design faculty members create and revise Relay’s curriculum. They are experienced PK–12
teachers and/or school leaders with deep expertise in their respective area of focus. Curriculum-design
faculty members teach courses in addition to their curriculum-design responsibilities. They manage any
part-time design consultants that may be hired to support curriculum design priorities, preview courses and
lead assessment norming across the departments.

Assistant Professors, Clinical Practice
Assistant professors of clinical practice teach multiple courses and provide associated student coaching and
support via observations and ongoing feedback. Assistant professors generally have one to two areas of
specialty such as supporting teachers of exceptional learners or teaching residents.

Adjunct Professors
Relay’s adjunct professors are part-time faculty members who teach courses or full-time faculty members
who teach outside of their department. Adjunct professors are often current PK–12 teachers and/or school
leaders. All adjunct professors have expertise within the courses they are selected to teach and all adjunct
professors have graduate degrees. In addition to instruction, adjunct professors evaluate students’
assessments and provide student support throughout the course.

Field Supervisors
Field Supervisors partner with professors to assist with observing, coaching, and supporting students toward their certification requirements. Much like other members of faculty, these individuals have experience in PK–12 classrooms and possess a graduate degree.