http://SLN.suny.edu/teachingsurvey
Acceptance notes for the
NUTN2009 Innovation in Distance Learning Award
Alexandra M. Pickett
Associate Director . SUNY Learning Network . State University Plaza . Albany, NY 12246 . T: 1.518.443.5622 F: 1.518.443.5167 alexandra.pickett@sln.suny.edu .
http://sln.suny.edu
I feel like a rock star! This is so cool!!
The only thing missing is my little daughter Isa. I thank her and my husband,
even though they don’t know what I do, for the patience with me for being late all
the time because of all the time I spend on the computer and at work.
I would like to first thank Mel and the awards committee for recognizing me, the
SUNY Learning Network, and the SLN experienced online faculty survey with the
honor of this award. I would also like to thank the planning committee: Joeann
Humbert, Patti Jennings, Kim Scalzo, Karen Vignare, & Connie Grega and all the
organizers of the NUTN conference for this wonderful program this year here in
Saratoga.
I’d also like to thank and acknowledge a few others without whom this survey
would not have been possible.
The office of the SUNY Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for 15
years of leadership, vision, wisdom, and recognition of the value of supporting
online teaching and learning at the SUNY system level through the SUNY
Learning Network.
The Sloan Foundation and Frank Mayadas for his vision and tireless efforts to
cultivate, challenge, and promote ALNs like SLN in countless ways and without
whose generous support SLN (and I) would not exist.
The director of SLN, Carey Hatch, for his leadership of SLN as a SUNY-wide
program, for his recognition of technology in the service of instruction, and for
supporting an environment at SLN in which research, creativity, and innovation –
like the survey - can flourish.
Alexandra M. Pickett . NUTN Innovation Award 2009 . http://144.162.197.249/awards/deia.html . June 23, 2009, Saratoga Springs, NY.

The authors of the community of inquiry model, Randy Garrison (University of
Calgary), Terry Anderson (Athabasca University), & Walter Archer (University of
Alberta) on which the survey is based.
My friend and research partner Dr. Peter Shea who is responsible for crafting the
questions on the survey, SLN’s research agenda, the theoretical framework on
which we have built all facets of our program, and for giving me the opportunity to
turn theory and research findings into practice in the SLN faculty development
program – an example of which is the survey.
My staff and lead trainer, Bill Pelz, for their contributions, insights, and assistance
in promoting our “iterate and evolve” approach to faculty and online course
development, for piloting and refining effective practice recommendations in
online instructional design and course management, and for their significant roles
in taking the survey around the state in our efforts to train and disseminate
information on how to effectively cultivate teaching presence and class
community in online.
The SLN applications development team for work on the survey, and namely
Doug Cohen, who has always been able to translate what is in my head into
code that works and scales - and all SLN staff that work to ensure that our
faculty, campuses, and students are well supported.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge our SUNY campuses and their leadership,
our extended family of SUNY online campus-based instructional designers,
directors of online learning, and staff with whom we work so closely in our joint
efforts to inform and influence the quality of online instruction and the teaching
and learning environments and experiences of online SUNY faculty and students.
I do feel like a rock star! The truth is though that the real rock stars are the
thousands of SUNY online faculty that use the survey and give us the privilege of
working with them and supporting them, and have provided us the opportunity to
observe, learn from, and share everything we have learned from them.
So I invite you to use the SLN survey to improve the quality of your online
courses, and on behalf of SUNY, SLN, and all our online faculty, I thank you and
accept this award.
http://sln.suny.edu/teachingsurvey
Alexandra M. Pickett . NUTN Innovation Award 2009 . http://144.162.197.249/awards/deia.html . June 23, 2009, Saratoga Springs, NY.