University Requirements
According to ACU’s Tenure & Promotion Guidelines, “A faculty member’s service is directly related to the university’s mission statement. Service should grow out of his or her academic and professional commitments, as well as out of a generous understanding of Christian discipleship. Service may extend to the profession, the university or its constituent parts, the church, and/or the community.”
- Advisory and consultative positions
- Holding an office or chair
- Committee memberships and work
- Administrative responsibilities
- Student organization sponsorships
- Service awards
Reflection
Reflection on Service
As a faculty member, service to the institution is an essential aspect of my responsibilities, and I am honored to have made significant contributions to the university during my time here. In this reflection, I will highlight my service to the institution, which is integral to my promotion and tenure candidacy.
In 2022, I was recognized with the Colleague Service Award from the College of Arts and Sciences for serving as interim chair of the Department of Art and Design and as director of Cornerstone. During my tenure as interim chair, I worked closely with the department faculty and oversaw the successful execution of multiple initiatives from capital funds projects to maintaining department safety standards and standing with OSHA, to creating Covid-19 protocols for the department. As the director of Cornerstone for seven years, I contributed to the development and growth of one of our university’s premier experiences for students. In 2022, ACU was ranked #8 by US News and World Report in the category of First Year Experiences.
In addition to my service award from the College of Arts and Sciences, I was also recognized with the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Service for my participation in the Mission Implementation Team for our work planning the institution’s Covid-19 academic response. As a member of this team, I worked diligently to ensure that the university’s response to the pandemic was consistent with our mission and values. It was an honor to be hand-selected by the president of the university to serve on this committee, and I am proud of all that we accomplished.
Beyond these two notable awards, I have also served the university in various capacities. As associate dean of Honors, I have been instrumental in developing and executing the college’s strategic plan. This has involved overseeing the establishment of our first ACU Living Learning Community, leading the initiative to grow the college’s ethnic and racial diversity, developing more high impact experiential learning opportunities for students (such as our new Oxford Study Abroad program), and designing our new Honors Track Designation program with opportunities for students to gain expertise in one of four fields of study: Design Thinking and Innovation, Social and Environmental Justice, Global Service and Leadership, and Research and Scholarship. Furthermore, as assistant chair of the Department of Art and Design for four years, my contributions played a crucial role in the department’s continued success. In this role, I oversaw the assessment of our majors, oversaw capital projects, assisted with planning and organization of departmental events, and functioned as the department library liaison. My biggest contribution was in overseeing assessment and Program Review.
In addition to my administrative roles, I have also served on many committees at ACU, including the Undergrad Research, Innovation, and Creativity Festival Committee, University Spiritual Formation Implementation Team, and the Plagiarism Technology Committee to name a few. I served as the chair of the Honors Advisory Committee prior to becoming associate dean in 2023 and I worked as a faculty mentor for the student group Seekers of the Word for several years. Currently, I am a faculty liaison for Alpha Chi Honor Society and the faculty mentor for the Honors Student Council. Through my participation in these committees, I have contributed to the university’s academic and administrative goals and have gained valuable insights into various aspects of the institution.
In conclusion, my service to the institution has been an essential aspect of my academic career. I am proud to have received recognition for my service. My contributions as interim chair of the Department of Art and Design, associate dean of honors, director of Cornerstone, and assistant chair of the Department of Art and Design have been instrumental in enhancing the university’s academic reputation and fostering a culture of excellence. I look forward to continuing my service to the institution and contributing to its ongoing success.
Awards
University
Provost’s Award for Excellence in Service, Mission Implementation Team // 2021
In the Summer of 2020, the Provost appointed campus leaders to serve on one of three teams to help develop the university’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic; the Mission Implementation Team (on which I served), the Fall Contingency Planning Committee, and the Campus Health and Safety Team. We met every weekday throughout the summer collecting data, developing content, procuring resources, and leading work sessions. Because of our service, in the spring of 2021 we awarded the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Service. This award is a yearly award given by the Provost’s office to recognize faculty members for their excellent service provided to the university.
College
Colleague Service Award, ACU College of Arts and Sciences // 2022
Below is the text that was written by the dean and read at the presentation ceremony in which this award was given:
“This year’s Colleague Service Award goes to a faculty member who has had a dual assignment for a number of years. Along with being an excellent classroom teacher – whose students recognize both high expectations and a good sense of humor – he also directs one of the most impactful curricular programs we offer at the University. He served in the chair role for a semester during a faculty renewal leave, much to the acclaim and support of his colleagues. Gathering faculty from across the the university to teach Freshmen students, he has coached speakers in engaging with students, orchestrated the connection of video and online support of content, overseen assessment of dozens of sections, and (for the last two years) navigated the challenging question of where to house 500 students in an environment of social distancing for the Cornerstone Class. This year’s colleague service award goes to Trey Shirley.”
— Dr. Greg Straughn, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
SERVICE ACTIVITIES
University
Associate Dean of the Honors College, Abilene Christian University // 2023-Present
Starting in the summer of 2022, I was brought on to take over the role of Associate Dean of the Honors College following Dr. Tracy Schillcut’s retirement at the end of the year. Since coming on board partially in the fall of 2022 and fully in the spring of 2023, I have taken leadership on a number of projects and initiatives. My primary role in this position is to serve as the Academic manager for the college, overseeing curriculum and credentialing, addressing issues with students, approving Honors Contracts, leading the Honors colloquium committee, and serving as the College representative to the Vice Provost’s Cabinet. In addition to my academic management responsibilities, I oversee the Living Learning Community in Wessel Hall, oversee the Honors Student Council, serve on Fulbright and McNair Committees, and am the liaison for Honors with the Alpha Chi Honors Society.
Since taking on this role, I have worked closely with Dr. Morris to enact a number of significant initiatives. In the fall of 2022, Dr. Morris and I wrote our Strategic Plan for the College. In the plan, we outline six strategic initiatives we are seeking to develop. The specific initiatives I have been placed in charge of include increasing enrollment, a brand overhaul of the college, and developing an Honors Track Designation program.
Cornerstone Director, Abilene Christian University // 2016-2022
In this role, I provided leadership in developing, evaluating, and maintaining a curriculum that prepares students for success and meets the learning objectives for Cornerstone. I oversaw the production of the weekly Spotlight presentations by scheduling and equipping Spotlight speakers, arranging pre-Spotlight planning sessions and technical rehearsals, directing videographers, sound technicians, slide operators, and the emcee, and serving as the stage manager, setting up the props and set design. I also collaborated with Cornerstone textbook authors, editors, and designers, chaired the Cornerstone Advisory Committee, and worked with the assessment team and Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Cornerstone assessment team. Finally, I oversaw course curriculum, managing the Canvas Blueprint, training faculty, meeting with invested third parties (such as the Department of Theatre or Wildcat Week organizers) and sharing course materials through the shared course folder.
Beginning in 2020, the first year in which the US News and World Report began to evaluate First Year Experiences, ACU was Ranked in the top 10 nationwide. This feat was repeated in 2021 and again in 2022.
Mission and Implementation Team, Abilene Christian University // 2020
Responding to the uncharted territory created by the Covid-19 global pandemic, in the summer of 2020, I was one of five faculty members selected by the senior leaders to serve on the University Mission and Implementation team. The work of this team focused on creating a set of characteristics that define and differentiate courses at ACU by establishing measures of quality, designing and building a set of course templates, and creating financial models for online delivery. Below, you can see the results of our work:
Alpha Chi Honors Society // 2022-Present
Faculty Advisor
Beginning in the fall of 2022, I began as a faculty advisor for ACU’s chapter of Alpha Chi. Alpha Chi is a national, intercollegiate honor society that exists to equip students to make, collaborate, and present original research. In the spring of 2023, I drove 8 undergraduate and graduate students to the national conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico along with Drs. Darby Hewitt and Jennifer Huddleston. I helped our students prepare for their presentations, and served as a judge for three different arts-based research competitions.
ACU Honors Student Council // 2023-Present
Faculty Sponsor
Beginning in the spring of 2023, I took over as the faculty sponsor for the Honors Student Council. We met weekly throughout the semester. The group divided into two teams: one focused on creating a presentation that they gave to the Honors College leadership team and the other planned an all-Honors College end of semester event. The event was very well attended (we had over 100 show up) and widely considered a success by all on the Council.
Cornerstone Advisory Council, Abilene Christian University // 2014-2022
Committee Chair, 2016-2022
This committee meets during the Spring semester to plan curriculum and strategize for the fall. I began serving on this team in 2014 as a Cornerstone instructor and became the chair after my appointment to the Cornerstone Director’s role in 2016. In this committee, we collect and analyze student and faculty feedback on the course, design curriculum, strategize class flow, and develop assessments to measure performance.
Undergraduate Research, Innovation, and Creativity Festival Committee, Abilene Christian University // 2021-2023
The Undergraduate Research, Innovation, and Creativity Committee assists with the planning, marketing, and recruitment for the Research Festival. As a member of the Department of Art + Design, I was brought on to help develop a plan for integrating the arts into to the Festival with its renaming as a space for presentation of “research, innovation, AND creativity.” This is a three-year appointment.
Honors College Advisory Committee, Abilene Christian University // 2016-2022
Committee Chair, 2018-2022
The Honors College Advisory Committee is a University Faculty Committee that makes advisory recommendations to the Dean of the Honors College on courses and curriculum and assists in the development of programmatic growth and standards of the Honors program. During my time in this role, I worked closely with Drs. Jason Morris and Tracy Shilcutt to develop and implement strategic visions for the Honors College. This included plans for developing an Honors living and learning community, now being brought to fruition in the new Wessel Hall, evaluations of Honors Colloquia criteria, and plans for ramping up student applications for major research awards.
New Student Orientation and Wildcat Week Leadership Team, Abilene Christian University // 2016-2021
This team met four to five times a semester to review New Student Orientation and Wildcat Week schedules, activities and student experiences. I worked closely with both NSO and WW leadership in this committee to coordinate Cornerstone’s role in the first year experience.
University Spiritual Formation Implementation Team , Abilene Christian University // 2019-20
Beginning in 2019, President Schubert and the Senior Leadership team asked Drs. Amanda Pittman and Cliff Barbarick to convene a one year committee tasked with developing a broader framework or “architecture” for the diverse spiritual formation efforts on campus, working across both academic and co-curricular elements of campus life. The aim was to more effectively and consistently invite students into deep, holistic, and intentional experiences of spiritual formation across their years on campus. Over the course of that academic year, the committee developed a plan for implementing a new framework for Spiritual Formation across campus. I also created the final design for the Integrated Spiritual Formation Plan that was used to promote the program around campus.
Spiritual Formation Working Group , Abilene Christian University // 2020
In addition to serving on the University Spiritual Formation Implementation Team, I was also asked to serve on the Spiritual Formation Working Group. This group met eight times over the course of the Spring Semester and focused on specific aspects of the plan. Together with Chris Riley, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, we worked to design and develop out the plan for the first year spiritual formation experience.
Seekers of the Word, Faculty Advisor, Abilene Christian University // 2016-2020
Faculty Advisor
For several years, I co-advised Seekers of the Word drama ministry with Melinda Isbell. Our roles involved attending weekly practices and chapels, overseeing travel for performances, and keeping the club in good standing with the university.
StrengthsFinder Advisory Team, Abilene Christian University // 2016-17
This committee was put together in 2016 to plan strategies for implementing Strengths into the curriculum broadly at ACU. In 2017, through a partnership between Student Life, the First Year Program, and Cornerstone, we brought in Dr. Laurie Schreiner from Azusa Pacific University to lead a workshop on student success through the Adams Center. Strengths are now widely implemented in Cornerstone and Wildcat Week.
Launching the Venture Faculty Mentor, Abilene Christian University // 2017, 2018
This was a semester-long course, taught by Jim Litton, that met weekly to guide student entrepreneurs through exercises to launch their own business enterprises. At the end of the year, entrepreneur teams present their products to a panel of investors and the winners are awarded a $10,000 startup grant to launch their products. I served as one of the coaches that met with students and advised them as they developed their products and pitches.
Cornerstone Digital Syllabus Subcommittee, Abilene Christian University // 2015-16
Subcommittee Chair, 2015, 16
Prior to being hired as Cornerstone Director, I served on this subcommittee and designed a digital syllabus for Cornerstone that could be paired with the Cornerstone Textbook. The digital syllabus was designed as an ePub. Although the ePub syllabus was discontinued in 2016 with the transition to Canvas, the groundwork created by this project laid the foundation for the present Canvas Blueprint syllabus.
Plagiarism Technology Committee, Abilene Christian University // 2014-15
This committee was convened to research different plagiarism technologies and eventually presented a list of recommendations to the Provost. As a result of this committee’s work, Turnitin was adopted by the university.
Fulbright Scholarship Review Board, Abilene Christian University // 2014
This review board met with students applying for Fulbright scholarships and provided advice and strategies for students to receive awards.
Faculty Senator, Wayland Baptist University // 2012-2013
For one year I served as the Art and Design faculty senator at Wayland Baptist University. During our time, we revised the General Education curriculum and advocated for higher pay for adjunct faculty.
University Technology Oversight Committee, Wayland Baptist University // 2011-2013
This committee assessed the university’s technology needs and made recommendations for the technology budget.
Faculty Core Curriculum Workgroup, Wayland Baptist University // 2011-13
This committee assessed the university’s general education requirements. I was put in charge of designing graphics that visualized the system of the new Core Curriculum.
Campus Improvement Committee, Lubbock Christian University // 2010-11
This committee worked on a number of projects related to enhancing the university’s physical appearance. I helped bring in Jack Maxwell for a large-scale sculptural project similar to Jacob’s Dream for LCU’s campus. The project is still in the production and fund-raising stages.
Quality Enhancement Plan Advisory Committee, Lubbock Christian University // 2009-2010
This committee served as a follow up to the institution of the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan to strategize methods of promoting the campaign. The committee sponsored a number of events and I was put in charge of creating graphics and an advertising campaign centered around the QEP’s message of “Thinking through writing.”
Admissions Marketing Advisory Committee, Lubbock Christian University // 2007-2011
This committee met regularly to plan the deliverable components of the university’s marketing strategy for new students. As the brand manager for the university, I was put in charge of overseeing all of the designs, which included over 30 print pieces, radio and television commercial advertisements, and web and social media marketing.
Commencement Planning Committee, Lubbock Christian University // 2006-2011
This committee met several times a year to prepare for the university’s semi-annual commencement. One of my responsibilities included designing the gonfalons for the faculty processional and the programs for the ceremony.
University Presentations
“Building on the Cornerstone: Imagining Our Future with CRISPR.” Spotlight Presentation for the Abilene Christian University Cornerstone Course, Abilene, TX. // 2016-2023
Adobe Stock Session: Images for Equity, AC Classroom, Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, “Integrating Spiritual Formation in the Classroom” with Amos Gutierrez and Joyce Haley // 2021
Digital Scholars Grant Recipient Presentation, Abilene Christian University, Scholars Lab, “Integrating Eye Tracking into a Foundations Design Course as a Tool to Enhance Student Approaches to Guiding Viewer Eye Path” // 2020
New Faculty Orientation, Abilene Christian University, Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, “Integrating Spiritual Formation in the Classroom” with Jennifer Huddleston and Lory Chrane // 2020
Mission and Implementation Summer Training Sessions, Abilene Christian University, Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, “Assessments and Assignments” with Lory Chrane // 2020
Faculty Fusion, Abilene Christian University, Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, “How to Make it Stick in the Classroom,” with Phyllis Bolin, Karen Cukrowski, and Steve Hare. // 2015
SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS
Welcome
Summary
Curriculum Vitae
Support Materials
I. Teaching
Reflection on Teaching Effectiveness
University Requirements
Departmental Requirements
II. Scholarship
Reflection on Scholarship
Scholarship Inventory
Scholarship Highlights
III. Service
University Requirements
Departmental Requirements
IV. Collegiality
Reflection on Collegiality
Significant Partnerships and Collaborations