
Reaching New Heights
New York Tech’s Innovation in Action Plan supercharges teaching, learning, and community.
They meet in groups of five or six, faculty and staff members representing a swath of the New York Tech academic experience. Each community comes together with a singular purpose: to learn how to become better teachers and stronger supporters of student success at one of the nation’s most diverse institutions of higher learning.
The Communities of Practice, as the groups are called, are at the heart of a larger five-year strategic action plan—New York Tech: Innovation in Action—also called the Strategic Action Plan, whose four priority areas not only support teaching excellence at New York Tech, but also promote an “enhanced” student experience outside the classroom.
The Communities of Practice align with a priority to drive innovation and discovery with diverse talent. The three other priority areas include optimize student success, sharpen institutional identity, and fortify institutional viability (in part, by engaging in innovative community partnerships).
Innovation in Action kicked off in 2022. The Communities of Practice started meeting last year. To date, more than 40 faculty and staff members have joined one of eight independently operating communities. Administrators are hoping to expand the number by publicizing their presence more widely this year in the form of emails, digital signage, and announcements at meetings, says Francine Glazer, Ph.D., associate provost and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning.
The communities allow professors to share success stories and thereby nurture excellence in their colleagues. They meet weekly or monthly to discuss effective practices and support one another.
“There’s a lot of research out there that says change comes from talking with a trusted colleague, like at the water cooler, where someone says, ‘Hey, I’ve been trying this,’” Glazer says. “People came together in these communities who didn’t previously know each other, and they built relationships.”
This article originally appeared in the spring/summer 2024 issue of New York Institute of Technology Magazine.
By Andrew Faught
People came together in these communities who didn’t previously know each other, and they built relationships.
Francine Glazer, Ph.D., associate provost and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning
More News

Feeling Like Herself Again
For Disability Pride Month, Director of HEOP Rachel Morrison, M.S.Ed. (M.S. ’15), talks about the moment she realized she had become disabled, how she struggled to embrace her identity as a person with multiple disabilities, and how ultimately identifying with that title helped her feel like herself again.

Medical Student Recognized for Cardiovascular Research
NYITCOM student Jac Lun Lin will investigate how reduced levels of testosterone put men at a higher risk for developing vascular metabolic complications.

$1 Million Grant Supports the Institute for Design Research and Innovation at the School of Architecture and Design
The three-year IDC Foundation grant supports the establishment of the IDC Institute for Design Research and Innovation, creating an integrated ecosystem of the school’s facilities, labs, and centers on the Long Island and New York City campuses.

This Summer, Don’t Let Dehydration Ruin Your Workout
Sports medicine physician Hallie Zwibel, D.O., shares tips to stay hydrated during summer exercise.

The Ferrara Center for Patient Safety and Clinical Simulation Achieves Full Accreditation in Human Simulation
The center received full accreditation from the Association of Standardized Patient Educators, joining an elite group of institutions dedicated to advancing the science and art of simulation-based education for future healthcare professionals.

Dedicated to the Pursuit of Knowledge
Students and alumni from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Health Professions, and College of Osteopathic Medicine shared research findings at impressive industry conferences.