Certifications

FSW faculty have the opportunity to complete professional development courses or workshops that lead to certifications. These courses are facilitated and or supported by the FSW community or partner organizations. Learn more about each certification using the links below.

FSW Online Certifications

Quality Matters (QM) Certifications

QM provides several professional development opportunities for online faculty, many of which certify faculty to contribute to the QM online course quality assurance process. In support of the College’s Mission and Strategic Direction to innovate online and distance education, FSW incentivizes online faculty participation in the QM process as outlined in the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA).

QM Course Reviewer Role Certifications

Peer Reviewer

A QM Certified Peer Reviewer is a faculty member that is eligible to serve as a reviewer in the QM Certification of an online course. In the review process, you and two other online faculty will review the design elements of an online course using the QM Higher Education Rubric. Throughout the process, reviewers use the rubric standards as a guide to provide helpful feedback on course design for the course creator. If you are interested in becoming a Certified Peer Reviewer, please submit the QM Online Workshop Enrollment Request. Please note that a prerequisite for this certification is the Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR) Workshop.

Master Reviewer

A QM Certified Master Reviewer is an online faculty member and experienced Peer Reviewer that is eligible to serve as the Team Chair in the QM Certification of an online course. In the QM review process, Team Chairs not only lead the review, but they also contribute to the review and serve as the liaison between the entire review team and the course creator. If you are interested in becoming a Certified Master Reviewer, please complete the QM Online Workshop Enrollment Request. Please note that a prerequisite for this certification includes completing the Peer Reviewer certification and having participated in two Official QM Course Reviews.

Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR) Workshop Facilitator

If your passion is teaching content rather than reviewing courses, you might want to consider becoming a certified Face-to-Face APPQMR Facilitator. This certification allows experienced online faculty to host APPQMR Workshops, where your colleagues can learn how to apply the standards of the QM Rubric to their own online courses. If you are interested in becoming a Certified APPQMR Facilitator, please fill out the QM Online Workshop Enrollment Request. Please note that a prerequisite for this certification includes completing the Peer Reviewer certification.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a skills-based training course that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. In the MHFA course, you will learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non crisis situations, and where to turn for help.   

After successfully completing the 2-hour online prework and the 5.5-hour Zoom training, participants will be certified as a Mental Health First-Aider and awarded a certificate from the National Council for Behavioral Health. The MHFA certification is valid for three years. 

Training Objectives:

Participants will be trained to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations using the ALGEE action plan:

  • Assess for suicide risk or harm
  • Listen nonjudgmentally
  • Give reassurance and information
  • Encourage appropriate professional help
  • Encourage self-help and other support strategies

More than 2 million people across the United States have been trained in Mental Health. Mental Health First Aiders are teachers, first responders, veterans, and anyone wanting to make their community healthier, happier, and safer for all.

Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom

Facilitated by Cornell University, Center for Teaching Innovation 

This a five-week, instructor-paced course that offers an inclusive teaching framework for reflection and exploration of the research on learning and diversity. Anchored in the lived experiences of students and faculty, it explores strategies for inclusive course design, student-centered pedagogical practices, facilitating learning across difference, and efforts that support student engagement, achievement, and belongingness. Email tlc@fsw.edu for future dates and registration information.