Muhlenberg College Appoints Lora Taub-Pervizpour as Dean for Digital Learning
Taub-Pervizpour will work on the continued development of online/blended courses that meet Muhlenberg’s highest standards of teaching and academic integrity, including courses for new Wescoe School of Continuing Education programs.
By: Bill Keller Friday, September 28, 2018 00:34 PM
Since 2013, Taub-Pervizpour, professor of media & communication, served as associate dean for digital learning, overseeing implementation of recommendations of a 2013 online task force report and helping the College chart a vision for digital learning in the liberal arts. The appointment of Taub-Pervizpour to full dean status reflects goals, as outlined in the College’s strategic plan, to strengthen engaged liberal arts learning and scholarship and to ensure students have strong digital literacy skills.
“Lora's new position provides the College deeper support for digital literacy across the curriculum and co-curriculum and gives her a leadership role in the development of quality online and blended programs in the Wescoe School,” says Kathleen Harring, provost. “I'm excited about the opportunities our faculty, staff and students will have and for the continued national attention Muhlenberg will garner for our work in the digital liberal arts.”
For the past several years, Taub-Pervizpour has provided leadership to the cross-departmental digital learning team, which empowers faculty and staff to support new and existing digital learning and scholarship initiatives.
In a recent article about institutional innovation, Inside Higher Ed highlighted the College’s efforts to expand digital learning—while remaining deeply rooted in the liberal arts and emphasizing close collaboration between students and professors. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently featured the digital learning team as well, citing the faculty-to-faculty mentoring and training program used by Muhlenberg educators as they create online versions of their courses.
“As dean, I look forward to supporting a talented and accomplished digital learning team as we continue to deepen our engagement with the digital liberal arts,” says Taub-Pervizpour. “Together with faculty and students, we are imagining new possibilities for teaching and learning that expand opportunities for both undergraduates in the liberal arts and adult and continuing learners in the Wescoe School. I couldn’t be happier that the College is making this long-term commitment to digital learning.”
Recent digital learning team projects include supporting independent student-faculty research, developing online/blended courses, integrating digital methods into curricular and co-curricular experiences and organizing faculty learning communities on spatial mapping, open educational resources and digital domains.
As a member of the provost's senior staff, Taub-Pervizpour will work closely across departments to identify and pursue opportunities for Muhlenberg to achieve its strategic plan focus on the integration of digital learning and scholarship across the institution.
About Muhlenberg College
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 23 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
