Rimmer Named
Director of Faculty Development Center

Dr. Tony Rimmer (Broadcast Journalism) accepted a three-year assignment as director of the CSUF Faculty Development Center. In his new position, Rimmer directs a staff of eight in the development of campus-wide programs that support faculty teaching, research and service. The office reports to the university’s vice president for Academic Affairs.

The FDC is located in Pollak Library South, with teaching labs and conference rooms where full-time and part-time faculty can take advantage of a wide range of workshops, include training in new classroom technologies and pedagogy.

Program highlights for the FDC in 2006 include training in major upgrades to Blackboard, the online learning system, and the introduction of podcasting whereby faculty can supplement their classroom teaching with materials students can access on their iPods outside the classroom.

The Faculty Development Center is also responsible for organizing several large-scale campus events, such as orientation for new faculty in response to the increase in hiring called for by President Milton Gordon, which is expected to bring upwards of 400 new full-time faculty over the next five years. Rimmer retains his position in the Department of Communications where he continues to teach a course in the department’s graduate program each semester.