Center for Teaching Excellence Executive Director Stacy Grooters has been elected as incoming president of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, a national organization for educational developers such as those working in university teaching centers.
Stacy Grooters (Caitlin Cunningham)
Grooters was chosen by the organization’s Core Committee to serve a three-year term—as president-elect, president, and then past president—beginning in June.
The POD Network is North America’s largest educational development community, supporting more than 1,500 members representing several hundred colleges and universities throughout the United States and more than 30 countries.
“The POD Network has been invaluable to me as I have come to understand the field, to do my own work, and to connect with others,” said Grooters, who became CTE executive director in 2020. “Its culture of collaborative leadership has really helped inform my own development as a leader.”
Since joining the POD Network in 2006, Grooters has presented at the organization’s annual conferences, received two grants, and held leadership roles such as chair of the diversity committee.
As Grooters prepares to step into her new role, she identifies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization as one of her top priorities.
“One of the reasons I chose to put myself up for this leadership position at this point is because right now, POD is having a lot of really important conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization,” said Grooters. “POD has always seen questions of inclusion, access, and diversity as core to its identity, but like a lot of organizations, it’s still figuring out how to do that. I’m really excited to be able to step in and help make sure that we follow through on that effort and that we make meaningful change from it.”
Woods College of Advancing Studies Dean Karen Muncaster praised Grooters on her appointment. “It’s so impressive that Stacy Grooters has been appointed as the new president of the POD Network, which is one of the largest and oldest organizations dedicated to educational development in the world. It not only reflects well on Stacy and the esteem in which she is held by the members who represent hundreds of colleges and universities, but it highlights the importance of quality, evidence-based teaching at BC.”
Christine Balquist | University Communications | February 2022