About SAALT
About SAALTSAALT or the Summer Academy for Adult Learning and Teaching was instituted by a core development team at USM in 2017 with funding support from the Adult Degree Completion Committee. The vision and mission of SAALT are supporting excellence in adult teaching within the University of Maine system while creating an avenue for meaningful collaboration among faculty members systemwide. Currently Rucha Modak, Sr. Learning Designer at USM’s Office of Online and Digital Learning Initiatives primarily oversees the annual gathering.
Mission
The Summer Academy for Adult Learning and Teaching (SAALT) is annually funded by the UMS Adult Degree Completion Committee or the ADC. This is a unique professional development opportunity available to full time and part time faculty members teaching at any UMS campus. This 4-day event takes place each summer partly remotely and partly on USM’s Portland campus.
SAALT provides a professional development experience designed to build a cadre of faculty across the system with the relationships and expertise necessary to develop and implement teaching and learning best practices for the adult non-traditional learner, and to further build a culture of collaboration to address academic needs of UMS students.
Program Outcomes
Participants will return to their respective campus with:
- Ideas and relationships with colleagues to provide catalysts for proposing new collaborations
- Practical, hands-on strategies to improve teaching for adult students