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Announcing Southern Connecticut State University's New Magna Commons Subscription

Magna Commons provides free, unlimited campus-wide access to more than 100 professional development seminars, with monthly updates and additions.

This month's new programs include:

  • Finding the Right Technology to Support Learning Outcomes. Sometimes blending classroom and online instruction can actually improve student performance while managing cost and maximizing student and instructor time. Adopting the right technology can lead to better learning outcomes. The challenge lies in identifying when technology is most useful and then determining what and how much of it to use. Find out how to evaluate available technologies as well as their applicability to various courses. Presenter: Ivan A. Shibley, Jr. (Ike) is associate professor of chemistry at Penn State Berks.
  • Extra Credit: An Undeserved Gift or a Second Chance to Learn? When a Teaching Professor blog post about extra credit generated a record response, Maryellen Weimer, Ph.D., knew the time was right to explore the often-controversial practice of giving students an unplanned opportunity to make up ground lost in earlier exams or assignments. In a special 30-minute online seminar on CD, she discusses the pros and cons of offering extra credit and shares video clips from four professors who offer their views. This seminar gives you new ways to think about your extra credit policies. Presenter: Maryellen Weimer has edited The Teaching Professor newsletter since 1987 and writes the Teaching Professor Blog.
  • Front Door Services to Attract & Graduate Adult Learners. The need for more adult learner focused programs at colleges and universities is indisputable. Our presenter will help you understand what you need to do to enroll and retain the market of adults who finished high school and never attempted college, those with some college and no degree, and adults desiring a career change. This seminar will describe what an informative adult learning focused website should do; how student online readiness tools can help students minimize fear, uncertainty and doubt; and how an adult concierge can provide critical support during the admissions, advising, and enrollment phases. Presenter: Luke Dowden is the Director of Distance Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Adult Learning in Louisiana (CALL), which is sponsored by the Louisiana Board of Regents.
  • Evaluating Your Institution's Assessment of Student Learning. A growing emphasis on accountability in higher education is spurring regional accrediting bodies to insist on high standards in assessment of student learning. Learn how to meet these demands with this 60-minute audio online seminar. You'll learn how to conduct a campus-wide inventory of assessment of student learning, how to use rubrics to evaluate the quality of assessment, and how to help programs improve their assessment practice. Presenters: Catherine Kelley is Associate University Provost for Educational Resources and Assessment at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she manages their assessment practice. Jodi Levine Laufgraben is Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Assessment at Temple University, where she led their 2009-10 reaccreditation process.

As a member of our campus community this online resource from Magna Publications is available at no cost to you. Since 1972 Magna has been a leading provider of higher education professional development resources. Sign up today and help energize your higher education career.

Create a new account
1.      Go to www.magnapubs.com/account
2.      For new users, click Create an Account. Complete all Required Information fields and click Create Account. (NOTE: a verification email will be sent to the email address used to register. Click the link in the email to validate your account. This must be done within 48 hours or your account will not be created)

Access your Magna account
1.      Go to www.magnacommons.com
2.      Click orange "Enter Authorization Code" button
3.      Enter your email or username and your unique password and click "Login"
4.      In the box, enter your group's Authorization Code: SOUTHERNCT94
5.      Select Activate to access Magna Commons
6.      Use the "Click here" option to access Magna Commons. Access or search any of the featured programs.


Please note: entering the Authorization Code is done only once. Hereafter, you will access the subscription by logging in to www.magnapubs.com/account using your email address and password. Click on My Account from the top navigation bar, and under My Purchases click Subscriptions. Magna Commons will be listed to the right. Click View On-Demand Videos to access Magna Commons.

*Please do not share the Authorization Code with anyone outside our campus community.*

Need help?
Call 800-433-0499, ext. 2, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Central Time, Monday through Friday or email support@magnapubs.com