Each of the three departments will continue to provide their usual expertise to the campus. But they will add new comprehensive features. With the help of the board of directors, Stout Solutions will be proactive by building ways to encourage faculty involvement. According to Smith, a desired, but not exclusive function of the unit will be to facilitate customized contract education. The skills, needs and desires of Stout faculty will drive the activities of the new unit.
Faculty are our subject matter experts.
We also need to help faculty transform the results of their research into need-addressing instructional deliveries. Stout faculty and staff have been experimenting with course writing products, distance media and distance delivery for many years. Several Stout instructors have built notable reputations through their outreach work. But we won't stop helping faculty try out new products as they evolve. Smith indicated that enhancing the technical development and delivery capabilities of Stout's faculty will be an important function of the new unit.