Mark Hoyert (FACET Class of 2001) received the 2019 P.A. Mack Award for his distinguished service to teaching that significantly and demonstrably advances the goals and ideas of FACET.
Hoyert is Professor of Psychology and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Northwest. He was nominated for this award by Charles P. Gallmeier, Kristin Huysken, David J. Malik, and Christopher J. Young.
Hoyert's nomination letter cites extensive, long-term service in support of excellence in teaching. His research career boasts a serious SoTL componet which includes a total of 75 published journal articles and conference presentations, 31 articles and presentations with student co-authors, 16 SoTL Conference presentations, and over $200,000 in funds to support SoTL research.
Pedagogically, Hoyert's first contribution was his "GoFar" project that yeilded strong results in goal-oriented learning. GoFar consisted of a brief intervention that introduced students to adaptive ways of thinking about coursework, success, failure, and goals. The project involved about 600 students at IUN and would later extend to five other universities. Hoyert sought to find a way to improve disappointing student outcomes at the completion of the course. Students, who had gone through the intervention of GoFar, found final grades and graduation rates to be higher than students who did not receive the intervention.
More recently, GoFar was selected to participate in Re-Imagining the First Year Experience (RFY) with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and in February 2019 the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and AASCU collaborated to publish a special issue devoted to RFY. Of the ten articles chosen for publication, Hoyert co-authored two of them.
Another pedagogical intiative Hoyert developed is Pedagogical Innovative Group (PIGs). PIGs began when he invited a geologist, a historian, a sociologist, and a biologist together to discuss pedagogical innovations. The group met weekly and from the readings and discussions emerged articles steeped in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The PIGs encourage faculty to work together as a learning community to develop pedagogical techniques and innovations that foster student learning and engagement.
Lastly, Hoyert's commitment to service in teaching goes beyond the interventions of GoFar and the PIGs. In his current role as Dean, COAS supported FACET members travel to the annual retreat and he encouraged faculty to take on leadership roles in FACET.
"Mark fosters a culture of pedagogical innovation that reinforces the teacher-scholar model throughout his local and external communities, and both illustrate a commitment uncommon for a dean. His laudable and consequential efforts embody the mission and vision of FACET. As long time members of FACET, we believe that Mark Hoyert has achieved an outstanding record in support of distinguished service to teaching."
—Gallmeier, Huysken, Malik, and Young
Congratulations to our PA Mack awardee! He has demonstrated sustained commitment to FACET’s central goals of enhancing excellence, innovation, research and community.