Course Hero Taps Internationally Recognized Educator to Lead Pedagogical Strategy

Former professor Sean Michael Morris joins Course Hero as VP of Academics; brings commitment to issues of equity, inclusion, and critical digital pedagogy, to role focused on supporting faculty and student success

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Course Hero

Jan 31, 2022, 09:00 ET

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Course Hero, the popular learning platform used by a global community of students and educators, today announced the appointment of Sean Michael Morris, an internationally recognized expert – and critic – of digital technology, as Vice President of Academics. Morris most recently served as Senior Instructor of Learning Design and Technology at the University of Colorado Denver and Director of Digital Pedagogy Lab, a global online professional development gathering for educators committed to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical digital pedagogy.

"My commitment to critical digital pedagogy meets squarely at the intersection where Course Hero seeks to support a range of learning needs while evolving the platform's technology," said Sean Michael Morris, VP, Academics of Course Hero. "This is a company that is actually pedagogical at its foundation, and I look forward to helping facilitate deeper and more meaningful learning experiences for both students and teachers."

More than 80,000 educators worldwide already collaborate, develop, and share resources through Course Hero's fast-growing faculty community. Course Hero's Academic Advisory Committee is focused on identifying opportunities to connect the Course Hero platform to pedagogy, while serving as advisors on critical educational issues and concerns related to teaching, learning, and academic integrity.

The Academic Advisory Committee includes:

Dr. Michael A. Baston President, Rockland Community College
Dr. Norma Jimenez Hernandez Executive Director, Wisconsin Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Angelita Howard Assistant Dean for Online Education and Expanded Programs and assistant professor, Morehouse School of Medicine
Dr. Victor Piercey Professor of Mathematics and Director of General Education, Ferris State University
Dr. Catherine Ross Associate Professor of English and Founding Fellow and past President of The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers
Dr. Stephanie Speicher Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Weber State University
Dr. Samuel Staley Director, DeVoe L. Moore Center, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Florida State University
Dr. Nicole C. Jones Young Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Franklin & Marshall College

"Making good on our vision of helping millions of learners graduate confident and prepared hinges on our ability to not only earn the trust of students, but demonstrate our pedagogical relevance to the growing community of educators who use our platform," said Andrew Grauer, CEO of Course Hero. "Sean has first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities faced by students and educators. This appointment is about embedding that experience within our pedagogical DNA."

The company has also made two additional strategic hires who will focus on creating stronger ties to the education community. As dedicated Educator Partnerships Managers Amina Patton and Lale Stefkova bring a combined 14 years experience working in higher education institutions including University of Oklahoma, UC Santa Barbara, and University of Houston-Victoria to Course Hero. Their expertise, which includes teaching, instructional design and language instruction, will further establish meaningful partnerships with educators.

About Course Hero Inc.: Course Hero Inc. is a leading education platform, offering a suite of learning resources and tools to help anyone learn more deeply, more effectively, and affordably throughout the arc of their career. The Course Hero, Inc. portfolio includes Course Hero, an online learning platform of academic resources; CliffsNotes, the original and iconic study guide company; LitCharts, a creator of literature resources; QuillBot, an AI-powered platform helping people improve their writing skills, and Symbolab, a pioneering developer of AI for Mathematics Education.

Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, the company is a virtual-first organization with office hubs throughout the U.S., Canada, Israel and India.

SOURCE Course Hero