Carla Harper receives PALNI award

Carla Harper, an instructional designer for the Faculty Academy, recently received the Outstanding Service 2020 Award from the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI). The award acknowledges active facilitators who drive action items and advance projects throughout the year.

“I feel honored and humbled because I didn’t expect it,” said Harper, who has worked at the University of Indianapolis for more than six years.

Harper was recognized for her involvement in the Instructional Technology group as a steering committee member as well as a member of the Accessibility group. Her nomination praised her for consistently looking for ways to contribute, assist, and advise others while identifying and suggesting ways for PALNI institutions to work together.

“In the Instructional Technology group, I collaborate with other instructional designers/technologists from PALNI institutions to identify, develop and disseminate resources that would benefit all our schools. Some of these resources I helped to create was a Learning Management System Resource that institutions can use when investigating moving to a new learning management system. This resource provides research-based best practices and procedures in the process of vetting, selecting, and moving a campus to a new LMS platform,” Harper explained. 

“In the Accessibility group, I also collaborate with fellow instructional designers, technologists and librarians to curate, and distribute resources that will help PALNI campuses address and meet accessibility concerns and needs within our institutions.”

Harper said the coronavirus pandemic temporarily shifted the focus of the Technology Taskforce that she serves on.

 “Most of the task force’s efforts went to curate and provide resources to help PALNI schools’ faculty successfully pivot to online delivery. Our group assisted two mini-conferences where the librarians and instructional technologists/designers came together to discuss the issues we collectively faced preparing for Fall 2020,” she said.

“My big take-away is that what really matters is your relationship with the people you serve,” Harper continued. “I read this somewhere: people may not remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel.  So, I try to have a positive (but realistic) perspective and look for the good people are doing in their lives. It is important to show that you care.” 

Her favorite thing about UIndy? 

“I love working with the students, staff and faculty!”