Montana Technological University faculty members have been selected for a prestigious fellowship program. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) selected Charie Faught, Associate Professor in the Department of Business, and Susan Schrader, Associate Professor in the Petroleum Engineering Department, for the accrediting body’s Mission Fulfillment Fellowship program.
“We are incredibly grateful and proud of Charie and Susan, who are willing to engage in this prestigious and important fellowship,” noted Steve Gammon, Montana Tech Provost. “The success of Montana Tech is dependent upon having talented and knowledgeable faculty engaged in our accreditation processes. Through participation in this fellowship, Charie and Susan will gain critical insights and knowledge to help guide us through institutional growth and improvement.”
The fellowship allows those selected to meet with regional and national leaders in accreditation, assessment, data analysis, educational innovation, educational effectiveness, and quality assurance. Participants will collaborate on a final project that contributes positively to their institution’s goals.
Dr. Faught has been a faculty member at Montana Tech since 2007. She serves in the Department of Business, leading the Health Information Technology option and the Health Care Informatics minor and certificates. She has been active in several service activities on campus, including professional development (LEAD), curriculum review, and the Faculty Senate. She also sits on the Montana Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Board. Before coming to Tech, Charie worked in the health care industry, focusing on health care operations, compliance, and privacy. She holds her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with minors in Math and French from the University of Montana. She earned her Master’s in Health Administration from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in Human Services specializing in Health Care Administration from Capella University.
“It is indeed an honor to represent Montana Tech and to participate in the Mission Fulfillment Fellowship program,” added Faught. “I am excited to work with and learn from Sue Schrader, who has a great record of both NWCCU and ABET accreditation. Our combined strengths and work with others will help us add to Montana Tech’s focus on quality improvement.”
Dr. Schrader has been at Montana Tech teaching Petroleum Engineering for the past 12 years. She brings a background in both engineering and math and also enjoys teaching in the data sciences. In recent years, she trained to become a program evaluator for ABET and has completed a visit as an observer and evaluator.
“Many years ago, when I first volunteered to help out our department with assessment, it seemed to be a bit of a chore, something that had to be done to stay in compliance,” noted Schrader. In the years since, through training and the opportunity to serve as a program evaluator, I have a deep appreciation for the value of assessment and a passion to learn more. I’m very excited about this opportunity.”