Dr. Claire Major, professor of higher education and the faculty director of The University of Alabama Teaching Academy, is UA’s recipient of the 2024 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award.
The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards highlight the vital role educators play in advancing the mission of the SEC and its institutions, as well as their dedication to fostering academic excellence through teaching, innovation and service.
“Professor Major is an incredibly talented teacher and researcher,” said Dr. Jim Dalton, UA executive vice president and provost. “Her foundational leadership of UA’s Teaching Academy, innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and scholarly excellence underscore her exemplary career and profound influence in higher education and distinguish her as UA’s outstanding nominee for SEC Professor of the Year.”
Major has more than 30 years of teaching experience in higher education. She currently teaches masters and doctoral level courses in the higher education administration program focusing on college teaching, technology in higher education and reading research in the field of higher education.
Major’s research interests include areas of faculty work, pedagogical approaches, technology for teaching and online learning. She has authored or co-authored several books on learning assessment techniques, online education, qualitative research methods and instructional methods.
Major established the Executive EdD program that features a format that allows higher education professionals to pursue a degree without interrupting their careers, a cohort model that facilitates a learning community of professionals from different fields and types of institutions, small classes that encourage peer support, and opportunities to engage with a dynamic and distinguished faculty.
Major has published her research in top-tier journals and presented at national and international conferences. She has also presented public lectures and faculty workshops, as well as online workshops and webinars, for dozens of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad.
Major was the recipient of the 2022 Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award, which honors UA faculty members who promote excellence in research, scholarship and teaching throughout their careers.
In 2023, Major was named the first faculty director of the UA Teaching Academy, an instructional resource hub and innovation center dedicated to promoting equitable and supportive learning environments and high-quality, evidence-based instruction.