Shelley C. Kurland, Ph.D.
Dean, Virtual Campus
Email: skurland@ccm.edu
Phone: 973.328.5538
Shelley Kurland serves as the inaugural Dean of Virtual Campus at the County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. She has been an educator since 1999 and involved in distance education since 2003. Dr. Kurland’s areas of expertise and interests are in distance education, active learning, faculty learning, and the use of digital technologies with pedagogical considerations. She uses the question, “Is this the best for the student?” as the compass for her professional work.
Dr. Kurland’s scholarly activities involve active contributions through professional presentations in the areas of teaching and learning in all delivery methods. As part of her action research dissertation study, Rethinking Teaching in STEM Education in a Community College: Role of Instructional Consultation and Digital Technologies, Dr. Kurland discussed educators’ tendency to introduce or to implement technology without aligning it to a theoretical framework, which may lead to the “using technology for the sake of using technology mindset”. She developed and introduced the Learning-Teaching-Technology Cycle. Each of the elements – learning, teaching, and technology – is critical, connected, and inform each other as an educator designs and implements an activity and/or lesson.
Dr. Kurland holds a B.S. in Exercise Science and Sports Studies from Rutgers University, a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Teacher of the Handicapped and a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Teacher Education/Teacher Development. Both postgraduate degrees are obtained from Montclair State University. She also serves as a member of the Instructional Technology Council (ITC) Advocacy Committee and a member of the New Jersey Community College Consortium’s Distance Education Affinity Group. Dr. Kurland was also the recipient of NJEDge Distinguished Service Award for Educational Technology in 2018.
Amy Garcia, M.Ed.
Coordinator, Virtual Campus
Email: agarcia@ccm.edu
Phone:Â 973.328.5355
Amy Garcia is the Coordinator of Virtual Campus at the County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. She holds a B.A. in English from New Jersey City University, and graduated Summa Cum Laude at Jones International University with a Master of Education. Amy’s area of expertise is Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Curriculum Development. She has been an educator since 2004 and involved in distance education since 2013.
In her role, Amy works closely with the Dean of the Virtual Campus to meet operational and strategic needs and functions. She coordinates all aspects of distance education by supporting students, faculty and staff. One of her critical responsibilities is that of Accessibility Liaison. Inclusion and accessibility are core values for Amy. She provides and promotes inclusion and accessibility for all.
