Michelle Rosser-Majors, PhD

Dr. Michelle Rosser-Majors is a Professor and Assistant Dean in the College of Professional Advancement at the University of Arizona Global Campus. She has more than 25 years of experience as an educator across K–12 and higher education, including over two decades in online learning environments.

As a scholar, Dr. Rosser-Majors focuses on instructor presence, student success, academic integrity, and equitable online learning. She has led award-winning initiatives to strengthen community and engagement in virtual classrooms and has collaborated widely across departments to align curriculum, support services, and assessment with the UAGC Culture of Care.

In all of her roles—as instructor, program chair, assistant dean, and mentor—she is committed to helping students and faculty build confidence, develop their strengths, and translate learning into meaningful personal and professional growth.

Teaching Philosophy

Dr. Rosser-Majors’ teaching philosophy is grounded in fairness, inclusion, and intellectual engagement. She designs learning environments that promote academic excellence while supporting the holistic development of each learner.

Her approach is informed by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, with a focus on teaching, social, and cognitive presence. She views herself as an active facilitator who models curiosity, critical inquiry, and metacognitive practices through timely feedback, meaningful dialogue, and visible mentorship.

Drawing on self-determination theory, she intentionally structures courses to support autonomy, competence, and relatedness. She emphasizes reflection, choice, and mastery over memorization so that students can take ownership of their learning and apply it to complex real-world challenges.

Student Support & Mentorship

Student support is a central pillar of Dr. Rosser-Majors’ practice. Guided by the UAGC Culture of Care, she treats each interaction as an opportunity to communicate clearly, advocate for student needs, and build mutual respect and trust.

Her strategies include regular proactive outreach, personalized feedback, and collaboration with academic advisors to help students navigate challenges and persist toward their goals. She has led and supported co-curricular initiatives, such as student clubs and symposia, to foster belonging and engagement beyond the classroom.

Dr. Rosser-Majors also mentors undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, serving on and chairing dissertation and applied doctoral project committees. Her mentorship focuses on helping emerging scholars complete rigorous research while developing confidence, professional identity, and a sense of purpose.

Instructional Innovation & Scholarship

Dr. Rosser-Majors’ scholarship and innovation work center on improving online teaching and learning, with particular attention to instructor presence, retention, and equity. She co-developed the UAGC Instructor Presence Module Series, a multi-module professional development program based on the Community of Inquiry model that helps faculty strengthen teaching, cognitive, and social presence in online courses. This work received an Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Effective Practice Award.

She has authored and co-authored books, book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, and conference presentations on topics including online instructor presence, student engagement, academic integrity, faculty development, and learning theory. Her recent work also explores how generative AI can be thoughtfully integrated into curriculum to support workplace-relevant skills while maintaining academic rigor and ethical practice.

In addition to her scholarship, Dr. Rosser-Majors has served on institutional committees and task forces related to curriculum, assessment, learning support, diversity and inclusion, academic integrity, and the Culture of Care initiative, helping to align teaching and learning practices with student success across the university.

Selected Grants & Student Success Projects

• Joining the Journey: Supporting Doctoral Student Persistence and Degree Completion Through Purposeful, Motivational Interventions – fellowship-funded project providing structured community, motivation, and support for doctoral learners.
• You’ve Got Mail! Messages and Live Connections Enriched with Encouragement, Empowerment, and Humor – The Missing Link to Student Retention and Success? – fellowship-funded project using supportive messaging and live “Empowerment Hour” sessions to enhance belonging and progression for undergraduate students.
• Additional University Fellowship and mini-grant awards supporting research on instructor presence, academic integrity, and student success in online learning environments.

Selected Works

• Instructor presence conference presentation (Teaching & Learning Conference video):
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fegfzob6E3k&list=PLLmrXvqHCX5HZDUCWT0vf-GvszUqzRFJ1&index=39
• Book chapter – Applying online instructor presence amidst changing times:
  https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-6922-1.ch008
• eLearn Magazine article – Instructor interaction in the online higher educational community:
  https://elearnmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=3708895
• Culture of Care Summit presentation – Daring to transform: The importance of AI to workplace skill development:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ij9Lxkh1o
• Conference paper – Times of challenge: Successful strategies for improving engagement in online and hybrid learning modalities:
  https://library.iated.org/view/ROSSERMAJORS2021TIM