The K. Patricia Cross Academy

For Faculty • For Free • For the Future of Higher Education

The K. Patricia Cross Academy is an investment in the future of higher education named to celebrate and preserve the legacy of K. Patricia Cross. Founded by Elizabeth Barkley and Claire Major, the academy was originally established as a nonprofit program of the The Social Good Fund, it is now endowed in perpetuity to the University of Alabama. We are dedicated to supporting faculty by offering free instructional videos, downloadable resources, and CrossCurrent articles that clearly outline how to:

Implement high-impact, evidence-based teaching techniques that improve all students' learning; and

Document student learning in ways that provide the information teachers need to improve their teaching as well as assist them in their efforts for hiring, tenure, and promotion.

Your content - especially the videos - is lucid, simple to understand, and it seamlessly bridges the gap between theory and practice.

Faculty Member

I can’t wait to use all the resources. The [techniques] will help me continue to learn and improve my teaching practices.

Department Chair

This is an awesome opportunity to provide a resource that alleviates the “trial by fire” initiation that new teachers face. It is great to have an organized, detailed, and accessible toolbox of techniques like this.

Faculty Member

The K Patricia Cross Academy has been a valuable resource for me, especially as a first-time instructor. This semester is my first time teaching a class all by myself, and I have been using 3-2-1 Activity to assess student’s engagement in class and further answer any questions they may have about the content. We only did the activity two times since it is the beginning of the semester, but I already see its usefulness. I am excited to utilize other activities featured on the website in future classes.

Teaching Assistant

The Cross Academy is a resource every teacher should utilize. The ideas and information create engaging opportunities for students and are easy for teachers to adapt to their lessons. After Dr. Major's class I shared this resource with my mom, an educator of 40 years, who loves the ideas and has implemented a few in her high school classroom.

Museum Director