Instructional Support Manager to Serve as ‘Resource, Advocate’

The Office of Distance Learning has welcomed Dr. Francesco Crocco as its new Instructional Support Manager.

Dr. Crocco brings extensive experience as an educator and researcher in online education, pedagogy, and professional development. Most recently, he served as director for the Online Writing Lab for Excelsior College, an online college based in Albany, New York.

Previously, Dr. Crocco has been a teaching fellow, lecturer, and associate professor, teaching online and face-to-face courses in literature and composition. He’s written two books on literature and pedagogy, in addition to a number of journal publications. 

He has also been teaching as part of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s First Year Experience program since 2017 and was nominated for Teacher of the Year in that program last year.

Now his goal is to be a resource and advocate for UL Lafayette ULearn faculty members as he leads the Instructional Support Team in providing tools, professional development, and support to online instructors.

“At the end of the day, these are their courses,” he says. “And we need these faculty members in order to provide accessible learning opportunities for UL Lafayette students.”

Having relocated to Lafayette with his family in recent years, Dr. Crocco says he was also looking for the opportunity to work more closely with the local academic community.

“I liked UL Lafayette, the spirit of the people here, and the sense of comradery surrounding the University community,” Dr. Crocco says. “I wanted a position where I could be creative and also have a leadership role. I feel like this is a good place to do that — to provide faculty development, assist in course design, and explore new pedagogies while advancing online learning.”

The Instructional Support Team is available to collaborate with faculty to design quality online courses. Meet the Instructional Support Team on our blog, or request a one-on-one consultation.