Christopher Icenhower

Excellence in Leadership
CHEP Status: Active
CHEP Awarded: 07/01/2026

Badge Evidence | Completed Courses (4 Hours Each)

This course is designed to give you a clear and practical understanding of the federal and state regulatory standards that govern the conduct of your organization and correspondingly underlay the performance of your job. The course also includes The Standards of Responsible Conduct and Transparency adhered to by our institution. The purpose of the course is not to train you to be a regulatory expert, but to provide the information you need to do or say the right thing when interacting with prospective students and students, as well as the consequences of doing or saying the wrong thing whether by mistake or with intent. More importantly, the course emphasizes that Doing the Right Thing is more than compliance. Doing the Right Thing supports Our Mission and Values. It ensures that we provide an environment of trust where prospective students receive the information they need to make informed decisions about their education. In short, it helps us help our students change their lives.
This is a private course intended for associates employed by this Institute.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) is a federal law in the United States designed to provide students with access to, and the privacy of, their educational records. The law applies to students in higher education and educational institutions that receive funding under a program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. This course is designed to provide participants with a working knowledge of FERPA guidelines to ensure proper handling of educational records and other institutional requirements.
This course provides faculty, staff, and administrators with an understanding of the legal mandates regarding equal access for students with disability. More importantly, it provides a practical framework to help institutional personnel know what to say and do in the context of their defined role and interactions with students with disabilities. Topics include the civil rights nature of applicable Federal law, definitional issues, the impact of disability on traditional education activities and pursuits, reasonable accommodations, and the unique responsibilities of faculty, staff, and administrators as prescribed by their position.
Explore the dynamic and evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) with this course designed to cater to a range of learners from beginners to those with some prior knowledge. Starting with AI's history and core concepts and distinguishing it from machine learning and deep learning, the course sets a solid foundation. Delve into practical AI applications such as natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics, and understand the ethical dimensions and biases in AI. The course advances into complex topics like generative adversarial networks and the interplay of AI with big data and quantum computing. Finally, envision AI's future influence in critical sectors like health care and finance, and you will be equipped with knowledge and skills to confidently navigate the future of AI.
This course provides methods and techniques for managing students and class activities. We start by reviewing the steps instructors need to follow as they introduce a class to new students. We then discuss strategies to effectively deal with unfocused and challenging students. The course ends by describing common mistakes made by instructors and ways to avoid them.
This course compares and contrasts four styles of classroom management. The course includes "virtual visits" to animated classrooms where participants observe four instructors who exhibit different management styles. The style that is preferred by most students is identified and described, and suggestions are offered on how instructors can modify their personal style to increase their effectiveness. A four-step model for developing successful classroom management strategies is presented and is followed by a discussion of a practical, behavioral approach to classroom management. Characteristics that foster good discipline in the educational institution and in the classroom are listed and explained, and tips are offered that can improve both institution-wide and classroom discipline. Finally, a number of scenarios involving common discipline problems are described.
This course will provide an overview of ChatGPT and how it might impact education. With an artificial intelligence (AI) language processing tool, there could be endless possibilities. However, like any other technology, its use in education is to be considered carefully, because learning will be affected. The course begins with an overview of the history of chatbots and artificial intelligence and goes on to discuss how to use ChatGPT, how teachers and students may use it, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use.
Your students are already using AI, and employers expect proficiency. Are you ready to guide them? This foundational course gives you a clear framework for working effectively with AI, helping you move from curious to confident. Rather than focusing on specific platforms that constantly evolve, you'll learn to navigate three fundamental ways humans interact with AI—Tell, Team, and Trust—while developing the three pillars of AI literacy that remain relevant as AI continues to advance. Through hands-on practice, you'll see how this framework connects to CTE fields. By the end, you'll have the language, understanding, and mindset to bring AI into your teaching thoughtfully, preparing students for today's AI-driven workplace while building your foundation for more specialized AI applications.
Your students will enter workplaces where artificial intelligence (AI) impacts hiring, daily tasks, and career advancement. Are you prepared to teach them not just how to use AI, but how to use it responsibly? This course builds directly on your AI Literacy Foundations knowledge, diving deep into the "Responsible Use" pillar. You'll develop practical skills for recognizing bias, ensuring fairness, and maintaining transparency when using AI. Through real-world scenarios, you'll learn to spot hidden bias, communicate AI use appropriately, and protect student data. By the end, you'll have a comprehensive ethical toolkit that guides every AI decision in your teaching and prepares students for responsible AI use in their careers. IMPORTANT: This course assumes foundational knowledge of AI concepts, the Tell-Team-Trust framework for AI interaction, and the three pillars of AI literacy. Without this foundation, you may find discussions of bias detection, ethical decision-making, and responsible AI practices difficult to apply in context. It is strongly recommended that you complete ED160: AI Literacy Foundations for CTE Educators before enrolling in this course.
Your students deserve lessons that reflect both industry relevance and innovative teaching. But curriculum development takes time you don’t have. This course shows you how to integrate AI into your planning and design workflow without sacrificing quality or professional standards. Building on your framework foundation and ethical toolkit, you’ll apply Tell and Team approaches to transform how you create lessons, activities, and assessments. You’ll learn to direct AI for efficient content creation, collaborate with AI for complex design challenges, and apply your ethics skills throughout the process. By the end, you’ll have an AI-integrated planning system that will help you save time creating the hands-on, industry-connected learning your students need. You’ll design better curriculum faster, with your expertise guiding every decision. IMPORTANT: This course assumes foundational knowledge of AI concepts, the Tell-Team-Trust framework for interaction, the three pillars of AI literacy, and ethical AI practices. It is strongly recommended that you complete ED160: AI Literacy Foundations for CTE Educators and ED161: AI Ethics, Bias, and Responsible Use before enrolling in this course.
Grading decisions carry weight. They determine who advances, who’s workplace-ready, who passes licensing exams. Your professional reputation depends on assessment quality, yet crushing volume makes thorough evaluation unsustainable. You’re working weekends to provide feedback that arrives too late. You’re worried about consistency when fatigue sets in. And valuable assessment data revealing what students actually need sits unexamined because there’s no time to analyze patterns. This course explores where AI supports assessment work without compromising professional judgment about student competency. You’ll learn to analyze patterns informing instruction, maintain consistent standards across submissions, and provide developmental feedback efficiently. By the end, you’ll have practical strategies for managing assessment volume while preserving the expertise-driven decisions that make grading meaningful. IMPORTANT: This course assumes foundational knowledge of AI concepts, the Tell-Team-Trust framework for interaction, the three pillars of AI literacy, and ethical AI practices. It is strongly recommended that you complete ED160: AI Literacy Foundations for CTE Educators and ED161: AI Ethics, Bias, and Responsible Use before enrolling in this course.
This course explores the critical differences between management and leadership. Participants will be introduced to definitions and myths about each area as well as how management and leadership must coexist for an organization to operate effectively. Participants will explore their own management/leadership tendencies through exercises to see leadership and management in action.
Not everyone is suited for or aspires to a leadership position, and that is perfectly acceptable. Understanding the desire to lead is a fundamental step toward becoming an effective leader. In this program, participants will engage in thoughtful self-reflection, examining their personal motivations and the underlying values that drive their interest in leadership. They will also assess their own leadership styles by identifying strengths and areas for growth. This exploration will not only deepen their self-awareness but also equip them with practical strategies to enhance their leadership effectiveness in various contexts, whether in professional environments or community settings.
To improve your impact and effectiveness as a leader, you must not only understand the role of a leader, but you must also take into consideration the followers and the situation. This course defines leadership impact and explores the interactional framework for leadership.
The higher education industry provides a wealth of opportunities and challenges for those seeking leadership positions. In this course, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the higher education sector and themselves. The importance of higher education institutions will be explored along with developing a personal leadership legacy.
Get ready to add a number of skills to your toolkit as you develop as a leader! This course focuses on increased self-awareness in communication styles and learning; developing deeper understanding through empathic listening; and motivating through innovation.
This course provides you with a framework to put your self-discovery and learning into a workable plan to further develop your leadership skills. A step-by-step process is offered to help you create a meaningful Personal Leadership Development Plan (PLDP) complete with the development of SMART Goals and advice from some of today's leaders in the higher education sector.
This course provides sound advice on preparing and delivering presentations that command attention, persuade, and inspire. It includes rehearsal techniques as well as tips for creating and using more effective visuals. The course also addresses the importance of understanding your objectives and your audience to create a presentation with impact.
In this course, you will learn how to strengthen your coaching skills by using a four-step process to facilitate the professional growth of the employees you coach.
To do their job - accomplishing work through others - managers must develop and use persuasion skills rather than simply issue orders. Formal authority no longer gets managers as far as it used to. This course will help you master the art and science behind successful persuasion so you can begin changing others' attitudes, beliefs, or behavior to create win-win solutions.
This course will show you how to discuss and resolve difficult interactions in the workplace - whether with employees, peers, bosses, or even suppliers and customers.