Instructional Design and Course/Program Development
Implementing best practices in program and course design to expand enrollment and student choice, through online, blended, HyFlex and technology-enhanced learning environments.
STELAR
Strategic Transformation in Education, Learning, And Research
Transforming Teaching & Learning
STELAR promotes transformative learning by engaging faculty to develop teaching practices through intentional application of technologies, new course delivery methods, and emerging research, as well as by collaborating with STELAR partners to develop systemic supports so that our St. Thomas innovation has sustainable impact.
STELAR OneStThomas
Contact STELAR
Email: stelar@stthomas.edu
Phone: (651) 962-7835
In St. Paul:
O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library (LL 20)
In Minneapolis:
Terrence Murphy Hall (TMH 440)
Phone: (651) 962-7835
In St. Paul:
O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library (LL 20)
In Minneapolis:
Terrence Murphy Hall (TMH 440)
Popular Articles from Tommie Tech Services
Follow these links to learn more about the most common instructional technology questions and innovative solutions from the STELAR team at St. Thomas.
Academic Technology & Innovation
Our Service Areas
Instructional technologies and instructional design resources that directly support teaching and learning. This includes consulting on course design, technologies for courses, assessment and learning analytics, media recording and lecture capture, student response systems, training and student digital orientations and badge development.
Instructional Technologies
Managing robust instructional technology, media and related systems in support of learning and instruction.
Digital Learning Success & Badging
Applying Canvas and other instructional technologies to extend knowledge, skills and digital competency development opportunities online.
Research Computing & Emerging Technologies
Applying computing resources to support research and amplify the findings, and support use of emerging technologies (such as VR).
Classroom & AV Technologies
Existing campus audiovisual systems allow instructors to use multiple input and output video sources such as a dedicate classroom PC, laptop and document camera.
Video Studios & Instructional Media
STELAR members can provide guidance and tools for media production that enable instructors to develop audio and video presentations.
STELAR Project Showcase
Take a look at some of the innovative projects we have underway in STELAR, working closely with faculty and other campus partners.
VR and Bodyswaps
Bodyswaps is a skills development platform created for higher education. With modules in DEI, leadership, interview skills, healthcare and more, students who experience Bodyswaps content report feeling more confidence going into difficult conversations.
Badging and Microcredentials
Academic programs that want to ensure student skills or competencies are realized can consider adding badges to courses, such as the engineering lab safety badge that is required before students may work in the labs.
Generative AI at St. Thomas
ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI are presenting opportunities, as well as threats, to higher education. One of the projects underway is the development of our own chatbot, TommieBot, to provide a conversational interface to university content.
Digital Accessibility: It’s About All of Us
Our Digital Accessibility definition: “All people, including people with disabilities and those using assistive technology, can find and use digital content, technologies, and electronic communications.” How are you ensuring that your digital content is accessible to all learners?
Technology News
June 23, 2026
Rob Vischer on Meaning, Purpose and the Future of Higher Education
University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer recently wrote an op-ed for University Business about the importance of educating the whole person as artificial intelligence continues to transform higher education and the workforce. In the piece, Vischer argues that while colleges and universities must help students develop career skills, they must also foster purpose, character, critical thinking,… The post Rob Vischer on Meaning, Purpose and the Future of Higher Education appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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June 11, 2026
President Rob Vischer on Human Connection in the Age of AI
University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer recently wrote an op-ed for Religion News Service about the importance of preserving human connection as artificial intelligence becomes more common in higher education and society. In the piece, Vischer reflected on commencement ceremonies, the value of knowing students by name, and the responsibility universities have to prepare… The post President Rob Vischer on Human Connection in the Age of AI appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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June 9, 2026
In the News: John Abraham on the Trump Administration AI Oversight
John Abraham, a professor of engineering at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with FOX 9 about President Donald Trump's executive order to review artificial intelligence models. Abraham said the voluntary order is a change from the administrations previous hands-off approach to AI regulation. From the conversation: Abraham: “People are waking up to how transformative… The post In the News: John Abraham on the Trump Administration AI Oversight appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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May 27, 2026
What AI Changes: Seth Ketron Shares His Findings
With experience that spans beyond the classroom, including years in corporate retail at Gap Inc., JCPenney, Belk and The TJX Companies, Seth Ketron has built a career around noticing the small cures that shape how people move through the world. Now as associate professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas' Opus College of… The post What AI Changes: Seth Ketron Shares His Findings appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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March 6, 2026
The Innovator’s Mindset: Dr. Kundan Nepal and the Future of Engineering
School of Engineering Professor Kundan Nepal sits in the data visualization studio by a 32-foot curved LCD panel that displays 3-D graphics. His students at the University of St. Thomas don goggles to immerse themselves with interactive images, examining engineering structures as if they were right in front of them. Dr. Nepal said watching students… The post The Innovator’s Mindset: Dr. Kundan Nepal and the Future of Engineering appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.