Georgia Highlands College (GHC) Assistant Professor of English Charles Grimm was selected as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2025-2026 academic year by the University System of Georgia (USG).
As one of 16 faculty members from institutions of higher education across the state, Grimm was selected in a highly competitive application and review process. Each selected fellow was endorsed by their institution’s president or provost and provided compelling evidence of their instructional innovation.
Grimm has taught English composition, British literature and humanities courses at Georgia Highlands College since 2018. His research interests are in first-year composition, ghostwriting, AI implementation and student-centered pedagogy, all of which made him an ideal candidate for the focus on teaching and learning at the Governor’s Teaching Institute.
“From my first experience teaching at a private college in one of the poorest provinces in China in 2005, I have believed in the access mission of higher education,” Grimm said. “As I work through the Fellowship’s curriculum and meet monthly with amazing colleagues from across the state’s higher education system, I get to represent the shared access mission of the staff and faculty of GHC to ‘provide access to excellent educational opportunities for the intellectual, cultural and physical development’ of our students while also strengthening not only my resolve but also my ability to provide this access to our community.”
Grimm recalled his first interview at GHC, and the emphasis made on student success.
“I remember being told in no uncertain terms that if I did not care about my students then GHC was likely not the place for me, and I see this lived out daily from staff, faculty, and leadership. GHC demonstrates this commitment to students through our access-oriented mission, making higher education available to anyone in our area and meeting as many needs as we can within the communities we serve.”
He continued, “My personal belief that each person has inherent value is met by GHC’s student-centered approach, and I love working among colleagues who are equally committed to each student’s success.” The Governor’s Teaching Fellows symposium focuses on enhanced pedagogy, course design/redesign and academic leadership, during six multi-day seminars from September to April. The symposium offers faculty development sessions led by experts, collaborative instructional design activities, and individualized study opportunities tailored to participants’ interests. Fellows receive a travel and meal stipend, with lodging provided by the Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program, which also hosts an intensive one-week summer seminar at the University of Georgia on a specialized topic.
Each May, Governor’s Teaching Fellows attend an intense one-week seminar on the University of Georgia campus. The symposium includes structured faculty development sessions facilitated by experts, instructional design activities, collaboration with faculty peers from other institutions, and independent study reflective of each participant’s needs and interests.
The Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program was established in 1995 by Zell Miller, governor of Georgia, 1991-1999, to provide Georgia’s higher education faculty with expanded opportunities for developing important teaching skills. Governor Miller envisioned that this program would address faculty members’ pressing need to use emerging technologies and instructional tools that are becoming increasingly important for learning today.
The Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program is an outreach program of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. To improve the quality of instruction in Georgia’s colleges and universities, the Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program assumes the complex challenge of moving college faculty members to the leading edge of instructional practice. This effort to enhance instruction in public and private higher education statewide is very much in keeping with the University of Georgia’s mission as a land-grant institution committed to diversified outreach and public service.
Experience the kind of dedicated, student-centered teaching that defines GHC. Apply today at apply.highlands.edu and start your journey with faculty who put students first.
