As a nationally recognized leader in teacher education, Ball State University has a long history of quality preservice and inservice initiatives designed to support teachers in providing high-caliber, best practice instruction. Given the alarming statistics regarding "teacher flight" from the classroom, especially within the first five years of entering the profession, effective induction programs supporting our newest colleagues are clearly imperative. The State of Indiana has recognized this crucial need by mandating the assignment of a certified mentor by school corporations for each new teacher for the first two years. To facilitate the critical need for certified mentors to support new teacher induction, the Ball State University Mentors as Coaches (MAC) Academy provides mentor training leading to certification via an online alternative to traditional Indiana mentor training formats. Through the BSU MAC Academy, participants will acquire and hone the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to becoming effective mentors. At the successful completion of the Academy, participants will also receive certification as a State of Indiana mentor.

Although the BSU MAC Academy is completed entirely online, participants will have multiple opportunities to network and extensive collaboration will occur among participants in the virtual environment. Whereas the course has been designed to enable flexibility for participants in terms of when the course is accessed and activities completed, it is not an independent study course. Learning modules will have assignments with deadlines, and participants are expected to participate in a timely manner in the collaborative activities embedded in the learning modules. It is essential that participants be comfortable with an online course delivery model, be familiar with Blackboard, and be self-directed learners.