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Meet Kris Lacivita

A Bit About Me

I am an educator and instructional designer with decades of experience in teaching and academic leadership. Currently, I serve as a scheduler with the Office of the Registrar at Oregon State University, where I support students, staff, faculty, and academic units.

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My background includes extensive experience designing and delivering curriculum, leading professional development, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to improve learning outcomes. I bring a strong understanding of adult learning principles, accessibility, and inclusive design, informed by both classroom practice and formal training in instructional design and special education.

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With a passion for design and media, I enjoy creating engaging, well-structured learning experiences that balance clarity, usability, and learner-centered design. I am especially interested in supporting adult and higher education students through intentional course design, effective use of learning technologies, and continuous improvement grounded in data and feedback.

A Little More Personal

I earned my first master’s degree in Special Education out of a strong commitment to understanding how learners think, process, and demonstrate knowledge in different ways. This commitment was shaped early on by my brother, who was diagnosed with a learning disability and is one of the smartest people I know. His experience challenged deficit-based views of learning and helped me recognize that barriers often exist not within learners, but within the design of learning environments.

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This understanding was continually reinforced through my work with students. I observed capable, motivated learners struggle when instruction, materials, or assessments were not designed to accommodate diverse ways of learning. Conversely, when learning experiences offered multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, students were better able to demonstrate their knowledge and build confidence in their abilities.

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These experiences solidified my commitment to Universal Design for Learning as both a framework and a mindset and led me to pursue a second master’s degree in Instructional Design. I believe that intentional course and materials design can remove unnecessary barriers, support learner variability, and create inclusive learning experiences that benefit all students. My work is guided by the conviction that designing for accessibility from the outset leads to more equitable, effective, and empowering learning environments.

Work Experience
More information is available on the Resume page.

January 2024 - Present

PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE

Oregon State University - Bend, OR

  • Builds term course schedules and coordinates room scheduling processes

  • Reviews departmental requests for course sections ensuring requests meet course scheduling requirements

  • Responsible for classroom scheduling, interfacing with applicable software, understanding the capabilities and limitations of systems, and the integration of 25Live/Optimizer with Ellucian Banner data

  • Identifies and resolves, with faculty, conflicts for room facilities adhering to deadlines and consideration of priority registration

  • Communicates deadlines and timelines to faculty and academic advisors and monitors progress to meet deadlines

  • Advises department faculty and staff on scheduling protocols and requirements, evaluating requests for conformity with university scheduling protocols and practices

  • Manages course schedule change requests, referencing established policies and procedures to determine appropriate action for requests that impact student registration

  • Schedules queries in 25Live Pro, checking for sections with missing room assignments and cross-lists, room conflicts not identified by other systems

  • Engages with faculty and staff to address obstacles to policy and procedure adherence, creating a plan for improvement

  • Coordinates seamlessly with the Event Services team to schedule university events, ensuring efficient logistics and resource allocation

  • Serves as member of the Campus Culture Committee, contributing to initiatives that foster inclusivity, engagement, and a vibrant university community

September - December 2025

INSTRUCTOR

Oregon State University - Bend, OR

  • CORE 100 Transitions Recitation instructor

  • Supported students beginning their Oregon State University journey by introducing them to the university’s mission and goals, sharing the tools and resources offered to students, and assists students in developing strategies for their personal and academic success and well-being​

August 2020 - May 2023

EDUCATOR

Mapleton Public Schools - Denver, CO

  • Achieved the Distinguished professional rating for learning outcomes and professional practices in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023

  • Completed curriculum design for asynchronous and instructor-led courses using Canvas LMS to manage, host, and track learning

  • Collaborated as an integral member of the Instructional Leadership Team to analyze comprehensive data and strategize professional development initiatives

  • Participant in the Data-Driven Instruction Professional Development Leadership course, acquiring expertise in identifying, analyzing, and interpreting relevant data to extract meaningful insights

  • Completed Understanding Cultural Lenses course and professional development on Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain

  • Nominated for Mapleton Awards for Excellence in 2021 and 2022

Leveraging decades of teaching and leadership experience and a passion for design and media to craft engaging, inclusive learning experiences that support all learners.

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