Rate My Professor Chris Kernion

Professor Chris Kernion serves in the Communications faculty as a Communication Studies instructor at Portland Community College. Since his temporary faculty appointment as Instructor in Speech/Theater on September 15, 2005, he has contributed extensively to teaching and program development across multiple campuses, particularly at Rock Creek. In 2014, Kernion served as the outgoing coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at Rock Creek, where he helped design the new multi-purpose space in Building 7 to support faculty events, workshops, and student services. He also acts as an online faculty mentor for Communication Studies, guiding peers in effective online instruction. Kernion has taught a variety of courses, including COMM 105, COMM 111, COMM 214, COMM 237, and SP 140 Intercultural Communication as part of the Community-Based Learning program.

Kernion has made significant contributions to accessibility and online learning in Communication Studies and Journalism. In fall 2015, he volunteered for the Communication Studies and Journalism Accessibility Study alongside Stacie Williams and Jon Arakaki, in partnership with Distance Learning and Disability Services. The 2016 study focused on adapting highly visual and auditory course content—such as commercials, images, movies, and experiential assignments—for students with disabilities, promoting Universal Design principles to analyze communication behaviors like gestures, eye contact, and vocal elements without compromising critical thinking. The group produced a Best Practices report, presented findings to the Subject Area Committee (SAC), at the Rock Creek TLC, and one co-author at the Instructional Technology Council annual conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Additionally, Kernion participated in ongoing OER Textbook Research and Development, online course development for PCC and Southwestern Oregon Community College, and serves on the Communication Studies and Journalism Online Best Practices Group since 2017. He completed professional trainings: Improving Your Online Course (2016) and Applying the QM Rubric (2015). Kernion holds memberships in the Part-Time Faculty Committee at SWOCC since 2015 and the Western States Communication Association since 2012. In 2010, he co-coordinated a foundation mini-grant for the Anderson Conference keynote speaker.