WCU's Commons for Teaching and Learning Excellence

Greetings and Welcome to November,

When I take the time to approach my job reflectively, I realize just how much I rely upon the support of my coworkers.  Many of you are our collaborators providing support and direction and we, in turn, support the work you do.  This semester we've supported efforts in academic integrity, course quality improvement, teaching and learning methods, space management, the Leadership Academy, distance education, Degree +, program review, integrated awards, and so much more.

We like to celebrate your individual efforts as faculty members.  You have an impact on the lives of our students individually and collectively.  We're always proud to share in congratulating and appreciating you.

Coming up in the next few weeks, we have continuing professional development programs like our Third Thursdays and other workshops, and we want to continue to serve and promote resources that are available through our university-level memberships in organizations like EDUCAUSE and the Educational Advisory Board.  Next month we'll have some news about the first of the semester learning opportunities that we'll be offering online and face-to-face.

And, as always, we're happy to share and announce the work of our partners in service like Hunter Library, the Office of International Programs and Services, and the Academic Advisory Board.

We hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter as you move into the final phases of this semester.

Here for You,

Jonathan D. Wade, PhD
Acting Director, Coulter Faculty Commons

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Coulter Faculty Commons at 828-227-7196.  If you have a basic Blackboard question or need, the ITHelp Desk can get you started at 828-227-7487.

Congratulations, Dr. Jeanine Irons

Jeanine Irons, of our office, recently defended her doctoral dissertation, A Qualitative Study of English Instructors’ Course Design And Pedagogical Decision-Making Processes At Private Liberal Arts Colleges. Jeanine, a first-generation college student, earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama with a double major in Journalism and English. Later, she studied education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, earning first a Master of Arts in Secondary English Language Arts and then an Education Specialist’s degree in Secondary English Language Arts and National Board Certification in English/Language Arts for Adolescents and Young Adults simultaneously. Currently, she is employed here at the CFC as an Instructional Designer.

Having successfully completed the requirements for her Ph.D., Jeanine is looking forward to the commencement ceremony at The University of Alabama next month, when her degree will be conferred, and to continuing to put her love of education to good use here at Western Carolina University. Please join us in congratulating Jeanine on this latest accomplishment.

Alesia Jennings Selected by SGA for Exemplary Instruction

Alesia Jennings, an instructor in Chemistry, was selected by the students at WCU as the recipient of the "Last Lecture" award which honors exemplary teaching based on the selection of the Student Government Asssociation.

The CFC congratulates Alesia on this award which goes hand in hand with the work she has been doing with us as part of our Coulter Endowment Grant initiative focused on active learning methods.

Please come to her presentation in the University Theater

Where:  The UC Theater

When:  November 15, 2018 at 5 pm

Reception to follow 

You are Not Alone

We don't want you to forget that you have people standing beside and behind you and that we are ready and willing to offer support.  The CFC provides some support directly but can also help direct you to another source of help when it is appropriate to do so.  In future articles, we will be highlighting some of the embedded support structures here at WCU and some of the resources we have available as a part of our consortium memberships.

Three current examples of partnerships that we are promoting are the Hunter Library, the Office of International Programs and Services, and the Academic Space Advisory Board. 

Did you know that each department has their own library liaison?  Have you heard about the new "Scholar Studio"?  It is a great place for creating new artifacts and remixing existing content into new creative works.  More information about the Scholar Studio is below.

Remember that next week marks a huge celebration of International goodwill, cooperation, and understanding with the International Education Week with events all over campus sponsored by the Office of International Programs and Services.

The Academic Space Advisory Board is a group of faculty members appointed to give guidance about the future directions and investments in developing academic spaces across the campus.  It is chaired by the Registrar, Larry Hammer, and also includes representatives from facilities, the CFC, administrators, and IT.  They are constantly seeking input.  If you'd like to shape conversations about academic learning spaces on campus, this year's annual survey is still available .

EDUCAUSE is one of the organizations of which WCU is a member.  Our institutional membership grants you access to a number of resources that highlight non-biased research and practical ideas about using educational technology.  We've included a copy of the summary infographic about this year's student survey results below, but if you'd like more information, feel free to contact Jonathan Wade , who was recently named the Educause Ambassador at WCU.

There are also a number of External Sources like the Library of Congress which has slowly been making a huge part of its collection available.  That last link will take you to posters, like the one above that can be freely repurposed as a part of your classwork.

NOW OPEN in the Library - The Scholar Studio @ Hunter Library

Hunter Library celebrated the official Grand Opening of the Scholar Studio on October 24th.  This flexible, sandbox-style space is designed to support students, faculty, and staff in the completion of the research cycle.

Here are just a few of the things you can do in the Scholar Studio:

·         Engage students with presentation media such as YouTube videos, podcasts, and 360° photos.

·         Collaborate with small groups in a flexible meeting space.

·         Record audio or video for online classes, hold remote meetings or interviews, and lead or participate in webinars in our recording booths – they offer sound isolation, locking doors, and a neutral background for your videos. 

·         Design, print, and laminate high-quality posters suitable for NCUR (state undergraduate research conference) or any other conference with our editing stations, large format printer, and laminator.

·         Use our Oculus Rifts to explore the educational and entertainment-related applications of virtual reality.

·         Get crafty with our maker equipment, which allows students to create buttons, adhesive vinyl cut-outs, die-cut shapes, and more.

·         Learn about Copyright, Creative Commons, Poster Presentations and more in our workshops.

For more information on the resources available in the Scholar Studio, visit the Scholar Studio webpage .

Brown Bag Lunch:  The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

November 15, 2018

Third Thursday Brown Bag Lunch Sessions are designed to provide proactive and quick training, tips, and tools to help faculty members continually pursue excellence in their teaching. The next session is scheduled for November 15, 2018, 12:00-1:00 in Hunter Library, Rm. 166

November 15: You and SoTL Research

How do I know if my teaching was effective? How can I find out whether my students are learning and improving? How did others do it? Join us to find out answers to your questions about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).