CFC Faculty Update January 2019
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WCU's Commons for Teaching and Learning Excellence
Welcome Back
Congratulations! We made it through the first semester of NC Promise. Things continue to move forward in our service to the education of the students of Western Carolina University.
The staff of the Coulter Faculty Commons would like to take this opportunity to offer our sympathy to the Coulter family as they mourn the loss of Mrs. Barbara Coulter. We continue to be thankful for the guidance that Chancellor Coulter provided in the creation of a centralized resource for faculty development on the WCU campus and for the provision of an endowment gift that continues to support the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning on this campus. The impact of their lives on our community of practice has been immeasurable.
We are happy to announce that Dr. Eli Collins-Brown, the Director of the Winston-Salem State University Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction will be joining us in March as the Director of the Coulter Faculty Commons. We'll have more information highlighting Dr. Collins-Brown in next month's newsletter. The CFC would also like to thank all of the members of the committee for the search for our new Director and all of the faculty who attended the open sessions.
As the father of a senior who is strongly considering attending WCU next year, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the care that you give to your work, for the passion that you have for your areas of expertise, and for the concern that you have for the well-being of the students who attend at this place. As one of your co-workers, I thank you for your engagement, your patience, your attention to detail, and your concern for authentic improvement.
I hope that the resources that follow in this newsletter will aid you in your work.
It is my honor to serve among you.
Jonathan Wade, PhD
Acting Director, Coulter Faculty Commons
If you have any questions about academic issues, please do not hesitate to contact the Coulter Faculty Commons at 828-227-7196 or call the ITHelp desk to at 227-7487.
For More Information About the Services of the Coulter Faculty Commons
Blackboard Quickstart Sessions - Tailored to Your Needs
For Experienced or New Blackboard Instructors
- Short Introduction to the New Bb Features
- Followed by Scheduled All-CFC-Hands-On-Deck service to meet your particular needs
Register for One Session Below
Session A: Wednesday, January 16, 3-5 pm
Session B: Friday, February 1, 3-5 pm
Supporting Faculty with Cooperative Learning Implementations
Dr. Maurice Phipps, Professor Emeritus in Parks and Recreation, has initiated a faculty learning community on the topic of cooperative learning. Dr. Phipps developed and utilized cooperative learning techniques in his tenure as a WCU faculty member.
A session has also been scheduled for February 19, 11:00 – 1:00, in Hunter Library 166. Although a specific topic is under development, broad topics of interest to Dr. Phipps include distributed leadership, conflict resolution skills, strategies for setting group norms, and methods for encouraging strong team collaboration, such as jigsaws.
Questions about the faculty learning community can be directed to Dr. Phipps at phipps@email.wcu.edu
To register, please visit the registration link here.
Teaching Online with Impact
The online professional development course we have often discussed in this newsletter is ready for faculty!
Stakeholders of online programs were invited to review the course in late fall, and with those suggestions received and addressed, the course has been revised and is ready for faculty to enroll.
Who is it for?
The course is available for any WCU faculty member. Department heads and other stakeholders of online program quality may also request a spot in the course for faculty in their department.
When does the course start?
The course will open on Monday, February 18 and will close one week after the end of the spring term. Faculty can participate when they find time to complete the modules over the duration of the spring semester.
How long does it take?
The course contains four required modules, each of which will require between 30 minutes and 1 hour of time. Some modules will require additional time, and the CFC is happy to meet with faculty one-on-one to develop and refine their courses.
What is the course format?
The course contains required and optional modules and is offered asynchronously over the course of the semester. There are no firm deadlines for any activity; faculty are free to work on the course as they find time. The course facilitators will be notified when discussions are posted, and there will be regular communication from the CFC facilitator.
What does the course consist of?
The course contains the following modules: Creating Online Presence, Design, Universal Design, the WCU Syllabus Template and Framework, Acclimating to Online Teaching, Academic Integrity, Copyright and Fair Use, Finding and Using Web Content, Workload and Time Management, and Evaluating Your Impact.
What will I be doing in the course?
Each module contains short readings, videos, and reflective activities and discussions intended to support a cohort-based model for the faculty who enroll.
Is there a course facilitator?
The first iteration of the course will be facilitated by various CFC staff. Scottie Kapel, WCU’s Outreach and Scholarly Communication Librarian, will facilitate the section of the course pertaining to copyright.
Will the course run again?
Of course! We aim to run the course again in the summer and fall.
How do I enroll?
Contact Terry Pollard through email: twpollard@wcu.edu
Faculty will then be contacted to join the course.
The course is our best effort to support programs in their need to certify online teaching readiness. As you are likely aware, this certification resides at the department level, and the CFC has traditionally supported departments in the event that they or the faculty want to be assured that a faculty member meets online teaching readiness standards. (For additional context see the CRC Committee Resolution 5, that preceded the development of the current AA21 process).
The course represents our best effort to meet the changing needs of academic programs—one where we can reach faculty at a distance, at times best suited for their schedules, and in a way that also supports Center and University growth. The course was conceived following a close reading of accreditation guidelines, such as C-RAC 2011 interregional guidelines. It has replaced our prior course, entitled Blackboard Boot Camp. The new course is entitled Teaching Online with Impact.
When:
Tuesday, January 29th
2:30pm to 5:00pm
Where:
Health and Human Sciences Building (HHS),
Room 204
Who:
All new WCU Faculty who began teaching at WCU this academic year, including those who started in August of 2018 and those who will start in January 2019.
What:
Orientation opportunity to go into greater detail on services and activities available to faculty on campus. Topics to be discussed are:
Office of Research Administration
The Office of Research Administration assists and supports scholars and research stakeholders in the pursuit of funding and collaborations, stewardship of resources, and the ethical conduct of research.
Coulter Faculty Commons
- Means of Engagement: Using WCU Tools to Engage Your Students
- Developing Student Resilience: Slight Teaching Adjustments in Support of Student Mental Health and Learning Support
Tenure and Promotion Panel Discussion
Listen and participate in a panel discussion with tenured faculty who can share their experience and give advice on the tenure and promotion process at WCU.
For more information, contact Lynley Hardie
The next Third Thursday Brown Bag Session Topic - Rubrics in Blackboard
January 17, noon to 1 pm
For more information, contact Jeanine Irons
You Asked for It, You Got IT
If you are of a certain age, you may remember the following commercial. For the rest of you, Toyota had a fantastically catchy TV campaign highlighting their affordable cars. In some ways, our new Blackboard features, like the attendance tool, the new grade center connection in Panopto, and the ability to download a pdf with your annotations included are all under this category. Watch the video below if you'd like and after you take a trip down memory lane, enjoy taking a look at our newly updated resources.
Back to Blackboard
Updated Self-Help Resources for Blackboard and Other Tools
We've updated our online resources. We'd love for you to use them.
Main overview of new functions now available in WCU's Blackboard Environment:
What’s new in Blackboard for 2019
Links to additional posts (which include instructions) for each new/upgraded tool in Blackboard:
- The New Blackboard Attendance Tool
- Panopto
- Box
Instructors Who are New to Blackboard
Commonly Requested WCU Blackboard Services
Commonly Requested Features for Panopto, our Video Recording and Streaming Platform
Blackboard's Updated User Learning Site can be found here.
Panopto Hint:
Don't launch from your desktop. Go in through Blackboard instead.
Launching the Panopto editor from your local machine will not currently work - we are working on a solution. In the meantime, please use the best practice of logging into your Blackboard Class and either launching from the Panopto window in your Blackboard course or going to panopto.wcu.edu. We have confirmed that all functions are working using the preferred access method.
Other Opportunities for Faculty
The CFC is Seeking a tenured faculty member to serve as the Faculty Associate for Faculty Retention, Success, and Faculty Activity Database
From the Graduate School:
We are in the last days of the application process for three Faculty University Research Award opportunities. The deadline for each is Thursday, 17 January 2019.
More Resources:
CFC Automated Appointments
Quality customer service is our goal at the Coulter Faculty Commons (CFC). So, in order to serve our faculty better, we have created a new form to request an appointment with any member of our team. Please click here to request an appointment.
Blackboard Online Help
As the Learning Management System used at WCU, Blackboard enhances the quality of online and face-to-face instruction and is used to monitor, document, and manage online and classroom events and assignments. The LMS Team at the CFC has put together a handy list of resources for Blackboard, tailored to meet the needs of the WCU Community.
Provost's List of Faculty Resources
The Office of the Provost provides a considerable amount of helpful information on this web page.
CFC Feedback
We would greatly appreciate any feedback you could give us about how we can improve or add to our services. We regularly monitor all inputs and try to respond to suggestions as quickly as possible. We thank you for taking the time to provide us with your constructive and formative feedback!
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Western Carolina University
166 Hunter Library
Cullowhee, NC 28723
828.227.7196
