News from the Center

Writing Center Updates

Writing Center Appointments

It’s now easier than ever to book a Writing Center appointment. Appointments can now be made through our scheduling homepage. We continue to offer both in-person and virtual appointments; this semester we’re also piloting walking appointments. Appointments are available to Brown undergraduate, graduate, and medical students as well as faculty, staff, and alumni.

Reading Period Writing Support for Undergrads

Would you like your students to receive additional writing support during the Reading Period? Please encourage your students to stop by Writing Fellows On-Demand in the Science Library 5th Floor Lobby, where Writing Fellows will be available during the Reading Period week to offer writing help through May 2. Today, the Writing Center staff will also be onsite to offer refreshments and writing help from 2–5 pm. No appointment is necessary, and we encourage students to come with writing assignments across all disciplines. Please check out the Writing Fellows On-Demand site for information on dates and times, and contact writingfellows@brown.edu with questions.

Expanded Offerings for Grad Students

The Writing Center has also been expanding offerings for graduate students. Our Graduate Writing Communities offer various opportunities to build writing communities, revise papers for publication, and build a structured writing practice. Graduate Writing Communities include our semiannual dissertation and thesis writing retreats, our Graduate Writing Collective (a seminar-style revision and publication writing community), the semesterly 14-Day Writing Challenge, and our weekly writing groups. Opportunities to join these communities will be posted in this newsletter and in Today@Brown.

Spring Programs

Facilitating Courses in Canvas Including Online Asynchronous Discussions

Thursday, May 1, Noon - 1 pm
Zoom
Register here (if you have difficulty registering, please contact sheridan_center@brown.edu)

Do you have questions about using Canvas for facilitating your online, hybrid or in-person course? This workshop primarily addresses what instructors do during, rather than before, the course begins. Facilitation focuses on how the instructor supports learners by monitoring their work and maintaining instructor presence. We’ll also talk about asynchronous d​iscussions as key components of online courses that help to build community, encourage reflection, reinforce respectful communication, and develop critical thinking skills. Join a Learning Designer and Learning Technologist from the Sheridan Center’s Digital Learning and Design team for an overview of these topics and the opportunity to share strategies and tips with other instructors.

Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Digital Learning Environment

Tuesday, May 6, Noon - 1 pm
Zoom
Register here (if you have difficulty registering, please contact sheridan_center@brown.edu)

In this presentation, we will discuss how to ensure the digital elements of your course are accessible and inclusive. We'll review strategies for creating an inclusive learning environment, provide an overview of Brown’s accessibility tools, and show you how to get support from DLD throughout the summer. We'll also explore examples of common accessibility practices, from captioning to headers. This session is designed for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students and will be led by Kris Nolte, Assistant Director, Digital Learning Experience, and Christine Baumgarthuber, Senior Learning Designer. It will include plenty of time for Q&A.

Humanize Your Remote-Accessible or Online Course with Multimedia

Thursday, May 8, Noon - 1 pm
Zoom
Register here (if you have difficulty registering, please contact sheridan_center@brown.edu)

Are you looking for a personalized way to welcome students into your virtual classroom so that they feel connected to you and to each other? Do you want to level up the quality and professionalism of your self-produced video content? Join media specialists from Digital Learning & Design to discover best practices for producing effective media in your remote-accessible or online course. We will start with an overview of video presentation tips, including simple tricks to get the best visual and audio recording with your existing technology, and we’ll cover ways to keep learners engaged before, during, and after watching the video. Then we’ll share best practices for ensuring media is accessible to a multitude of learners.

CIRTL Local Learning Community

Thursday, May 8, Noon - 1 pm
SciLi 720 and Zoom
Register here

The CIRTL@Brown local learning community is meant to build community among participants who are taking part in CIRTL-related programming, discuss topics that are unique and of interest to the graduate student and postdoc community at Brown, and provide a shared and collaborative space to build skills in navigating the challenges related to teaching, learning, and professional development.

Assignment Design in the Age of AI

May 19 - June 2
Asynchronous
Register here

The Sheridan Center’s Digital Learning and Design team invites faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and staff interested in assignment design to register for a self-paced series of asynchronous Canvas modules on redesigning assignments in the age of AI. Over a two-week period, from Monday, May 19th through Monday, June 2nd, participants can engage with the modules that align with their interests. Note: these are fully online, asynchronous modules; no live attendance is required.

Call for Applications

Fall 2025 Teaching Consultants

Applications are now open for the Fall 2025 Teaching Consultant Program. The TC Program is a semester-long learning community for graduate students and postdocs where participants deepen their knowledge of evidence-based inclusive teaching practices and develop skills in workshop facilitation, online teaching, and providing feedback. For more information, see the Teaching Consultants website and application.
 

Writing Fellows Faculty Partner Applications Now Open

Are you interested in hosting a writing fellow in your Fall 2025 course? Writing Fellows are trained peer tutors who provide one-on-one writing support in courses across the curriculum. In a ‘fellowed’ course, Writing Fellows comment on students' written drafts and hold individual conferences with students where they discuss revision strategies. Faculty who partner with the program also receive support on how to integrate draft writing into their course designs. If you are interested in hosting Writing Fellows in your fall semester course, please complete the Writing Fellow Faculty Application Form by Friday, May 9th at 11:59 pm. Please email writingfellows@brown.edu with questions.
 

Recruiting Mentors for CIRTL’s Teaching-as-Research Program

CIRTL@Brown will soon be launching its Teaching-As-Research (TAR) program! TAR involves the use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of students and teachers. These projects are carried out by graduate students and postdocs, under the mentorship of faculty members and instructors. If you would be interested in being a TAR mentor or learn more about the TAR program, email Dr. Logan Gin (logan_gin@brown.edu).

Spring Teaching and Learning Communities

Brown Learning Collaborative

The Brown Learning Collaborative provides opportunities for undergraduate fellows to collaborate with faculty and peer partners in key academic areas: Data Science, Problem Solving, and Writing.

Share Your Feedback on S/NC

The Problem-Solving Fellows are currently working on a project focused on how students, faculty, and staff think about and advise around S/NC. If you are a faculty or staff member who has thoughts on S/NC, we want to hear from you! Please fill out this interest form to set up a meeting and interview.

Asynchronous Resources and Programs

Creating a Teaching Portfolio

This online, self-paced Canvas workshop from the Sheridan Center guides participants through the process of writing a teaching statement and creating a teaching portfolio. For more information and to register, visit the Teaching Portfolio program website.