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Sheridan Newsletter
April 2025
News from the Center
Save the Date: University Award Ceremony
Wednesday, April 30
Reception: 4:30-5:00pm; Ceremony: 5:00-6:00pm
Pembroke Hall 305
Members of the Brown community are invited to honor the recipients of this year's teaching awards on Wednesday, April 30th at the University Awards Ceremony. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of faculty and graduate students at this university-wide ceremony. The reception will begin at 4:30 pm; and the ceremony, with opening remarks by Provost Francis J. Doyle III, will begin at 5:00 pm. This event will be live-streamed. No pre-registration required.
RFP: Community-Engaged Department Pilot Program
Are you interested in enhancing the integration of community-engaged teaching, research and/or partnerships in your department? Units that hire faculty are invited to apply for the Community-Engaged Department Pilot Program, which provides up to $5,000 for each departmental team plus support from the Office of Community Engagement, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, and the Swearer Center, as well as the Division of Research and the Sheridan Center. For more information, see the RFP. Applications will be accepted in UFunds through April 28, 2025. Please email julie_plaut@brown.edu with any questions.
Spring Programs
Using Object-Based Teaching for Dialogue
Thursday, April 3, Noon - 1 pm
In-person in SciLi 720 or Zoom
Register here
During this roundtable, participants will hear from Dr. Kiana Murphy, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, and Dr. Naoko Shibusawa, Associate Professor of History and American Studies, about how they facilitate object-based dialogues in their classes. Participants will also have the chance to review evidence-based strategies for object-based teaching and work on an application in their own teaching. This event is co-sponsored by the Sheridan Center and the John Hay Library.
How to Use the Canvas Template (Pre-College Courses: Online and In-Person)
Tuesday, April 22, Noon - 1 pm
Zoom
Register here (if you have difficulty registering, please contact sheridan_center@brown.edu)
Do you have questions about using the Canvas template for your Pre-College course? Join learning designers and technologists from Digital Learning and Design for an overview on how to use the Canvas template. They will also share tips for using Canvas as an organizing framework or supplement to your course. We will also devote part of the session to Q & A where you will be able to ask questions regarding your own course.
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 discussions 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.
CIRTL Local Learning Community
Thursday, April 10, Noon - 1:00 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.
Call for Applications
Head Teaching Consultants: 2025-2026
The Sheridan Center invites graduate students and postdocs who have completed the Teaching Consultants Program to apply for the role of Head Teaching Consultant in the 2025-2026 school year. For more information, see our website and application. Applications are due by April 30th, 2025.
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.
Spring Teaching and Learning Communities
Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash
Faculty Writing Group
10 am - 12 pm on Fridays
February 7 - May 2
Zoom
Open to all faculty and staff
Register here
Faculty of any rank and all staff are invited to participate in a Faculty Writing Group. Writing groups can be an invaluable source of motivation and accountability, and the Faculty Writing Group is a “guilt-free” group that prioritizes spending time in community and goal-setting together. Each group meeting begins with a brief goal-setting exercise and concludes with a short reflective conversation. Writing projects can be any works in progress, and historically have ranged widely from articles to conference presentations to letters of reference.
Register to receive the Zoom link for the sessions here (if you have difficulty registering, please contact sheridan_center@brown.edu). Questions about this group can be directed to Annie Gjelsvik (Public Health; Provost’s Faculty Teaching Fellow) at annie_gjelsvik@brown.edu.
STEM Ed Fridays
Select Fridays, 12-1 pm
SciLi 720 and Zoom
Are you interested in discussing STEM education at Brown? STEM Ed Friday is a vibrant learning community where STEM instructors and staff members share ideas, experiences, and challenges related to STEM education.
Please register for an upcoming session (if you have difficulty registering, please contact sheridan_center@brown.edu):
Photo by Martin Springborg
Large Class Learning Community
The Large Class Learning Community is an interdisciplinary group of faculty members that meets monthly to discuss issues surrounding the teaching of high-enrollment classes. If you are interested in joining these conversations, please contact Provost's Faculty Teaching Fellow and Sociology Senior Lecturer Lisa Di Carlo (lisa_di_carlo@brown.edu) to be placed on the contact list. You'll also be added to the group's shared Google Drive, which contains notes from previous years' meetings.
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.
Problem-Solving
Fellows
Improve Your Teaching with a Problem-Solving Fellow!
Are you a UTA, tutor, or professor who wants a student perspective on your teaching? Sign up for a Problem-Solving Fellow (PSF) Teaching Consultation! PSFs are undergraduate students trained to give feedback on any and all elements of teaching or assisting in teaching a course. If you are looking to increase the effectiveness of your assignments, lecturing, or general teaching strategies, consider reaching out! Each consultation is confidential, personalized, and led from a student-based perspective. Please fill out our interest form to get started. Questions? Please contact psf@brown.edu.
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.
Designing and Teaching for Online
This online self-paced Canvas tutorial guides Brown instructors through the design or redesign of an online or hybrid course. There are three pathways (Developing an Online Course, Structuring an Online Course in Canvas, and Teaching an Online Course) that allow instructors to work through the sections at their own pace based on their own needs and interests. The tutorial can be accessed anytime with this direct link (you must be logged into your Brown Canvas account): Designing and Teaching for Online.
Planning Resource: Sheridan Calendars
Interested in knowing when Sheridan Center programs typically run during the year? Please see the calendars below.