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Sheridan Newsletter
December 2025
News from the Center
Community-Engaged Course and Capstone Design Series
Register here (by December 1)
Faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students at Brown interested in developing or revising a course or capstone experience with a community engagement component are invited to participate in an interactive workshop series co-sponsored by the Swearer Center and Sheridan Center in the spring semester. In three sessions from 12-1 pm, featuring a mix of presentations and dedicated planning time, participants will:
Discuss guiding principles and models of community-engaged teaching and learning and their relevance to courses and capstones;
Apply backward-design principles to structure assignments, courses and/or capstone projects;
Give and receive feedback on course/capstone ideas and materials with colleagues from across the university; and
Gain familiarity with resources available from the Sheridan Center, the Swearer Center, and others to support community-engaged course and capstone design, implementation, and assessment. Sheridan and Swearer Center staff are also available during and after the series for individual consultations.
Event dates and times will be determined based on intended participants’ schedules; please indicate your interest and availability here by December 1. Contact Julie Plaut with questions at julie_plaut@brown.edu.
Fall Programs
Join the 14-Day Graduate Writing Challenge!
Register here (by November 25)
Asynchronous; optional in-person sessions
Are you a graduate student hoping to make progress on a writing project? Join the 14-Day Writing Challenge! Hosted by the Writing Center, the Fall challenge will run from December 1-15. Participation will be virtual with optional in-person gatherings. The challenge helps writers meet their writing goals by providing community support and accountability. Participants will be asked to share their writing goals with other participants, do their best to write for at least 30 minutes per day during the challenge, post their progress at the end of each daily writing session (participants pick their own writing session times), and cheer on other participants as they try to meet their writing goals. Space is limited; register here by November 25. For more information email graduate_writing@brown.edu.
CIRTL Self-Paced Teaching & Learning Courses (2025-2026 Academic Year)
Develop your teaching & learning knowledge and skills in one of CIRTL’s nine self-paced, asynchronous courses designed for graduate students and postdocs. These courses are now open for registration for the Fall 2025 term. You can read detailed descriptions of this programming and register by visiting the CIRTL website. If you have any questions, please email Dr. Logan Gin (logan_gin@brown.edu).
Fall Teaching and Learning Communities
Conversations on AI Policies and Academic Tasks
Register here
Select Fridays, Noon - 1:00 pm
Zoom
This faculty discussion group meets 3-4 times a semester on Fridays from 12-1 pm on Zoom. Each conversation explores a different topic related to when and how faculty should develop policies on undergraduate and graduate student use of Gen AI tools for various academic tasks (e.g., writing, revision, reviewing, tutoring, research). If you would like to join these conversations, please complete this Google form. Hosted by Lisa Di Carlo, Associate Teaching Professor of Anthropology and Provost’s Faculty Teaching Fellow; and Eric Kaldor, Director of Assessment and Transformational Programs, Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.
Fall Faculty and Staff Writing Group
Fridays beginning on September 12
Zoom; 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Register here
All Brown faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Sheridan Center’s Faculty and Staff Writing Group. Writing groups can be an invaluable source of motivation and accountability, and the group is a “guilt-free” opportunity that prioritizes spending time in community and goal-setting together. Please register to receive the Zoom link for the sessions. Registration questions can be directed to sheridan_center@brown.edu. All other inquiries can be directed to Annie Gjelsvik (Public Health; Provost’s Faculty Teaching Fellow) at annie_gjelsvik@brown.edu.
Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash
STEM Ed Fridays
Select Fridays, Noon - 1:00 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:
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.
The PSFs are also working on projects related to faculty, staff, and advisor perceptions of S/NC; Brown STEM cultures from a student perspective; and making sense of new educational environments.
Asynchronous Resources and Programs
English Language Support: Self-Paced Modules for Academic and Professional Communication
A new series of asynchronous modules is available for supporting international-identifying and multilingual learners’ academic and professional communication in the U.S.-specific context. These self-paced modules cover key communicative strategies, including effective email writing, professional communication for job search and networking, and navigating advisor-advisee interactions. Register to gain access to all modules using this Asynchronous English Language Support Request Form. Participants will be added to the English Language Resource Google Group and receive a link to the resource site. For questions, please contact Dr. Joy Liu at joy_s_liu@brown.edu.
Teaching Metacognition
Based on Saundra McGuire’s book, Teach Yourself How to Learn, this Canvas Commons module can be added to any Brown course. The resource addresses these topics:
What is metacognition?
What is the difference between studying and learning?
How might your own study habits be setting you up for success, or holding you back?
What are proven systems, strategies, and mindsets to improve one's learning?
Faculty might also be interested in this Sheridan newsletter on Teaching Metacognition.
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.