FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) bring faculty together to work on projects of mutual interest1. This coming year, we offer several new FLC opportunities. Each FLC consists of a facilitator and a group of 8-12 faculty. The groups meet over the course of a semester or year, working on either collaborative or parallel projects. At the conclusion of an FLC, a product that can be publicly shared typically results. Most communities are cross-disciplinary and utilize technological means of communication to enhance face-to-face gatherings.
Facilitators receive a professional development allocation of $250 per semester. Participants receive $100 in professional development funds per semester. The FLC also enjoys a budget of up to $250 per semester for supplies, books, meals, etc. The FLCs are supported by the staff of the Pew FTLC as described in the application materials. Each FLC has its own application deadline, so read below for additional details.
2012 - 2013 Learning Communities
Exploring the Intersections of Mindfulness, Contemplative Pedagogies, and Reflective Teaching, An Inter-Institutional Faculty Learning Community
Facilitator: Christine Rener, Director, Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center, GVSU and Todd Stanislav, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, FSU
Description: Faculty from Ferris State University and Grand Valley State University have formed an inter-institutional faculty learning community for three purposes.
- To enable members to read, discuss, and examine mindfulness and other contemplative practices, both for personal well-being and for use in the teaching and learning process
- To provide an environment and context for members to establish a cohesive community of individuals who share similar personal and professional interests, aspirations, and goals
- To initiate dialogue about ways to integrate and investigate the impact of contemplative practices on teaching, and student development and learning.
Each faculty participant will, by the end of the learning community experience, write a reflective piece on how a contemplative practice could be integrated into her or his course(s) and personal life. As a faculty learning community, we will draft plans for continued work at or among our institutions in the areas of mindfulness and contemplative pedagogy.
To register, please contact us at ftlc@gvsu.edu or call 331-3498 by January 28, 2013.
Best Practices for Supporting Part-time Faculty at GVSU
Facilitator: Dana Munk, Director,Part-time Faculty Support
Description: This Learning Community is designed for full-time faculty and administrators who are responsible for the oversight of part-time faculty in their department or college. Discussions will focus on issues related to hiring, department and university orientation, administrative and teaching support, review and contract renewal, and professional development. This community will draw upon the research on best practices for supporting part-time faculty and participants will work together to develop a comprehensive plan for supporting part-time faculty in their department or college.
This community will convene bi-weekly during fall semester. Please contact ftlc@gvsu.edu or 616-331-3498 to reserve a spot by August 23, 2012.
Academic Service Learning
Facilitator: Patty Bolea, Pew FTLC
Description: Faculty interested in developing service learning projects in their courses, or developing new courses can come together to review pedagogical foundations of service learning as well as practical issues. Faculty will have the opportunity to examine literature related to civic engagement, high impact learning experiences, and transformative learning theory to inform their work.
Finding Your Mid-Career Mojo
Facilitator: Kathryn Stieler, Pew FTLC
Description: You earned your doctorate, survived the tenure process, and achieved success as a teacher and scholar…what next? This Learning Community, made up of tenured faculty at the rank of associate or full professor from multiple disciplines, is a place for mid-career faculty to seek camaraderie and support as they navigate their futures in higher education. The group will take time to reflect, exchange ideas, explore new paths, entertain possibilities, and celebrate around where you have been and where you are going.
Meetings will be held in Lake Ontario Hall (or on the downtown campus if the group collectively decides to move) on the following Fridays from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.:
- September 28, 2012
- October 12, 2012
- November 9, 2012
- December 7, 2012
- January 11, 2013
- February 8, 2013
- March 15, 2013
- April 12, 2013
Please bring your own lunch. There is a microwave available for heating food. Dessert and drinks will be provided.
For additional details, please contact Kathryn Stieler at stielerk@gvsu.edu.
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
Facilitator: Christine Rener, Pew FTLC
Description: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is methodologically rigorous, evidence-based research about student learning in higher education. The methods and results, often transferable to other disciplines, are distinguished from scholarly teaching by virtue of being subject to peer review and disseminated to the Academy. Whether you are at the beginning stages of moving from scholarly teaching into SoTL or are seeking support for an existing SoTL project, this learning community will connect you with practice and practitioners at GVSU and beyond.
For additional details, or to register, please contact Christine Rener at renerc@gvsu.edu.
2011 - 2012 Learning Communities
New Faculty
Facilitators: Christine Rener, Patty Bolea, Pew FTLC
Description: Small groups of new faculty meet every other week with a Pew FTLC staff member. Articles on a variety of teaching and learning topics serve as the basis for the discussions. Topics include:
Learner-centered teaching
Creating significant learning experiences and curriculum design
Student motivation
Active learning strategies
Academic integrity and academic standards
Helping students assess their learning
Liberal education and the mission of GVSU
Leading class discussions: in-class and online
Rubrics and providing feedback to students
Navigating academic culture, goal-setting, and overload avoidance
Interpretation of student course evaluations
Every Fourth Friday: Mid-Career Women Faculty
Facilitator: Dana Munk, Pew FTLC
Gender Identity and Expression in the Classroom
Facilitator: Danielle DeMuth, Women and Gender Studies
Description: This faculty learning community (FLC) will be comprised of a group of faculty working over the course of the Winter 2012 semester to consider best practices in creating inclusive and supportive classroom environments for students in line with GVSU’s policy of non-discrimination based on gender-expression and identity.
Faculty will (a) review scholarship on best practices for supporting transgender and gender non-conforming students in learning environments; (b) use data from the myGVSU Climate Study and consult with current students to determine areas of concern in the GVSU classroom and (c) create supporting materials for dissemination aimed at helping faculty create an inclusive classroom climate for students of all gender identities and expression.
We are especially interested in working with faculty from across the university in multiple disciplines working in a range of classroom formats—from large lecture to small discussion to lab courses, introductory level surveys to capstone courses, etc.
Tentative meeting dates are the following Fridays from 11a.m.-1 p.m.: Jan. 27, Feb. 24, March 23, and April 20.
Page last modified April 9, 2013
