Current Learning Communities

"[This LC] has evolved into a high impact experience for faculty and students alike. This may be the most impactful contribution to GVSU that I have been a part of in my 22 years." - Winter 2025 Learning Community Participant.

Special Opportunity for Winter 2026 Cultures of Growth LC

Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom  

The Pew FTLC is offering a special Learning Community (LC) opportunity through our Strong Start Initiative. We are looking for faculty and staff to lead several sections of a special-topic Learning Community on Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom. The best part? The curriculum is already designed! That’s right: our friends at the Equity Accelerator prepared a 6-week facilitation plan including learning objectives, shared resources, and discussion prompts.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY 

What is a Learning Community?

Learning Communities (LCs) bring faculty and staff together to foster a 1-2 semester-long conversation on a topic of mutual interest and encourage an application of the knowledge gained.  Each LC consists of a facilitator and a group of at least four faculty or staff.

Open Learning Communities are open to faculty and staff from any office, department, or unit on campus. They fill up fast, so check them out!

Closed Learning Communities are open to faculty in specific areas of the university. But anyone can facilitate one for their own department, too.

Youtube Video for Why Join a Faculty Learning Community

Lead a Learning Community!

Interested in facilitating your own Learning Community? 

Already know what you want to learn? Submit an LC Letter of Intent

Need some help deciding? Email us at [email protected]

Facilitating and have questions? Check out the Facilitator Resource Page

View Past LCs here!

It's not too late to propose a Learning Community for Winter 2026!

Learning Communities Winter 2026

  • Facilitated by: Karen Gipson - [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Incorporating Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness into Teaching and Working with Students

How might student wellbeing be enhanced through trauma-sensitive mindfulness practices?

Mindfulness has been well-documented to improve physical and psychological wellbeing, but recent studies indicate that trauma-sensitivity is crucial for such benefits to be realized in many people. As a type of Trauma-Informed Pedagogy (TIP), this LC will explore the importance, foundation, and principles of trauma-sensitive mindfulness (TSM), so that faculty and staff will be able to confidently incorporate TSM strategies and techniques into their courses and other work with students. Topics include the need for using trauma-sensitivity when offering mindfulness to students, fundamental background on trauma, connections between traumatic stress and mindfulness, and the five core principles of TSM. 

Learning Objective 1: Discuss the need for trauma-sensitivity when offering mindfulness practices to students 

Learning Objective 2: Explain the five principles of trauma-sensitive mindfulness 

Learning Objective 3: Identify at least one TSM practice appropriate to consider using in your work with students 

Register for Incorporating Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness into Teaching and Working with Students LC

  • Facilitated by: Ellen Shupe, [email protected] 
  • Co-Facilitated by: Libby Jawish, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person meetings in Allendale
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Supporting International Students and Fostering Global Learning

How can we foster learning of international students in our classes and draw upon their rich experiences to support global learning in all students?

Underlying GVSU's vision to prepare globally minded citizens is the importance of recognizing diverse perspectives and the interconnected nature of our experiences. Key to fostering global learning is providing opportunities for students to learn with and from their international peers. Thus, successful integration and inclusion of international students on campus is important in terms of their own academic success and well-being, in addition to the learning experience of the broader student population. 

In this learning community we will discuss the opportunities and challenges of increased international student enrollment and identify ways we can better support international students and foster a rich learning environment in our classes. Our discussions will be structured around a recently published book on international student success and informed by participants expertise and experiences. 

Learning Objective 1 
Identify common challenges, from the perspectives of instructors, international students, and other students in our classes, and learn ways to minimize and address problems. 

Learning Objective 2 
Recognize ways of integrating inclusive pedagogies and developing methods of assessment that are equitable and support academic integrity. 

Learning Objective 3 
Identify on-campus resources to guide our efforts and provide coordinated support. 

Register for the Supporting International Students and Fostering Global Learning LC

  • Facilitated by: Nichole Moore - [email protected] - 616-331-6236
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person meetings on the Pew Campus.
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

The Art of Facilitation: Engaging Every Voice

What facilitation practices might support instructors and staff in authentically engaging diverse voices while fostering belonging, collaboration, and deeper learning?

This Learning Community will examine the principles and practices of facilitation using It’s Your Turn: Teachers as Facilitators, a handbook designed to strengthen confidence and competence in leading groups. Together, we will explore strategies that help instructors, staff, and group leaders authentically engage diverse voices, build trust, and create inclusive spaces where every participant feels valued. Using the text as our guide, participants will actively practice language and techniques that convey positive intentions, spark meaningful dialogue, and foster collaboration. Participants will reflect on ways to reframe conflict as opportunities for growth and recognize the richness diversity brings to group dynamics. Through discussion, hands-on practice, and shared reflection, participants will expand their ability to move beyond delivering content or agendas to facilitating transformative learning experiences. This Learning Community will empower members to strengthen group capacity, inspire belonging, and lead with impact and lasting engagement.

Learning Objective 1: Develop facilitation skills by practicing strategies to guide discussions and foster collaboration.

Learning Objective 2: Engage diverse voices by learning methods to include and value all perspectives.

Learning Objective 3: Transform challenges by reframing conflict and navigating group dynamics for growth.

Register in our Grant System for the The Art of Facilitation: Engaging Every Voice LC

  • Facilitated by: Karen Gipson - [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy as Social Justice

How can we ensure our classroom or work with students is inclusive of all students? 

With approximately 70% of college students self-reporting mental health concerns, trauma-informed pedagogy should be considered universal design. This LC will explore an edited volume of essays that elucidate various aspects of trauma-informed pedagogy in higher education, with the intention of educating participants around trauma and inspiring participants to incorporate trauma-informed practices in their classrooms and other student settings, to ensure that ALL students benefit from their educational endeavors at GVSU. Among the many topics discussed in this volume, essential essays include the eight principles of trauma-informed teaching, teaching students with marginalized identities in times of crisis, and developing a trauma-informed syllabus. 

Learning Objective 1: Discuss the rationale for trauma-informed pedagogy in higher education settings, particularly as it relates to social justice 

Learning Objective 2: Describe at least one technique that could be beneficial to apply to educational settings at GVSU 

Register for the Trauma-Informed Pedagogy as Social Justice LC

  • Facilitated by: Charitha Subrahmanya - [email protected] - CIS
  • Location/Campus: In-person meetings on the Valley campus in Allendale
    • Wednesdays, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM 
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom

How can we convey a culture of growth and belonging in our classrooms? 

This Learning Community will focus on how we can create cultures of growth in our classrooms. Supported through the Provost's Office Student Success Initiative and the Pew FTLC's Strong Start Teaching Initiative, we will learn about evidence-based equitable and inclusive practices to support all students, but especially those in first-year, second-year, or foundational courses. We will utilize support resources from the Equity Accelerator. Building on the work of Carol Dweck's growth mindset, we will explore how faculty can work to create a culture wherein all students can succeed if they put forth effective effort. This LC is open to faculty of all ranks (and to staff as well, with supervisor permission). Participants need not have any familiarity with growth mindsets. 

Learning Objective 1:  Articulate the difference between a growth and fixed mindset.

Learning Objective 2: Describe cultures of growth and the importance in support a sense of belonging in students.  

Learning Objective 3: Apply the growth mindset framework to your own teaching contexts. 

Register for the Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom LC [WEDNESDAYS]

  • Facilitated by: Jolanta Lanier - [email protected] - BMS
  • Co-Facilitated by: Kathryn Hebert - [email protected] - BMS
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom (Time TBD)
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom

How can we convey a culture of growth and belonging in our classrooms? 

We will learn about evidence-based equitable and inclusive practices to support all students, but especially those in first-year, second-year, or foundational courses. Utilizing the work of Carol Dweckýs growth mindset, we will explore how faculty can work to create a culture wherein all students can succeed if they put forth effective effort. 

Learning Objective 1:  Articulate the difference between a growth and fixed mindset.

Learning Objective 2: Describe cultures of growth and the importance in support a sense of belonging in students.  

Learning Objective 3: Apply the growth mindset framework to your own teaching contexts. 

 

Register for the Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom LC [Zoom]

  • Facilitated by: Sarah Mullins - [email protected] - BMS
  • Location/Campus: In Person, time TBD 
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom

How can we convey a culture of growth and belonging in our classrooms? 

This Learning Community will focus on how we can create cultures of growth in our classrooms. Supported through the Provost's Office Student Success Initiative and the Pew FTLC's Strong Start Teaching Initiative, we will learn about evidence-based equitable and inclusive practices to support all students, but especially those in first-year, second-year, or foundational courses. We will utilize support resources from the Equity Accelerator. Building on the work of Carol Dweckýs growth mindset, we will explore how faculty can work to create a culture wherein all students can succeed if they put forth effective effort. This LC is open to faculty of all ranks (and to staff as well, with supervisor permission). Participants need not have any familiarity with growth mindsets. 

Learning Objective 1:  Articulate the difference between a growth and fixed mindset.

Learning Objective 2: Describe cultures of growth and the importance in support a sense of belonging in students.  

Learning Objective 3: Apply the growth mindset framework to your own teaching contexts.

 

Register for the Creating Cultures of Growth in the Classroom LC [In Person]

Learning Communities 25-26 Year Long

  • Facilitated by: Ellen Shupe, [email protected] 
  • Co-Facilitated by: Zsuzsanna Palmer, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Zoom Online 
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Bringing Global Perspectives into the Classroom with International Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (IVE/COIL)

How might we incorporate virtual exchange projects in our courses to promote intercultural dialogue and foster collaboration, problem solving, and global awareness in our students?

International Virtual Exchange (IVE) is a faculty-led, active learning approach that connects students with international peers for a shared online learning experience. Instructors from different universities work together to develop projects or other activities. Students in their courses then work together on the projects, typically over 2-8 weeks. Because it provides a structured, culturally informed opportunity for collaboration, IVE fosters students’ intercultural awareness and leads to a number of skill-based and discipline-specific benefits. It’s also highly adaptable and can be used in any academic discipline and at both undergraduate and graduate levels. 

This learning community is designed for faculty who are already using IVE and faculty who are interested in learning more about it. Participants will share ideas and experiences and discuss topics related to IVE, such as finding international teaching partners, designing projects, and managing logistics. Optional readings related to discussion topics will be made available by the facilitators. 

Learning Objective 1 
Understand how IVE/COIL has been used by instructors at GVSU and other universities. 

Learning Objective 2 
Identify ways to find international teaching partners and sustain the teaching partnerships and get help developing collaborative projects and materials. 

Learning Objective 3 
Recognize how to implement IVE/COIL to meet student learning outcomes in different disciplines. 

Learning Objective 4 
Identify on and off-campus resources and support for integrating IVE/COIL in your courses. 

Register in our Grant System for the Bringing Global Perspectives into the Classroom with International Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (IVE/COIL) LC

  • Facilitated by: Barbara Stevens - [email protected] -  616-331-9093
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
    • Fridays, 10:30 - 11:30 am (except for session 3, which will run 10 - 11 am)
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Building Inclusive Digital Environments: ADA Title II and Campus Accessibility

How can we, as faculty and staff, create digitally accessible environments that uphold Title II of the ADA and ensure equitable access for all students, colleagues, and campus community members?

This learning community brings together faculty and staff from across campus to explore how digital accessibility, guided by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), can be integrated into everyday practices. Over the course of 7 monthly sessions, participants will engage in collaborative discussions and hands-on activities focused on creating inclusive digital environments for students, colleagues, and campus visitors. Topics include legal responsibilities, accessibility standards (such as WCAG), accessible course design, and tools for evaluating and improving digital content. By learning together and sharing strategies, participants will develop practical action plans to apply accessibility principles within their own roles and departments. This community is open to all faculty and staff, regardless of technical expertise, and is ideal for anyone committed to advancing equity and inclusion through accessible digital practices. 

Building Inclusive Digital Environments: ADA Title II and Campus Accessibility Schedule

Session 1 - Welcome and Orientation

October 3rd

Session 2 - Understanding ADA Title II Requirements

November 7th

Session 3 - Accessibility for Students (10 - 11 am)

December 5th

Session 4 - Accessibility for Faculty and Staff

January 23rd

Session 5 - Tools & Technology for Accessibility

February 20th

Session 6 - Developing Departmental or Office Action Plans

March 20th

Session 7 - Sharing Action Plans and Celebration

April 17th

Learning Objective 1 
Explain the legal obligations of higher education institutions under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as they relate to digital accessibility. 

Learning Objective 2 
Identify common digital accessibility barriers that affect students, faculty, and staff, and describe strategies to address them. 

Learning Objective 3 
Use campus-supported tools and resources to assess and enhance the accessibility of digital documents, websites, and media. 

Learning Objective 4 
Collaborate with peers across departments to share challenges, insights, and effective practices for creating inclusive digital environments. 

Learning Objective 5 
Develop an individualized or departmental action plan to improve digital accessibility in one’s area of work or instruction. 

Register in our Grant System for the Building Inclusive Digital Environments: ADA Title II and Campus Accessibility LC

  • Facilitated by: Santos Ramos - [email protected] - 269-209-9073
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person meetings in Allendale
  • Type: Closed. Intended for LAS faculty.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Doing Latin American & Latino/a Studies

How can we build a thriving community for Latin American and Latino/a Studies in higher education?

Participants will engage in a series of discussions about the role Latin American and Latino/a Studies (LAS) currently plays at and beyond Grand Valley, as well as potential pathways towards creating a thriving community for students, staff, and faculty interested in these fields of study. Example themes include the following: engaging with Latine groups across the university, pedagogy in LAS courses, LAS outreach, supporting Latine students, building relationships with local communities, decolonial and Indigenous research methodologies, and other suggestions brought by participants.

Learning Objective 1: Understand the positionality of Latin American and Latino/a Studies

Learning Objective 2: Apply knowledge toward building a thriving environment for Latin American & Latino/a Studies

Register in our Grant System for the Doing Latin American & Latino/a Studies LC

  • Facilitated by: Terry Stockton - [email protected] - 616-304-9960
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person on both the Allendale and the Pew Downtown campuses. 
  • Type: Closed. Intended for faculty teaching EDF 115.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

First Year Experiences; Introduction to Education Class

How can we, as a faculty learning community, design a first-year Introduction to Education course that fosters a strong sense of belonging, promotes critical engagement with issues of identity and equity, and supports students in exploring their purpose and potential as future educators?

Introduction to Education (EDF 115) is a first-year education course that introduces students to the teaching profession through the themes of identity, equity, and educational purpose. Instructors guide first-year students through reflective inquiry, foundational concepts in education, and the development of academic and social belonging. Faculty in this learning community will explore scholarship related to the course, coordinate around shared goals, align course content, and foster a cohesive, student-centered experience that encourages exploration of educational careers and critical engagement with issues of diversity and justice in schooling.

Learning Objective 1: Foster a Cohesive and Inclusive Learning Environment: Faculty will collaborate to design and implement course experiences that promote a sense of belonging, identity development, and inclusive pedagogical practices for first-year students.

Learning Objective 2: Align Instruction with Shared Learning Goals: Faculty will co-develop and refine course materials, assessments, and instructional strategies that align with common objectives related to educational equity, student success, and exploration of the teaching.

Learning Objective 3: Support First-Year Student Transitions: Faculty will engage in ongoing reflection and dialogue to strengthen their ability to mentor, advise, and support first-year students academically, socially, and professionally within the context of their transition to university life.

Register in our Grant System for the First Year Experiences; Introduction to Education Class LC

  • Facilitated by: Dauvan Mulally - [email protected] - 616-331-3547
  • Location/Campus: Allendale (Valley) Campus 
    • Date/Time: Fridays from 10-10:45 AM
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Internships: Approaches, Strategies, and Best Practices

How can we help students get the most out of their internship?

Internships serve different purposes for different students. For some students, and internship can serve as a starting point for their academic and professional aspirations. for others who have a clearer vision, an internship can help them apply their knowledge and skills in a "real world" setting. Much of the responsibility for helping students understand the purpose and value of an internship falls on the shoulders of internship directors. In this learning community, we'll identify best practices for advising and evaluating student internship experiences, discuss strategies coordinators can use for outreach, networking, and student preparation, and consider approaches for building and strengthening relationships with employers and community partners.

Learning Objective 1 
Identify best practices for advising and evaluating student internship experiences

Learning Objective 2 
Discuss strategies internship coordinators can use for outreach, networking, and student preparation

Learning Objective 3 
Identify useful approaches for building and strengthening relationships with employers and community partners

Register in our Grant System for the Internships: Approaches, Strategies, and Best Practices Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Sigrid Danielson - [email protected] - 616-331-2574
  • Location/Campus: In-person meetings in Allendale
  • Type: Closed. Intended for VMA faculty.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Navigating the Academic Self

How do you shape the trajectory of an academic career?

Balancing engaged teaching, research, and service is a challenge for many faculty members. In addition, professors may find it difficult to position their own work within a broader institutional framework. Our group will start with readings from Donald E. Hall’s, The Academic Self: An Owner’s Manual, as he reflects on a career at a teaching-intensive institution. Then, we will build on Hall’s ideas with essays that address the challenges of teaching, research, and service in the current academic environment. This LC is intended for those at the start of their careers, but any faculty member in VMA who is looking to chart their next steps is welcome!

Learning Objective 1: Identify how one’s professional identity is influenced by institutional and external factors.

Learning Objective 2: Reflect on how the intersections of teaching, research, and service shift over the course of one’s career.

Learning Objective 3: Implement strategies for shaping one’s academic self.

Register in our Grant System for the Navigating the Academic Self LC

  • Facilitated by: Leanne Kang – [email protected] – 609-598-2188
  • Co-Facilitated by: Janelle Grant Ashbaugh – [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person meetings on the Pew Campus.
  • Type: Closed. Intended for EDI and EDF faculty.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Reflecting on the Teacher Internship Experience: How Do We Cultivate Social Justice-Minded PK-12 Teacher Identities

By reflecting on the teacher internship experience at the College of Education and Community Innovation, how can we better cultivate social justice-minded PK-12 teacher identities?

Given recent changes in how the Michigan Department of Education certifies teachers, CECI has revamped many of its programs and courses. This LC provides an important opportunity for EDF and EDI instructors to take pause and collectively examine our changes as a whole, especially focusing on the teaching internship experience.

Through reflective exercises (e.g., curriculum mapping), we will consider how the internship experience is cultivating teacher identities that center social justice. We will think about how we are creating capacity for students to think deeply and critically about their teaching experience. Do our students leave our program with a deep understanding of how teaching is enacted within systems of power? Do they believe they can be agents of change? This LC will enable us to determine how the internship semester can ensure that every student engages with a process that might result in teaching dispositions that center social justice.

Learning Objective 1: Reflect on the teaching internship experience (e.g., What are the ways in which we cultivate social justice-minded PK-12 teacher identities? What do we do well? What would we like to do better?).

Learning Objective 2: Identify areas of curricular overlap across courses and potentially propose, or plan, ways to streamline programming.

Register in our Grant System for the Reflecting on the Teacher Internship Experience: How Do We Cultivate Social Justice-Minded PK-12 Teacher Identities LC

  • Facilitated by: Patty Bolea - [email protected] - 616-331-6560
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Supporting Student Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge

How do we best match our compassion with academic challenge for students struggling with mental health concerns?

This LC will read and discuss Sarah Rose Cavanagh's new book, Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge. The description of the book reads: "An investigation into the mental health crisis affecting young adults today, and an impassioned argument for creating learning environments characterized both by compassion and challenge." Participants will be invited to contemplate and design a learning environment that can both support and challenge students. 

Learning Objective 1 
Participants will be able to describe the mental health challenges facing our students. 

Learning Objective 2 
Participants will design activities that will both challenge and support their students.

Register in our Grant System for the Supporting Student Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge LC

  • Facilitated by: Justin Pettibone - [email protected] - 616-331-8120
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person meetings in Allendale
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Teaching Adult Learners in the LEADS Format

What are some effective strategies for connecting with adult learners in the accelerated LEADS format?

This group will support faculty teaching in the LEADS format by developing a culture of collegiality amongst LEADS faculty, sharing our experiences with adult learners, sharing assignment designs or other strategies that participants have used, and raising common questions or concerns to address as a group. We'll also be identifying and sharing some scholarly sources on adult pedagogy. 

Learning Objective 1 
Help faculty learn now to successfully engage with adult learners in LEADS format courses. 

Register in our Grant System for the Teaching Adult Learners in the LEADS Format LC

Learning Communities Fall 2025

  • Facilitated by: Wendy Reffeor - [email protected] - 616-331-6010
  • Co-Facilitated by: Jeffrey Ward - [email protected] - 616-331-6268
  • Location/Campus: In-Person on the Pew Downtown (City) Campus.
  • Type: Closed. Intended for Engineering faculty.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Applying Understanding of Moral Development to Engineering Processes

How might the way we process deeply, often non-rational, held beliefs such as religion and politics influence the way we learn and grow in our careers? 

Jonathan Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from gut feelings. He shows why liberals, conservatives, and libertarians have such different intuitions about right and wrong, and he shows why each side is actually right about many of its central concerns. 

We will discuss the increase in social intuitionism (rational thought is often developed to justify initial beliefs) which leads to a “us against them”/tribal philosophy. Leading to a single or competing dual thought process, that decreases the effectiveness of brainstorming to finding unique solutions to engineering (and social) problems. 

Learning Objective 1: Understand how moral judgements are formed 

Learning Objective 2: Apply knowledge of how moral judgements are formed to engineering processes 

Learning Objective 3: Develop a stronger sense of community among engineering faculty 

Register in our Grant System for the Applying Understanding of Moral Development to Engineering Processes LC

  • Facilitated by: Brian Kipp - [email protected]- 616-331-8546
  • Location/Campus: In-person on the Allendale (Valley) Campus.
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

BMS Book Club Fall 2025

How has the understanding of cancer changed over the years?

The book club provides an environment for faculty and students to come together and discuss the science and history of cancer. We will be reading The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. The interaction between students and faculty in this relaxed atmosphere provides an invaluable experience as both groups can share differing perspectives. Students see faculty see each other in a different light, fostering deep conversations that are not likely to happen in the traditional classroom.

Learning Objective 1: Students and faculty will discuss the history and science of cancer.

Register in our Grant System for the BMS Book Club Fall 2025 LC

  • Facilitated by: Michelle Calkins - [email protected] - 616-331-8024
  • Co-Facilitated by: Jerry Stinnett - [email protected] - 616-331-3209
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Closed. Intended for Writing faculty.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

More than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI Reading Group 

How might we help students think about writing and composing to ensure they use AI writing tools critically, appropriately, and effectively?

This learning community will read and discuss John Warner's recent book More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI. For each meeting participants will be asked to read sections of the book and during LC meetings we will discuss the issues and ideas that Warner's book raises including  what writing is, how AI writing tools work, what is valuable about writing with and without AI tools, and how we might teach writing so that students can understand and practice effective use of AI writing tools. The group will meet 6 times during the Fall semester. Warner's book is an accessible, readable, but thoughtful and informed consideration of these issues and will function as the springboard for open discussions during each session.

Learning Objective 1: Develop a working understanding of how AI writing tools function 

Learning Objective 2: Articulate explicitly what is valuable about writing and the writing process 

Learning Objective 3: Discuss pedagogical strategies for teaching students to use AI tools critically but effectively in writing 

Register in our Grant System for the More than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI Reading Group LC

  • Facilitated by: Rick Vandermolen, [email protected]
  • Co-Facilitated by: Cathy Meyer-Looze, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person on the Pew Downtown Campus.
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Process Communication Model: Cracking the Human Communication Code

How might the Process Communication Model (PCM) help participants understand preferences people hold in communication and therefore (with practice) become more effective in communication with colleagues and students?

You have meetings, take calls, and you stay up-to-speed with e-mails and apps. But how can you truly connect in a world that's always on? And how can you create an environment in which your team will thrive and build on each other's strengths? The Process Communication Model® (PCM) is the premier tool for decoding human interactions. As leaders and colleagues, you can learn to speak each other's language and contribute to a workplace that leverages differences for the better. Inclusive, individual leadership - If you know each of your team members' unique set of needs, you'll know how to connect to and motivate everyone in their own way. Less stress, more energy - Practicing PCM will help your employees turn potentially negative conversations, situations, or actions into positive, productive work. Increased operational effectiveness - Reducing miscommunication leads to more efficient teams. Less confusion, more clarity. Less talk, more action.

$180 for Individual PCM Profile (if in EL&C Individual PCM Profile cost will be covered by Unit Head). 

Learning Objective 1: Improved Self-Awareness

Learning Objective 2: Understanding of Others

Learning Objective 3: Effective Ways to Connect

Register in our Grant System for the Process Communication Model: Cracking the Human Communication Code

  • Facilitated by: Lindsay Ellis, SWS Writing, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person on the Pew Downtown Campus. Thursday mornings from 10-11 on October 16, November 6, and December 4th.  
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Professors as Writers: Developing Habits to Draft and Publish Fluently

What strategies help professors to write prolifically while teaching?

This learning community will study the research of Robert Boice on the writing habits of prolific professors. Together we read his book Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing, and also implement the habits and approaches that Boice recommends. Whether participants are working on an article, a book, a dissertation-to-publication conversion, an integrative statement, or a sabbatical proposal, this learning community will support more fluent progress while discouraging procrastination, blocking, and the time-management problems of over-teaching. 

Learning Objective 1:  Apply research on the habits of prolific faculty writers to one's own writing process.

 

Register in our Grant System for the Professors as Writers: Developing Habits to Draft and Publish Fluently

  • Facilitated by: Jay Knight, [email protected] 
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Reading Between the Lines: Intersex Identity and Institutional Ethics

How can exploring intersex identity through memoir help us challenge institutional norms and create more ethical, inclusive practices in higher education and how our students interact with communities served?

This Learning Community centers on Nobody Needs to Know by Pidgeon Pagonis, a powerful memoir that reveals the lived experience of growing up intersex in a world shaped by secrecy, medical intervention, and binary gender norms. Intersex people are as common as natural redheads, yet their stories are often erased or misunderstood. Through guided discussions, multimedia resources, and reflective dialogue, participants will explore intersex identity, medical ethics, and the role of institutions in shaping inclusion and care. Especially relevant for faculty and staff in Gender Studies, Social Work, and Health Sciences, this community will foster critical conversations about trauma-informed practice, intersectionality, and advocacy both in the classroom and in the communities we serve. 

Learning Objective 1: 
Critically examine intersex identity and lived experience through the lens of memoir, with attention to how gender, medicalization, and institutional power intersect. 

Learning Objective 2:  
Analyze the ethical and social implications of medical and educational practices affecting intersex individuals, with a focus on trauma-informed and inclusive approaches. 

Learning Objective 3:  
Develop strategies for fostering equity and advocacy in higher education and community engagement, particularly in fields such as Gender Studies, Social Work, and Health Sciences. 

Register in our Grant System for the Reading Between the Lines: Intersex Identity and Institutional Ethics LC

  • Facilitated by: Laila McCloud - [email protected] - 616-331-6293
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Closed. Intended only for faculty teaching EDH 181.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Supporting Students in EDH 181 LC

How can we intentionally design and sustain equitable teaching practices that foster growth, belonging, and success for students enrolled in EDH 181?

This learning community explores strategies to create equitable classrooms that foster growth, belonging, and student success. Through collaborative reflection and practice, participants will refine their teaching approaches, analyze course materials and policies, and develop sustainable habits to increase the quality of EDH 181. 

Learning Objective 1: Evaluate teaching approaches to identify opportunities to reduce inequities and explicitly promote inclusion. 

Learning Objective 2: Collaborate with colleagues to share innovative practices. 

Register in our Grant System for the Supporting Students in EDH 181 LC

  • Facilitated by: Jennifer Vanderground- 616-516-9488 - [email protected]
  • Co-Facilitated by: Pengtong Qu – 616-331-3467 - [email protected] 
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Closed. Intended for Literacy Studies and English Education.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Strengthening our Understanding of Dyslexia, Literacy Studies & English Education

How can an informed understanding of dyslexia and supportive literacy practices strengthen our preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers in literacy education?

As faculty in Literacy Studies and English Education, we play a pivotal role in shaping how educators understand and respond to diverse literacy needs. This community of practice will focus on the defining characteristics of dyslexia dispelling myths, examining current research, and exploring how dyslexia intersects with broader literacy development. Together, we will investigate approaches and evidence-based practices designed to support striving readers, particularly those with dyslexia. 

Through shared inquiry, discussion, and reflection, we will examine how to embed these practices into coursework and clinical experiences. Guided by Overcoming Dyslexia, by Dr. Sally Shaywitz, as well as other reputable sources, we will work collaboratively to enhance our programs and better equip pre-service and in-service teachers to recognize, understand, and teach students with dyslexia effectively and equitably. 

Learning Objective 1:  Identify and describe the cognitive, linguistic, and behavioral characteristics of dyslexia, drawing from current research and key texts such as Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz. 

Learning Objective 2: Analyze and debunk common myths and misconceptions about dyslexia, replacing them with evidence-based understanding grounded in research. 

Learning Objective 3: Evaluate evidence-based practices for their effectiveness in supporting striving readers, with a focus on students with dyslexia. 

Learning Objective 4: Integrate inclusive practices into coursework and clinical experiences guided by the new dyslexia laws, ensuring that pre-service and in-service teachers are prepared to recognize and respond to the diverse literacy profiles of their students with dyslexia 

Learning Objective 5: Develop empathy and insight into the social-emotional impacts of dyslexia by examining secondary characteristics such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and behavioral responses and exploring how these challenges influence student identity, classroom behavior. 

Register in our Grant System for the Strengthening our Understanding of Dyslexia, Literacy Studies & English Education LC

  • Facilitated by: Karen Gipson - [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in Higher Education

How can you ensure that your classroom or other work with students is inclusive of students who have experienced trauma?

With approximately 70% of college students self-reporting mental health concerns, trauma-informed pedagogy should be considered universal design. This LC will explore an edited volume of essays that elucidate various aspects of trauma-informed pedagogy in higher education. Participants will learn about trauma with the goal of incorporating trauma-informed practices in their classrooms and other student settings, to ensure that ALL students benefit from their educational endeavors at GVSU. 

Learning Objective 1: Discuss the rationale for trauma-informed pedagogy in higher education setting. 

Learning Objective 2: Describe at least one technique that could be beneficial to apply to educational settings at GVSU 

Register in our Grant System for the Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in Higher Education LC

  • Facilitated by: Ayana Weekley - [email protected] - 616-331-8173
  • Co-Facilitated by: Laurence José - [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: In-person on the Allendale (Valley) Campus
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: No longer accepting applicants.

Unmasking AI: Building Critical AI Literacy

How can critical AI literacy, attentive to the ways that AI systems may amplify social inequalities and discrimination, shape how we engage with AI in our pedagogy? 

Participants will read Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in the World of Machines by Joy Buolamwini to learn more about the social equalities built into AI systems. Through discussion, participants will explore how Buolamwini’s insights can help to inform how public institutions may engage with the evolving AI landscape. Participants will also be encouraged to share ideas and develop strategies for incorporating these ideas into their own pedagogy. 

Learning Objective 1: To understand the ethical implications of AI systems. 

Learning Objective 2: To explore and define critical AI literacy. 

Learning Objective 3: To develop strategies to incorporate critical AI literacy into the classroom. 

Register in our Grant System for the Unmasking AI: Building Critical AI Literacy LC

  • Facilitated by: Arya Jadhav - [email protected] - 616-331-2683 
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid (some in-person meetings and some online/virtual) with in-person meetings on the Allendale (Valley) Campus.
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

Visual Thinking in a Verbal World

How can we redesign classrooms to celebrate visual thinkers, verbal thinkers, and everyone in between, so collaboration becomes a learning tool, not a group project horror story?

This LC is for anyone who's ever watched a student sketch their way into clarity or freeze during a ‘class discussion.’ Inspired by Temple Grandin’s Visual Thinking, we’ll dive into what happens when we stop designing classrooms for one kind of brain. The plan? Read, rant, and remix. We’ll explore how to pair visual and verbal thinkers to help both sides adapt and thrive (and maybe prevent one from steamrolling the other in group work). This is about building more inclusive, human learning spaces, especially now, when AI is trying to outthink us all. Come for the cognitive chaos. Stay for the design experiments, weird metaphors, and maybe a spreadsheet that doesn’t make you want to cry. 

Learning Objective 1: Explore and implement strategies to support diverse cognitive styles, with a focus on visual thinking 

Learning Objective 2: Design more inclusive and adaptive learning environments in specific teaching and learning contexts  

Register in our Grant System for the Visual Thinking in a Verbal World LC

Learning Communities Winter 2025

  • Facilitated by: Cathy Meyer-Looze, CECI,  [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
    • Virtual meetings on 2/13, 2/27, 3/13, 3/27, and 4/10. 
    • In-person for the final meeting, exact date TBD. 
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

ARRIVE AND THRIVE - 7 IMPACTFUL PRACTICES FOR WOMEN NAVIGATING LEADERSHIP

How can you, as a women leader, utilize these seven practices? What will it look and sound like?

Participants will gain insight into women's leadership practices through this book study. Using Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership as a guide for discussions, the series aims to improve efforts to support and recruit women leaders. Session participants will investigate the following seven practices:
• Investing in your best self
• Embracing authenticity
• Cultivating courage
• Fostering resilience
• Inspiring a bold vision
• Creating a health team environment
• Committing to the work of the inclusive leader
Please join us as we unpack these seven practices in our work as women leaders.

Register in our Grant System for the Arrive and Thrive - 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: In-person in Allendale
  • Type: Closed.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

BMS BOOK CLUB

How can we facilitate student and faculty interactions around and with scientific material?

The BMS Book Club provides a space for students and faculty to come together to discuss scientific and medical topics. We will be reading The Masters of Medicine by Dr. Andrew Lam. In the book, Dr. Lam tells the story of the medical investigation and progress in confronting seven major diseases. Through group discussions of the topics, faculty and students exchange ideas, impressions, questions, and feelings. The club provides an opportunity for students and faculty to form deeper connections that are possible in our typical classes (due to the class size).

***This Learning Community is open to CLAS Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the BMS Book Club

  • Facilitated by: Jennifer Bourbina, BMS, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: In-person in Allendale
  • Type: Closed
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

BMS -  DISTRACTED LC

How can faculty help students stay focused and engaged with content both in and out of the classroom?

Members of the BMS department will meet bi-weekly to discuss readings from "Distracted" by James Lang. Discussions will be centered around the readings and how we can increase student engagement in our BMS courses.

***This Learning Community is open to BMS Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the BMS - Distracted LC

  • Facilitated by:  
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

CREATING A COMMUNITY OF CRITICAL PRACTICE IN MENTORING 

How do the complex and discriminatory systems in higher education affect students' experiences, and how can faculty address these issues through mentoring?

Higher education is a complicated ecosystem that can be difficult for students to navigate. As faculty, advising and mentoring students requires an understanding of higher education and the larger society to be equipped with the information and tools to offer the best and most appropriate guidance and advice. This LC interrogates the discriminatory systems by which higher education in the U.S. was founded, explores how institutions continue to perpetuate those systems, and educates colleagues about these frameworks, so they are equipped to address these systems and continue the work of providing students with exceptional experiences, especially as it relates to undergraduate research.

Register in our Grant System for the Creating and Community of Critical Practice in Mentoring LC

  • Facilitated by: Anthony Spencer, Communications, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

CURE 101: GETTING STARTED WITH RESEARCH IN THE CLASSROOM

How can we take an existing course and add a research activity to promote an interest in student research?

This Learning Community is for faculty who are interested in research and have absolutely no experience working with student researchers. A CURE can be the "aha moment" in a class where the students co-create a learning experience with the instructor. In this Learning Community (LC), we will support each other in creating 1 activity to include in a course you already teach or want to teach. If research/scholarship feels like a daunting task for you and the students, you are not alone. We are all in this together. At the end of the LC, you will have 1 research activity ready to deploy in your course.

Register in our Grant System for the CURE 101: Getting Started with Research in the Classroom LC

  • Facilitated by:
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid on Allendale Campus

    • Wednesdays from 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM on the following dates: 1/29, 2/5, 2/19, 3/12, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16

  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

DIALOGUE: CONVERSATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND

How might authentic dialogue practices foster open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, constructive disagreement, and sustained curiosity in group learning environments?

Authentic dialogue can cultivate trust and mutual understanding among people. But what does it mean and what does it take to foster a culture of conversation and connection during a time of divisive national rhetoric? What concrete strategies, skills, and practices can help people better understand each other across differences of identity, life experience, ideology, etc., even in the face of heightened emotion? And what larger, more philosophical questions might be important to reflect upon when thinking about the ways educators engage in conversation with students in the classroom and with each other?

With a focus on community building, this LC aims to offer educators who teach in the classroom and beyond a supportive and intellectually rich space to think through the transformative potential of dialogue. To frame our learning journey, we will read Lara Hope Schwartz's 2024 book, Try to Love the Questions: From Debate to Dialogue in Classrooms and Life.

Register in our Grant System for the Dialogue: Conversations for the Classroom and Beyond LC

  • Facilitated by: Leanne Kang, Educational Foundations,  [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Closed. 
  • Status: Still accepting applications.
    • NOTE: This Learning Community will run through Winter 2025 and Spring/Summer 2025.

Educational Justice & Cultivating a PK-12 Teacher-Researcher Identity

How do we emphasize educational justice in the new course EDF 495 - Capstone: Reflective Inquiry and Practice while preparing students to become teacher-researchers who make culturally relevant action research a part of their practice?

With new changes in how we certify teachers from the Michigan Department of Education, CECI has been revamping its courses, including the capstone course taken during students’ teaching internship. Previously, the capstone project was centered on conducting a literature review around a problem of practice. The new capstone focuses on action research, a process of improving teaching practice.

With this course running for the first time in W25, instructors have an exciting opportunity to meet and learn how to emphasize educational justice as a driver to improve practice, to foster culturally competent teacher-researcher dispositions. The LC will meet to discuss our approaches, texts, resources, and student work and feedback. We will also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our chosen textbook and possibly conduct self-studies or enact action research ourselves.

Register in our Grant System for Educational Justice & Cultivating a PK-12 Teacher-Researcher Identity

  • Facilitated by: Melissa Morison, Classics, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

HUMANITIES FOR ALL 

What do we as Humanities faculty value the most, and how can we most effectively work together to make our dreams a reality? 

Did you know: Most Americans say that they engage positively with the Humanities on a regular basis?
Did you know: Over 85% of Americans feel that the humanities have the potential to help strengthen our democracy?
Did you know: The Humanities are thriving!

We all know that Humanities disciplines are facing a variety of challenges. At times, we all feel frustrated and discouraged. But there us hope: there are practical courses of action we can pursue, and many resources we can tap into, as we work to engage our students and to collaboratively build the worlds we want.

In this LC we will consider national, data-based conversations about the Humanities; discuss models of successful approaches to shared humanities-based work; identify regional and national resources that support our work; and develop potential cross-disciplinary action items to discuss with our units.

Register in our Grant System for the Humanities for All Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Karen Gipson, Physics, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

INCORPORATING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE MINDFULNESS INTO TEACHING AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS

How might student wellbeing be enhanced through trauma-sensitive mindfulness practices? 

Mindfulness has been well-documented to improve physical and psychological wellbeing, but recent studies indicate that trauma-sensitivity is crucial for such benefits to be realized in many people. This LC will explore the importance, foundation, and principles of trauma-sensitive mindfulness (TSM), so that faculty and staff will be able to confidently incorporate TSM strategies and techniques into their courses and other work with student. Topics include the need for using trauma-sensitivity when offering mindfulness to students, fundamental background on trauma, connections between traumatic stress and mindfulness, and the five core principles of TSM.

Register in our Grant System for the Incorporating Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness into Teaching and Working with Students LC

  • Facilitated by: Dauvan Mulally, CLAS Writing, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid with some in-person meetings on Allendale Campus
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

INTERNSHIPS: APPROACHES, STRATEGIES, AND BEST PRACTICES

How can we help students get the most out of their internship?

Internships serve different purposes for different students. For some students, an internship can serve as a starting point for their academic and professional aspirations. For others who have a clearer vision, an internship can help them apply their knowledge and skills in a "real world" setting. Much of the responsibility for helping students understand the purpose and value of an internship falls on the shoulders of internship directors. Therefore, this LC will center on helping GVSU internship directors explore:
best practices for advising and evaluating student internship experiences, strategies for outreach, networking, and student preparation, and approaches for building and strengthening relationships with employers and community partners.

Register in our Grant System for the Internships: Approaches, Strategies. and Best Practices

  • Facilitated by:
  • Location/Campus: In-person on Pew Campus
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

MANAGING GEN-Z ANXIETY IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION

How shall engineering educators address the apparent and rising rates of moderate and severe anxiety observed in Gen-Z students in our pedagogical practices?

"The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt throws a spotlight on the mental health crisis among young people which has been exacerbated by the digital age. This book raises critical questions about how the classroom environment can either mitigate or amplify these issues. Are the current teaching methods fostering an environment that helps students build resilience against anxiety and depression, or are they inadvertently contributing to these problems by, say, encouraging constant digital interaction over personal engagement? Should universities implement policies like phone-free classrooms or advocate for more unstructured, real-world social interactions to counteract the effects of digital overexposure? And perhaps most importantly, how can educators adapt their pedagogical approaches to support students' psychological well-being in an era where technology is both a tool and a potential hazard? These are the kinds of questions that educators might ponder, aiming to create a learning environment that nurtures academic, emotional, and social growth.

Register in our Grant System for the Managing Gen-Z Anxiety in Technical Education

  • Facilitated by: Mary Ruge, Liberal Arts Program, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: In-person
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

ZINES! A REVOLUTION IN LEARNING, ACCESS, AND INFORMATION

How and why should zines be used in a college-level, interdisciplinary classroom?

From the Little Magazine Movement of the Harlem Renaissance, to the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, to the Queer Core movement of the 1980s, zines have long been the choice for creating momentum in a movement because they are: cheap to make, cheap to reproduce, easy to distribute, and not intimidating to consumers. All of these qualities set zines up to be vehicles of access and equity, two things desperately needed in academia and research today. Participants in this Learning Community will discover how to leverage this medium to create space for marginalized voices in their classrooms through reading, research, and projects. Open to all disciplines and all levels of ability.

Register in our Grant System for the Zines! A Revolution in Learning, Access, and Information LC

Learning Communities 24-25 Year Long

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

ASKED AND ANSWERED: DIALOGUES ON ADVOCATING FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR IN MATHEMATICS

How can we be better advocates for students of color in our mathematics classrooms?

In partnership with colleagues at Eastern Michigan University we will read Asked and Answered: Dialogues On Advocating for students of Color in Mathematics by Pamela Harris and Aris Winger. The book encourages us to audit our classroom practices and develop ways we can make our practices "10% better" for our students.

***This Learning Community is open to Mathematics Faculty only.***

  • Facilitated by: Haixia Liu, Integrative Studies, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: In person in Allendale
  • Type: Closed.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

ENHANCING INTERDISCIPLINARY INSTRUCTION AT BROOKS COLLEGE THROUGH TPACK DEVELOPMENT

What is TPACK, and how can it be leveraged to improve interdisciplinary teaching?

TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) is a framework that combines Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Technological Knowledge (TK) to enhance teaching practices. For interdisciplinary instruction, TPACK is crucial because it enables educators to blend diverse technological tools with pedagogical strategies and content knowledge, creating more cohesive and engaging learning experiences that bridge multiple disciplines. In this Learning Community, we aim to apply the principles of TPACK to explore and deepen the implementation of Student-Centered Learning (SCL) in interdisciplinary courses. By experimenting and discussing the integration of a broad range technologies, from traditional tools to advanced AI, we hope to identify and apply appropriate pedagogical strategies that align with SCL when teaching interdisciplinary courses. We will also address and develop strategies to overcome challenges related to pedagogy, technology, curriculum and the learning environment, ensuring that our approach effectively leverages TPACK to support interdisciplinary instruction. 

***This Learning Community is open to BCOIS Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the Enhancing Interdisciplinary Instruction at Brooks College Through TPACK Development Learning Community

  • Facilitated by:
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

EXPLORING QUALITY MATTERS FOR ONLINE AND HYBRID COURSES

How do your courses measure up with the research on quality standards in online and hybrid course design?

In this learning community, participants will gain experience applying the Quality Matters rubric. For almost twenty years, QM has been one of the most respected and well-researched standards for online and hybrid course development. One of QM's defining features is an ongoing collegial review process. Every three years, Quality Matters gathers a group of faculty to review and amend the rubric to keep it in step with current research on best practices in digital learning.

The rubric's recommendations are broken down into eight "General Standards": (1) Course Overview and Introduction, (2) Learning Objectives, (3) Assessment and Measurement, (4) Instructional Materials, (5) Learning Activities and Learner Interaction, (6) Course Technology, (7) Learner Support, and (8) Accessibility and Usability.

Participants will explore each of the eight standards that make-up the most recent 7th edition of the Quality Matters rubric, and will apply those standards to one of their own existing courses. Each meeting will include a dialog among participants, offering insight and suggestions to others based on their own experiences. 

Register in our Grant System for the Exploring Quality Matters for Online and Hybrid Courses Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Patty Stow Bolea, Social Work, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid with in-person meetings on the Pew Campus
  • Dates/Times: Thursdays - September 19, October 17, November 21, January 16, February 20, March 20 at 1pm
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

IMPROVING LEARNING AND MENTAL HEALTH IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM

How can we make our classrooms supportive of the many students with mental health challenges? 

Given the extremely high numbers of students reporting mental health challenges, we as faculty and staff have a responsibility to develop inclusive teaching practices aimed at student success, ranging from accommodations to pedagogical strategies. Reading "Improving Learning and Mental Health in the College Classroom" by Eaton, R., Hunsaker, S., and Moon, B. (2023) our Learning Community can review and discuss learning theory, course design, and health promotion in coursework. 

Register in our Grant System for the Improving Learning and Mental Health in the College Classroom Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS RECONSTRUCTING DEI

 

How might the interdisciplinary healthcare professions work together to become effective DEI models within the classroom and act as change agents?

Fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging in the classroom within the interdisciplinary healthcare settings begins with self-awareness. This learning community will act to dive deeper into self-awareness and move towards evidence-based DEI strategies. Together we will work through Lily Zhen's book and workbook, DEI Deconstructed and Reconstructing DEI, to leverage an outcome-oriented understanding of DEI. In addition, we aim to create a comprehensive foundation of actionable techniques to support participants in becoming more effective DEI practitioners, allies, and leaders.

***This Learning Community is open to Interdisciplinary Healthcare Faculty only.***

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: In-person
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL EXCHANGE: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

How might we incorporate virtual exchange projects in our courses to promote intercultural dialogue and foster collaboration and global awareness in our students? 

International Virtual Exchange (IVE) is a pedagogical approach in which faculty from GVSU work with international teaching partners to design and integrate collaborative projects or activities in their courses. Because IVE provides a high impact, meaningful intercultural experience, it expands students' cultural perspectives and fosters important communication and collaboration skills. And consistent with Reach Higher 2025, it promotes engaged learning, problem solving, and appreciation of international perspectives.

This learning community is designed for faculty who are already using IVE and for those who want to explore its use in their courses. Sessions will be centered on facilitated discussion and sharing, and we'll cover important topics related to virtual exchange, such as finding teaching partners and designing activities that meet learning outcomes. Optional readings from The Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange (2022) will be made available to participants who are new to virtual exchange.

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

NEURODIVERSITY AFFINITY GROUP 

How do neurodiverse faculty and staff experience GVSU, their jobs, responsibilities and supportive resources at our university? In what way could conditions be improved and what resources could neurodiverse faculty and staff share with one another?

Faculty and staff who identify as neurodiverse may have differences in sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions that are sometimes related to health diagnoses. A few examples of the many expressions of neurodiversity include ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, and learning differences. A formal diagnosis is not necessary to join this learning community. Just as resources for ADHD focus on the perspectives of parents, similarly most of the resources in higher education are aimed at students with less written or provided to support faculty and staff. We aim to develop those resources together.

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

PLANNING AND SUPPORT OF STUDY AWAY AT GVSU

How can Study Away be encouraged, supported, and implemented at GVSU?

One of GVSU’s Reach Higher 2025 goals is to provide students with an ‘empowered educational experience’. Study away experiences and other similar High Impact Practices (HIP), are an immersive and effective way to expand both the knowledge and worldview of our students. If we can support and empower these programs, GVSU will stand out from other universities and attract more students. Padnos International Center (PIC) provides support for study abroad programs. No office or entity exists at GVSU to provide similar support for faculty and staff leading study away programs (health forms, liability waivers, budgeting templates, and marketing materials).

This Learning Community will provide a forum for sharing experiences about existing and past study away programs and support for future study away opportunities. Through facilitated discussions, participants will be able to learn from peers about what works and what doesn’t when planning and implementing a study away program.

Register in our Grant System for the Planning and Support of Study Away at GVSU Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Justin Pettibone, Integrative Studies,  [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid with in-person meetings on the Allendale Campus
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

TEACHING ADULT LEARNERS IN THE LEADS FORMAT

How can I best connect with the adult learners in my LEADS course?

This group will support faculty teaching in the LEADS format by developing a culture of collegiality amongst LEADS faculty, sharing our experiences with adult learners, sharing assignment designs or other strategies that participants have used, and raising common questions or concerns to address as a group. We'll also be identifying and sharing some scholarly sources on adult pedagogy.

Register in our Grant System for the Teaching Adult Leaners in the LEADS Format Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

TRANSFORMATIONAL COACHING

How might instructional coaching rooted in equity and systems impact outcomes for students, teachers, and the school communities they're a part of? 

In an ever-shifting educational landscape, how do we utilize instructional coaching that provides transformative outcomes for all students, teachers, and communities in which they work? Based on the work by Elena Aguilar, this learning community will explore difficult and yet imperative topics related to coaching in the face of challenges that intersect along systemic, racial, socioeconomic, and political lines.

Learning Communities Fall 2024

  • Facilitated by: Sarah Joseph, Professional Programs, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

ALL OF US DATA  AT GVSU

How can one of the largest and most diverse biomedical datasets support your teaching and classroom activities?

This Learning Community will introduce you to the All of Us dataset, a research program from the National Institutes of Health. The dataset includes survey data, genomic analyses, electronic health records, physical measurements, and more. Built-in tools can allow students and other researchers to work within the All of Us platform to conduct data analysis using R, SAS, and other tools. 

A key goal of the All of Us research program is to enroll highly diverse participants from many races and ethnicities, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We will explore the different levels of data access, the tools within the dataset, and how to integrate the use of the dataset into the classroom.

Register in our Grant System for the All of Us Data at GVSU Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Megan Freudigmann, Teaching + Learning, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: TBD
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

BUILDING SYSTEMS OF EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE TO THRIVE IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM

What strategies and tools might best support elementary teacher interns, both emotionally and academically, to build up their professional stamina?

Elementary interns are college seniors completing their academic training with a full day field placement. Our interns began their college careers experiencing Covid-related trauma and emotional distress. Since then, the responsibilities of elementary classroom teachers have increased as we try to meet the needs of students who have also experienced trauma. Teacher stress is high, and teacher burnout is tremendous. (70 percent of teachers quit within their first five years of teaching.) In response to the Michigan teacher-shortage, we will explore ways to support our GVSU teacher interns both academically and emotionally and help them weather the storms and to be resilient in the classroom. This LC will use the book, Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar as a starting point and will dive deeply into The Onward Workbook in order to adjust course content, practices, and pedagogy in a collective effort toward emotional resilience. 

***This Learning Community is open to Teaching and Learning Faculty only.***

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus:  Local restaurant near the downtown campus
  • Type: Closed.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH INTEGRATING AI IN ENGINEERING PEDAGOGY

How can chat-based generative AI enhance engineering education?

As the field of engineering education evolves, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) presents both exciting possibilities and critical considerations. In this faculty learning community, we delve into the multifaceted capabilities of chat-based generative AI. Moreover, our discussions will be enriched by engaging with the book, Teaching with AI, which provides a comprehensive exploration of AI's role in educational contexts. Faculty members will have the opportunity to critically analyze the book's insights and apply them to their teaching practices.

***This Learning Community is open to Engineering Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the Challenges and Opportunities with Integrating AI in Engineering Pedagogy Learning Community

  • Facilitated by:
    •  David Eick, Modern Languages and Literature and Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Virtual (with Zoom)
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

CULTURES OF GROWTH: HOW THE NEW SCIENCE OF MINDSET CAN TRANSFORM INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

Using the science of mindset, how might we best support GVSU student, staff, and faculty growth?

Building on GVSU's student success series, this learning community will read and discuss Mary C. Murphy's (2024) book, Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, & Organizations. Dr. Murphy's research demonstrates that, "mindset transcends individuals [and] a growth mindset culture can transform any group, team, or classroom to reach breakthroughs while also helping each person achieve their potential." This learning community will identify how to foster cultures of growth at GVSU, at all levels.

Register in our Grant System for the Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations Learning Community

  • Facilitated by:   Feryal Alayont, Mathematics, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

CURE 201: DESIGNING COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (ADVANCED)

 

How can we redesign our courses to incorporate enriching and accessible course-based undergraduate research experiences?

Experiences are powerful teachers. If a faculty member participated in a CURE (Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences) class as a student in the discipline they're teaching, they will likely feel more confident about attempting to repeat that experience as an instructor. So, we're hoping that this LC will be for those faculty who have not experienced being s student in a CURE classroom, but who have heard about CUREs, thought about them a bit, recognize the value of CUREs, and are ready to jump into designing a CURE themselves. In this Learning Community (LC), we will support each other in redesigning our courses to incorporate CUREs using backward design principles. We will serve as a sounding board for each other and share ideas to create effective CURES.

  • Facilitated by:
  • Location/Campus: In-Person, Allendale Campus
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

ENGAGING STUDENTS AS PARTNERS

How can working in collaboration with students as partners improve teaching and learning?

As issues of belonging and inclusion continue to come into focus for higher education, engaging students as partners provides faculty the opportunity to leverage student insight through collaboration. Moving beyond simply collecting student responses (feedback), partnerships prioritize shared learning. For example, faculty may choose to work with students on redesigning an assignment.

Participants will receive a copy of Cook-Sather, Bovill, and Felten's (2014) book, Engaging Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching. The goal for the community is to generate ideas for partnering with students on topics such as: syllabi, assignments, course design, assessment, and course observations, to name a few.

Register in our Grant System for the Engaging Students as Partners Learning Community

  • Facilitated by:
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

EXPLORING QUALITY MATTERS FOR ONLINE AND HYBRID COURSES

How do your courses measure up with the research on quality standards in online and hybrid course design?

In this learning community, participants will gain experience applying the Quality Matters rubric. For almost twenty years, QM has been one of the most respected and well-researched standards for online and hybrid course development. One of QM's defining features is an ongoing collegial review process. Every three years, Quality Matters gathers a group of faculty to review and amend the rubric to keep it in step with current research on best practices in digital learning.

The rubric's recommendations are broken down into eight "General Standards": (1) Course Overview and Introduction, (2) Learning Objectives, (3) Assessment and Measurement, (4) Instructional Materials, (5) Learning Activities and Learner Interaction, (6) Course Technology, (7) Learner Support, and (8) Accessibility and Usability.

Participants will explore each of the eight standards that make-up the most recent 7th edition of the Quality Matters rubric, and will apply those standards to one of their own existing courses. Each meeting will include a dialog among participants, offering insight and suggestions to others based on their own experiences. 

Register in our Grant System for the Exploring Quality Matters for Online and Hybrid Courses Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Dauvan Mulally, Writing, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

INTERNSHIPS: APPROACHES, STRATEGIES, AND BEST PRACTICES

How can we help students get the most out of their internship?

Internships serve different purposes for different students. For some students, an internship can serve as a starting point for their academic and professional aspirations. For others who have a clearer vision, an internship can help them apply their knowledge and skills in a "real world" setting. Much of the responsibility for helping students understand the purpose and value of an internship falls on the shoulders of internship directors.

Register in our Grant System for the Internships: Approaches, Strategies, and Best Practices Learning Community

  • Facilitated by:
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

PREPARING EDUCATION STUDENTS TO BECOME LINGUISTICALLY SUSTAINING PRACTITIONERS

How do we intentionally prepare teachers to support English Learners across their literacy and/or English language arts sequence of education coursework?

This Learning Community will include faculty who teach courses as a part of the Early Childhood, Elementary Literacy, Secondary ELA, and Secondary TESOL teacher preparation programs. Within our new education programs, undergraduate students in elementary and secondary education are required to complete coursework on teaching English Learners. However, to be effective, these practices must be integrated across discipline-specific education coursework. We will explore together opportunities to deepen our candidates' understanding and application of instruction to support English Learners and build capacity to interact with learners, families, and communities across diverse languages and cultural backgrounds. In connecting across departments, we will build bridges across courses to foster shared language and practices to prepare our pre-service teachers to support English learners. Finally, we will identify gaps and continuities within and across courses to strategically deepen and reinforce learning across programs.

***This Learning Community is only open to faculty who teach courses as part of the Early Childhood, Elementary Literacy, Secondary ELA, and Secondary TESOL teacher preparation programs.***

Register in our Grant System for the Preparing Education Students to Become Linguistically Sustaining Practices Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Jennifer Bourbina, Biomedical Sciences, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: In-person
  • Type: Closed.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

SMALL TEACHING

How can instructors make small, meaningful changes to increase student engagement and holistic development?

Members of the BMS department will meet bi-weekly to discuss readings from Small Teaching by James Lang. We will use the meetings to discuss how we can increase student engagement and support their holistic development inspired by the reading.

***This Learning Community is open to Biomedical Sciences Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the Small Teaching Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Sheryl Vliestra, Teaching and Learning, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: TBD
  • Type: Closed.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

THE ELEMENTARY TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP CLINICAL FIELD INSTRUCTOR'S ROLE IN CULTIVATING RESILIENCE AND STAMINA IN THE CLASSROOM

How might we better support elementary teacher apprentices, to build their professional and emotional stamina?

Elementary apprentices are GVSU seniors who are completing their first of two semesters with a field placement where they assume partial classroom responsibility. The demands of teachers have increased greatly since Covid. Educator stress is high and teacher burnout is tremendous. (70% of teachers quit within their first five years of teaching.) We will explore ways to better support apprentices so they are better prepared academically and emotionally to be resilient in the classroom.
In this closed LC, clinical instructors in the EDI 330/480 program will meet regularly and will read and discuss Chapters 1-7 in the book, Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar. Based on the overarching theme of the book, we will adjust course content, practices and pedagogy in a collective effort toward improvement. In collaboration with DEI 430/480 field course that follows the apprenticeship semester, we will create a framework for promoting resiliency.

***This Learning Community is open to Teaching and Learning Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the Elementary Teacher Apprenticeship Clinical Field Instructor's Role in Cultivating Resilience and Stamina in the Classroom Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: 
  • Location/Campus: Hybrid
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MENTORING 101

How important is an effective mentor and how do you mentor undergraduate research students effectively?

Undergraduate research is a high-impact practice, however, ineffective mentoring can do more harm than good. This learning community (LC) aims to help faculty take an intentional approach to holistic mentoring of undergraduate researchers. In this LC, faculty will learn about and discuss necessary skills for effective mentoring. Additionally, this LC will examine how mentoring approaches can be customized to be effective for students with different learning styles and personal circumstances. As part of this learning community, through readings, activities, and discussion, faculty will assess their current mentoring approach, recognize new techniques, and identify approaches they use successfully and those in which they could improve. By the end of this LC, faculty will be able to clearly articulate their mentoring goals, develop a mentorship plan (such as those required for OURS grant applications), and customize both of these to individual students.

  • Facilitated by: Breanna Chycinski, Occupational Therapy, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Health Campus
  • Type: Closed.
  • Status: Still accepting applications.

USE OF AI IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATION

How might the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in occupational therapy education enhance personalized teaching and learning experiences while addressing potential ethical concerns such as access, bias, and data privacy?

This learning community will use the book Teaching with AI by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson to guide a discussion on using AI within occupational therapy education. We will explore the topic from the student and instructor perspective, along with current ethical concerns.

***This Learning Community is open to Occupational Therapy Faculty only.***

Register in our Grant System for the Use of AI in Occupational Therapy Education Learning Community

  • Facilitated by: Ashley Rosener, Professional Programs, [email protected]
  • Location/Campus: Online/Zoom
  • Type: Open.
  • Status: Still accepting applications

WHY BECOME A "SLOW" PROFESSOR? CHALLENGING THE CULTURE OF SPEED IN THE ACADEMY

How might we challenge and counter the culture of speed in higher education?

Do you feel pushed to be ever more efficient and productive? Do you wonder if this attitude and approach have negative consequences on teaching and scholarship? We will read Berg and Seeber's (2016) book, The Slow Professor, and look at how adopting the principles of the Slow movement in academic life can counter the cult of productivity and alleviate stress while improving our work, teaching, and research. We will also consider how mindfulness supports being a Slow professor through reading A Walk in the Wood: Meditations on Mindfulness with a Bear Named Pooh. This book offers "lessons grounded in the simple act of slowing down, observing what is around us, and being present in our lives moment by moment."

Register in our Grant System for the Why Become a "Slow" Professor? Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy Learning Community

For additional information about any of these programs, please contact us at [email protected].


Page last modified December 2, 2025
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