Happy new academic year! Here is the latest from the Center for Teaching and campus partners to support faculty work in the classroom.
UMW NEH Spotlight on the Humanities Grant Team
Congratulations to the following faculty selected as UMW’s representatives on the NEH Spotlight on the Humanities Grant, “Developing a Public Liberal Arts Humanities Curriculum: Empowering Students to Navigate an A.I. World”:
- Maya Mathur (Professor-English & Linguistics)
- Krystyn Moon (Professor-History & American Studies)
- Scott Powers (Professor-Modern Languages & Literatures)
- Michael Reno (Senior Lecturer-Classics, Philosophy, & Religion)
AI Roundtable
AI Roundtable is an informal gathering to discuss current topics in AI and higher education. It’s a space to ask questions, challenge, and learn about AI. A resource suggestion is provided for each Roundtable topic/question—no requirement to read or listen, however! If you miss a Roundtable, a recap will be available on UMW Learn and CfT First Friday posts.
Join CfT and DLS for our first AI Roundtable meet-ups in Seacobeck 151:
- Thursday, September 12th at 2:00 PM: How can faculty responsibly use AI outside of the classroom?
- Resource: Teaching with AI, Chapter 5 “AI-Assisted Faculty”
- Tuesday, October 1st at 4:00 PM: Should faculty and administrators be required to disclose use of AI tools?
- Resource: “Why We Should Normalize Open Disclosure of AI Use” by Marc Watkins
Plan to join us for AI Roundtables later this semester (topics TBA; all in Seacobeck 151):
- Wednesday, October 16th at 1:00 PM
- Friday, November 15th at 1:00 PM
- Thursday, December 5th at 3:30 PM
AI Corner (resources & opportunities for independent AI explorations)
- Get a preview of Teaching with AI in this June 2024 Future Trends Forum interview with Jose Bowen (approximately one hour)
- Looking for ways to support responsible student AI use? Consider sharing this student-focused resource, a collaboration between Elon University and AAC&U. While directed at a student audience, the guide is also helpful for faculty and staff learning to navigate an AI world.
Life After Mary Wash Competency of the Month: Leadership
Our students demonstrate leadership when they:
- Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals
- Use their interpersonal skills to coach others
- Assess and manage their emotions and those of others
- Use empathic skills to guide and motivate
- Organize, prioritize, and delegate work
We can help our students develop their leadership skills by:
- Assigning discussion leaders and providing feedback on their ability to facilitate conversations with diverse opinions and interpretations
- Assigning reflection questions during and after group projects asking students to identify leadership skills they utilized, how those skills supported the group’s goals, and ways they wish to improve in the future
- Interviewing leaders in their fields and reflecting on the how leaders manage a team’s workflow and interpersonal dynamics towards successful outcomes
The LAMW Faculty Development Team (Alex Dunn, Chris McBride, Deb O’Dell, and Victoria Russell) are developing resources and workshops for the fall semester—stay tuned!
NEW PROGRAM: Grading Hour (via Zoom)
Could you use a little accountability to keep on top of grading? Join us for Grading Hour, a virtual workspace for grading and feedback. Participants sign into Zoom, share a grading goal for the hour, and then work in two 25-minute grading sprints with a short break in between.
Bring all your grading to our September Grading Hours:
- Friday, September 13th, 11 AM – 12 PM
- Thursday, September 19th, 3 – 4 PM
- Friday, September 27th, 10 – 11 AM
Contact Victoria Russell for the Zoom link or if you have questions.
Book Authors Group
The Faculty Book Author Group is starting its fall writing sessions via Zoom on Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 PM. The meetings consist of two to three 25-minute pomodoro writing sprints, with short breaks in between. There is no pressure to come to every meeting or to stay for the entire duration of the meetings–this group is about supporting writing whenever it can happen.
Contact Brenta Blevins or Zach Whalen for the Zoom link and more information.
Call for Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium
Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium are midday or afternoon gatherings for sharing pedagogical research and/or teaching strategies in an open and supportive setting. Participants provide a 20-minute presentation of their project or teaching strategy, then engage in a 30-minute Q&A session with the audience. We are especially interested in presentations about:
- integrating LAMW competencies into the classroom
- critical AI strategies for teaching and learning
- ‘playful’ teaching strategies promoting engagement and creativity
Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium is also a great forum for rehearsing teaching-focused conference presentations. If you are interested in presenting, please complete the Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium form. The preferred deadline is Friday, September 20th but applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Contact the Center for Teaching if you have questions or need more information.