Final Call: No Time to Read Book Reservations
Last call to reserve a copy of either A Pedagogy of Kindness or Snafu Edu for the No Time to Read Book Club! Book orders will be submitted next week, so we have extended the request window to Monday, October 5th at 5:00 pm.
You can reserve your book copy by completing the CfT 2026-2027 Programming Registration form (question #2). Books will be delivered during the fall semester and we will begin meet ups in January.
Mid-Semester Teaching Summit
Friday, October 16th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm in Seacobeck 151
As we approach the midpoint of the semester, it’s a great time to reflect on how our classes are going and where we might want to make adjustments. Join us for a Mid-Semester Teaching Summit, where we will work in small groups to brainstorm ideas and solutions for our classrooms.
Similar to our August Pre-Week Teaching Summit, each person will have a chance to share, receive feedback, and brainstorm with colleagues. Because we only have one hour together, please arrive with specific questions, issues, or needs you’d like to address. Whether you want to focus on upcoming assignments and activities or work through sticky points in the classroom, this is a great space for it. Please bring something to write with and any other materials you think would be helpful!
What’s an A? Alternative Grading Learning Community
This month we kick off the What’s an A? Alternative Grading Learning Community! If you have registered for the learning community, info will be coming to your email about book delivery and learning community details. It is not too late to register officially for the learning community–you get a copy of Grading for Growth as a resource–but please do so by Monday, October 5th at 5:00 pm. Registrations after October 5th will not include a book.
The fall semester will focus on learning about alternative grading, specifically what it is (and is not) and two different models (standards-based grading and specifications grading). Three meeting options are available monthly and are open to ALL faculty interested in the topic. In the spring, we will start to build assignments using an alternative grading model.
October sessions explore Clark & Talbert’s four pillars of alternative grading and what the research has to say about the effectiveness of alternative grading in college classrooms. Select the October meeting date that works for your schedule (all sessions cover the same material):
- Wednesday, October 14th, 4:00 – 5:00 pm in Seacobeck 128
- Thursday, October 15th, 3:30 – 4:30 pm in Seacobeck 128
- Thursday, October 22nd, 3:30 – 4:30 pm in Zoom
Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium 2026-2027
We have a full calendar for the Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium and will kick things off in November! Check out our first session and register to attend (Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium RSVP form). RSVPs with lunch are available until Friday, October 30th; RSVPs submitted after that time cannot offer lunch but we welcome you to attend the session.
“Mapping German American Stories: A Student-Created Walking Tour of Fredericksburg” with Dr. Marcel Rotter (Modern Languages and Literatures)
Monday, November 9th, 12:00 – 12:50 pm in CRUC 314
This presentation explores Dr. Rotter’s work with students to create a GIS-based walking tour of German American history in Fredericksburg. By connecting historical research with digital mapping, students bring local stories into the streets and places where they unfolded. The project demonstrates how collaborative, place-based learning can engage students in sharing the histories of their community.
Friday Writing Group
Every Friday, 3:30 – 5:00 pm over Zoom (Friday Writing Group Zoom)
Working on a book proposal, manuscript, article, or dissertation? Looking for a friendly group that provides gentle accountability towards your weekly writing goals? The Friday Writing Group (formerly Book Authors Group), facilitated by Maya Mathur (English & Linguistics), meets every Friday over Zoom from 3:30-5:00 pm to support focused writing time and progress. You can join and exit the Zoom at any time–all are welcome who have a writing goal to achieve. Contact Maya (mmathur@umw.edu) for more information or with any questions.
Who You Gonna Call?
The Center for Teaching is here and ready to help with any and all classroom questions and challenges. AI or no AI, assessment options, activity ideas, or even’blow it up’ course redesign–whatever you need, we can help (or get you directly to someone who can). Consultations are available in-person and virtually, and can be scheduled individually or for a small group. Book a meeting through our consultation scheduling link. If you have a special situation (e.g., need a longer meeting or an evening virtual session) or would like us to come to a department meeting, please email Victoria (vrussel3@umw.edu) to make arrangements.
CfT Reading and Listening Corner
- In August, MIT published “AI and Education“. The report’s contents highlight several ideas and strategies that align with values and core experiences in a UMW education and is a worthy addition to your reading list as AI discussions on campus continue.
- UVA’s Teaching Hub is a curated collection of connected resources to support teaching and learning. A notable addition to the Teaching Hub is the “Student Learning in Tech Free Classrooms” collection. You will find research documenting the value of specific tech-free classroom approaches and best practice recommendations.
- CfT frequently recommends the Intentional Teaching podcast with Derek Bruff for its timely topics and expert guests. Recent episodes include “Durable Skills in the Humanities” and “Curricular Responses to AI“.
Partner News and Programs
Office of Undergraduate Research
Director, Betsy Lewis (elewis@umw.edu)
As fall break approaches, students and their mentors are working hard on their research projects and traveling to conferences to present. This semester we awarded $88,000 in undergraduate research funds!
- Non-STEM projects: $17,911.99 to 25 students in 11 projects across 7 departments in CAS and CEHD, mostly for travel to conferences.
- STEM projects: $65,093 to 54 students in 40 projects, over 4 departments in CAS and COB. This was awarded from the Piscopo Rodgers Endowment this fall.
The next deadline to apply for URG funds is January 19, 2027. You can find more information about Undergraduate Research Grants, and the link to the application on the Undergraduate Research Grant page of our Research and Creativity Collaborative website.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
- Wednesday, October 14: Workshop Wednesdays – Poster Presentations, 4:00 pm. Stop by the RCC space for some help designing an effective poster for presenting. Sign up on our short registration form.
- Friday, October 16: Deadline for submissions to UMW Columns Humanities and Social Sciences fall issue.
- Monday, October 19: Deadline for submissions to COPLAC’s Virtual Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity Conference. Please contact Betsy Lewis (elewis@umw.edu) ahead of the deadline for submission details.
- Saturday, October 31: 7th Annual NURVa Conference. Radford University
Preview of November: opening reception for the RCC art student exhibition, deadlines for Posters in Richmond, and more. See all the upcoming events and announcements on our RCC webpage.
In Undergraduate Research News…
Geography and Geospatial Analysis student Charlie Barbaro spent last summer researching and creating an original, multitemporal dataset of gold mining-related features on the landscape of Nafoun, Cote D’Ivoire, working under the guidance of Mary Washington alumnus Dr. Pete Chirico of the USGS. Read about his work on our Beyond the Classroom Blog.
Got a great student research or creative project story you would like to share? Just fill out this brief form, upload a couple of photos, and see your students featured on the Beyond the Classroom Blog!
DLS: The Return of Going Digital
Going Digital | Podcasting Assignments
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 @ 12:30pm-1:30pm – HCC 407
The Going Digital series is designed to help faculty incorporate digital projects into their teaching. Each session includes a faculty presenter who will share a digital project they’ve incorporated into their classes, with plenty of opportunity for Q&A and discussion.
In this session, Dr. Siang-Ru (Lulu) Huang, Assistant Professor of Management, will share a podcasting assignment she has been using for several years in her Foundations of Entrepreneurship class. In this project, students produce the podcast From Spark to New Venture, which is published publicly on podcast streaming platforms. Staff from the Digital Knowledge Center will also share resources and best practices for podcast assignments for faculty interested in incorporating podcasting in their own teaching.
A boxed lunch is available by request for faculty that register to attend by 12 noon on Friday, October 16th. Use this link to register: Register for Going Digital
From the Title II Team…
One of the most common questions we receive as we approach the April 26, 2027 digital accessibility compliance deadline is, “What Panorama score should I be aiming for?” While reaching the green range (70%+) is a great milestone, a high score is only part of creating accessible content. Some accessibility considerations cannot be evaluated by automated tools alone.
Our latest post explores why a high Panorama score should be viewed as a strong foundation for accessibility work, not the end of it. Read: “What Panorama Score is Good Enough?”
Life After Mary Washington Faculty Training Is Back!
LAMW faculty workshops, trainings, and resources are gearing back up—and we want to hear from you!
As we plan upcoming Life After Mary Washington faculty development opportunities, we want to make sure we are offering programming that is useful, practical, and responsive to what you need in your classes.
Take our quick, anonymous Faculty Pulse Survey to tell us how you are currently using LAMW, where you could use additional support, what topics you would like us to cover, and how you would prefer to receive training. The survey takes approximately 3–5 minutes, and your feedback will directly inform upcoming workshops, resources, and programming. Take the survey.
Coming soon: We’ll review the Faculty Pulse Survey responses and use your feedback to shape the next round of LAMW faculty development opportunities. Workshops, trainings, and resources will be designed around the topics and formats faculty tell us would be most useful—whether that means practical strategies for integrating LAMW competencies, reflection and assessment, career-readiness tools, the STAR method, or other needs identified through the survey. Take the survey now to help shape what comes next!
Have an idea you don’t want to wait to share? Want help integrating LAMW into a course, assignment, or activity? One-on-one consultations are also available. Reach out to Alex Dunn, LAMW Faculty Co-Director (adunn4@umw.edu) to brainstorm, troubleshoot, or get individualized support.