TLC Newsletter

Open Calls and Invitations

We invite you to apply for the following opportunities:

Call for Presenters for Faculty Fusion: Real Talk, Real Teaching 2027

Connect with colleagues and talk teaching strategies ahead of the spring semester at Faculty Fusion, which includes interactive panels and workshops covering teaching topics to help you prepare for the new semester, and multiple opportunities to make new connections and network with your peers.  Lunch is included.

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2027, 10:30 AM - 2:45 PM on campus

Are you interested in being a faculty panelist, moderator, or workshop facilitator for one of our proposed topics? Review the 2027 Faculty Fusion: Real Talk, Real Teaching blog post and then complete the call for interest form by Sunday, November 1.  

Possible topics include: 

1. Strategies for Teaching Diverse Communities (DIV) Courses
2. Strategies for Teaching Writing (WRT) Emphasis  
3. Course Starters to Spice Up “Syllabus Day”
4. Infuse Career Readiness into your Instruction
5. Incorporating Experiential Learning  
6. Propose Your Own Workshop

The planning committee will create a schedule of events based on submitted interests. Not all topics may be selected for the final program.       

Panels and workshops are 50 minutes in length. Each panel has  

• 25 minutes of presentation  
• 10 minutes of audience Q&A with the panel
• 15 minutes of table conversations with your peers

Just want to attend? - Registration is open.  

 Student Faculty Collaboration Program

Are you interested in getting student feedback and perspectives on your teaching practices? Do you want to boost your teaching confidence or reignite your passion for teaching? If so, consider participating in the Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations Program during the Spring 2027 semester! This program pairs you with two WCU students who will provide frequent and varied feedback on one of your courses from their perspective.

To learn more, visit our website, or review program information on our blog, or contact Tom Pantazes tpantazes@wcupa.edu about visiting a student collaborator meeting. 

To apply, review the Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations Call for Applications. Past participants may sign-up again. 

Write by the Bay: A Teaching & Scholarship Retreat over Spring Break 2027

This three-night, four-day retreat during spring break provides faculty participants with focused time to work on teaching and scholarship. The retreat removes distractions and takes advantage of sustained time in community to help ten faculty be productive while also strengthening teaching skills through a mix of workshop, independent time, and discussion facilitated by Teaching & Learning Center staff.

Dates: Monday, March 8, 4:00 PM - Thursday, March 11, 10:00 AM 
Location: Eagle Point Retreat Center, North East, MD

The retreat is free and includes three nights of accommodations and all eight meals. For detailed information and the link to the application review the Write by the Bay blog post. Applications to participate are due by Sunday, October 18.

Apply to Join PETAL for the Spring Semester

There may be space available in PETAL during Spring 2027 for current faculty members in addition to the new faculty. We invite any interested faculty to express their interest in participating in this program. We are starting this process early to give interested faculty members ample time to plan for it. Please note that the exact number of seats available will not be confirmed until the hiring process for new faculty is completed. Interested faculty members should complete the online application, including approval signatures , by November 6, 2026.

Upcoming Events

Please consider joining us for the following events and opportunities:

Accessibility Webinar Series

Join us for this webinar series designed to help you strengthen your accessibility practices and create instructional materials that meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards. Grounded in the seven core accessibility practices, this series includes sessions that build essential skills, offer strategies to streamline your workflow, and introduce advanced techniques, such as providing audio description. Each topic will be offered on multiple dates throughout the fall semester; complete the registration form to participate. If you're not able to join us live, you can also watch recorded sessions on our blog.

 

 

Faculty Learning Communities You Can Join at Any Time

Sustained AI Integrations FLC is a new group focused on supporting the ongoing integration of generative AI tools into instructional practices and research processes. Meetings are on a Friday each month from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM and include an in-person option and a Zoom option. All are welcome at any time. 

Schedule: October 30, November 20, December 18, January 15, February 19, March 19, and April 23. 

Alternative Grading FLC focuses on implementing alternative grading strategies through sharing ideas, strategies, and support. Meetings are the second Friday of every month from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM and include an in-person option and a Zoom option.  All are welcome at any time.

Register for Meeting Invites and FLC Notifications

CELT Podcast Club

Join members of the Committee for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) for a variation on the traditional book club. The second of three meetings will be discussing these two podcasts:

Session 2: The Power of Silent Discussion (21 minutes) | The Creative Classroom with John Spencer or Letting Students Lead with Learning with Spider Web Discussions with Alexis Wiggins (53 minutes) | The Balance by Dr. Caitlin Tucker

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: Zoom

or in person:

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Anderson 125

Interdisciplinary Course Open Lab

Reminder: All Interdisciplinary courses are due for revalidation during the 2026-27 academic year (to be completed by May 2027). If you are preparing your existing INT course for revalidation, or thinking of adding the attribute to your existing course or proposing a new INT course, please join an Open Lab with the Interdisciplinary Subcommittee Co-Chairs, Sarah Lightner and Jenna Becker Kane, and Interdisciplinary Director, Simon Ruchti. They can help you understand the expectations and discuss how to address them in your Interdisciplinary course. There will be no presentation---this is a time to come with your specific questions, and stop in as you find useful.

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Location: Phillips 307

Please see the updated INT Handbook, criteria checklist, and sample syllabus.  If you have questions about the labs, please reach out to Sarah slightner@wcupa.edu or Jenna jbeckerkane@wcupa.edu.  If you have more general questions about the revalidation, please feel free to reach out to Gen Ed Chair, Karen Mitchell kmitchell@wcupa.edu.

Non-Evaluative Feedback

The Class Consultation Program empowers faculty to enhance their teaching by requesting non-evaluative feedback on any instructional session, regardless of modality. This program is in a pilot phase and is currently only available to tenured faculty. To learn more, visit the Class Consultations website.

At the end of each semester, TLC hosts a Student Feedback Reading Party, a collaborative space to process evaluations with peers. Please save the date for the Fall semester party:

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: Zoom

Student Feedback Reading Party Registration

Navigating Our AI Era Workshops

Connect with colleagues at one of three in-person sessions for fresh ideas on assessment and assignment creation in our AI era. Registration

Found Poetry Workshop with Nancy Pearson and Rebecca Rich - Found poetry is a creative, flexible teaching strategy where students repurpose words from existing texts to spark discussion, deepen understanding, and build inclusive classroom communities. It is an effective assessment tool that is AI resistant, supports student mental health, and is loads of fun. Join us to try it for yourself.  
TIME CHANGE Date: Thursday, October 22, 10:00 PM - 11:00 AM
Location: Anderson 125

Picture Based Assignments Workshop with Anne Gill & Tom Pantazes 
Date: Monday, November 2, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Anderson 305

Introducing A Field Guide to Applied AI Literacy  

As generative AI impacts higher education, finding practical strategies for course design and assessment can feel overwhelming. To help you navigate these shifts, Dr. Michael Rosario built A Field Guide to Applied AI Literacy. It is a flexible, modular collection of bite-sized strategies divided into five sections: 

1. Deciding Where You Stand on AI
2. Designing for AI
3. Using AI as a Pedagogical Tool
4. Assessing in an AI World
5. Talking with Students About AI 

Each guide is self-contained and includes framing of the challenge, concrete steps, and key tradeoffs to consider.  Check out the first nine entries or the introduction workshop. 

D-CAP Hosts Faculty Question & Answer Throughout the Semester

There has been an increase in degree-seeking autistic and neurodivergent students over the past decade, raising many questions for faculty about how to better understand different types of learners in the classroom. D-CAP will host question & answers sessions throughout the semester on the following dates:

Dates: October 16 at 12:00 PM, October 27 at 3:00 PM, November 18 at 12:00 PM
Location: 20 Linden Street or Zoom

Please register to attend.  Cherie Fishbaugh cfishbaugh@wcupa.edu is available to answer any questions.

ACUE Courses Available this Fall

 There are ACUE courses still available to take this fall.  The following three ACUE pathway courses will begin on October 8 and run through December 13:

• Creating a Productive Online Learning Environment
• Promoting Active Learning Online
• Designing Learner-Centered and Equitable Courses

We encourage those who are interested to register no later than October 5.  If you need additional registration assistance, please contact Amy Osborne aosborne@passhe.edu. 

Attend the Upcoming APPQMR Workshop

 The Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) workshop is facilitated by TLC staff and introduces you to the principles of the Quality Matters (QM) program. You learn how to draft a QM recommendation and practice applying the QM rubric to an actual course. Completing the full day workshop is a requirement for participating in the Quality Matters Initiative and it renews your WCU CAPC Distance Education statement.

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Anderson 125

The training will be in person; participants must attend the whole day. Lunch will be served. Complete the APPQMR Interest Form, and a member of the TLC will be in contact with official registration information. Space is limited.

Program Updates

Calling all ODLI on Air Listeners

Do you listen to the ODLI on Air podcast? If so, we want to hear from you in advance of our 100th episode coming in early 2027. Please email Tom Pantazes at tpantazes@wcupa.edu and he will explain more.

Not yet an ODLI on Air listener?  You can be! Check out our latest episodes.    

Hub Highlights: The Pregnant Professor

 Dr. Shannon McQueen recently contributed The Pregnant Professor: What Psychoanalytic Literature Can Teach Us About Navigating Disclosure, Transference, and Pregnancy in the Classroom to the TLC Teaching Hub. It is a deep dive into the research and considerations around professors deciding whether to share or not share that they are pregnant with the students in their class. We thank Dr. McQueen for her contribution to the TLC Teaching Hub and send our congratulations on her exciting news.  

If you are interested in contributing to the TLC Teaching Hub, email us at TLC@wcupa.edu with “Teaching Hub” in the subject line.  

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Faculty Mentoring Program

FMP October Talking Points: Getting to Know Each Other, Goal-setting, Document Review

 Thanks to all who attended the September FMP kickoff! If you couldn't attend and would like your FMP tote bag, contact us and we'll arrange delivery. If you haven’t yet completed the onboarding modules in the "Faculty Mentoring Program" D2L site, we encourage you to do so by Fall Break; they provide valuable guidance for a successful mentoring experience.  This month, prioritize getting to know each other, then try to set some goals and a regular meeting schedule, and perhaps review CVs, Statements of Expectations, evaluation policies, and WCU’s mission and vision. Please contact Innhwa Park ipark@wcupa.edu and Ralph Sorrentino rsorrentino@wcupa.edu. with any questions or concerns!

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