TLC Newsletter

Open Calls and Initiatives

PETAL Faculty Fellow Position

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) is seeking a faculty member to join the PETAL Faculty Fellow team for a three-year appointment beginning Spring 2026 and concluding Spring 2028. The Faculty Fellow will co-facilitate the Program for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL), a 15-week faculty-led professional development program designed primarily for new faculty and focused on evidence-based teaching practices and equitable student outcomes. 

Fellows receive a three-credit AWA each year. We are seeking full-time faculty with a demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence and strong facilitation skills who can commit to Friday afternoon sessions during spring semesters. This role is a great opportunity to collaborate with faculty across campus to foster inclusive teaching practices and the success of all students. 

Applications are due Friday, October 10. Find out if this role is right for you . Questions should be directed to tlc@wcupa.edu. 

Faculty Fusion 2026: Calling Interested Panelists & Moderators

Faculty Fusion, an in-person set of three interactive panels covering hot topics to help you prepare for the new semester plus multiple opportunities to make new connections and network with your peers, will return to the Foundation on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Are you interested in being a faculty panelist or moderator for one of our topics?

1. Strategies for Teaching Speaking Emphasis Courses
2. Why do we have to learn this? Emphasizing the Relevance of Your Course and Assignments to Enhance Student Motivation
3. Faculty Care: How do you balance life with your work and work with your life?

Complete the call for interest form by Sunday, October 26, and a member of the TLC staff will reach out to learn more about your expertise and ideas. Just want to attend - registration is open.  

CELT Podcast Club

 We invite you to join members of the Committee for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) for a variation on our traditional semester book club. This semester we are trying out a different medium – Podcasts. Two remaining times this semester, we will all listen to the same episodes and then meet to discuss. Episodes will be focused on ideas for assessments and instructional activities. Each episode will have two virtual discussion meeting options, pick the one that works best for you each month.

Dates: Wednesdays,  October 22 and November 19, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM  or Thursdays, October 23 and November 20, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Virtual 

Register online and we will send you the month’s episode and a listening guide. If you have any questions, please contact podcast leaders Paul Sylvester psylvester@wcupa.edu and Christopher Roemmele croemmele@wcupa.edu. PS: Book club will be back in the spring.

Alternative Grading Faculty Learning Community

Interested in alternative grading?  Join our monthly group to explore and share strategies like mastery grading, specifications grading, standards-based grading, and ungrading. These approaches shift the focus from traditional performance metrics to meaningful learning and growth.  Whether you're just starting or already experienced, the group offers support, resources, and opportunities to connect with peers at WCU and beyond.

Dates: Second Friday of each month, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Location: Anderson 125 or via Zoom

To join, please complete the registration form. You can join any time!  For questions or additional information, please contact the TLC tlc@wcupa.edu.

Spring 2026 Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations 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 2026 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. Past participants may sign-up again. To apply, review the Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations Call for Applications. 

Upcoming Events

Decolonizing Courses Workshop

 This is the first of a two-part workshop for faculty on decolonizing courses at West Chester University. Each session, one taking place in the fall and the other taking place in the spring, will focus on decolonizing a different aspect of our teaching. For the fall we’ll be discussing what it means to decolonize our syllabi, as well as methods for doing so. Sign up today!

Date: Wednesday, October 8, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Location: SECC 106

Please get the full event details or contact Dr. Joesph Len Miller jmiller4@wcupa.edu with any questions.

ACUE Micro Courses

 PASSHE invites faculty to participate in ACUE Micro Courses (7 weeks) running from October 20 through December 14, 2025. Two seven-week courses are available: 

• Promoting Active Learning Online
• Designing Learner-Centered and Equitable Courses

Please register by Thursday, October 2. For questions or additional information, please contact Amy Osborne aosborne@passhe.edu.

Join us for the Designing for Equity UDL Workshop!

Join the TLC staff for a flexible format workshop to discuss the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to design equitable and inclusive classrooms. We aim to allow faculty to tailor the experience to their own knowledge, experience, and goals. Are you new to UDL? Do you want to improve your courses in one of the three UDL areas?

Date: Thursday, October 16, 10:00 AM
Location: Virtual

Register today to join our instructional designers and work on what matters most to you!

Boundaries and Conflict in the Workplace and Classroom Workshop

Date: Tuesday, October 21, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Location: SECC Club 1871
Desserts, coffee and tea will be provided.

This hands-on workshop helps you navigate complex classroom dynamics and heated discussions with confidence. Space is limited, please register by Wednesday, October 15.  If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact the Teaching and Learning Center at tlc@wcupa.edu. 

Hypothesis for Social Annotation Workshops

 We are excited to announce that West Chester University now has licenses for a new social annotation tool called Hypothesis! This tool is integrated directly into D2L, allowing you to create active reading assignments where you and your students can add comments, questions, and highlights directly onto web pages, PDFs, and other online content.

This fall, Hypothesis will be offering two online workshops, where you can learn more about this tool and how you may leverage it in your instruction:

• Introductory Hypothesis Workshop: Activating Annotation

Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Virtual

• Hypothesis Workshop: Social Annotation for Digital Reading in the Age of AI

Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Virtual

Visit the TLC’s Blog for workshop descriptions and registration details. Can’t make it to a workshop, but still interested in learning more? Let us know!

Program Updates

Faculty Guide to Challenging Classroom Conversations

 We know that in our current environment, classroom conversations can quickly become heated. The TLC has created a Faculty Guide to Challenging Classroom Conversations that offers practical strategies that help you navigate these moments and transform them into meaningful learning opportunities. This resource provides tools for maintaining inclusive dialogue that honors diverse perspectives while fostering critical thinking and supporting student engagement. 

ODLI On Air is Awesome!

In honor of the recent International Podcast Day (September 30) check out some of our newest episodes:

• Guidelines for Working Where Your Child Studies with Dr. Kristen Crossney and Natalie Crossney
• Mixing Mindfulness & Self Efficacy with Dr. Norman & Dr. Bennett

Subscribe to ODLI on Air on your favorite podcast app and check out some of our 60+ episodes. 

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The Teaching and Learning Center is far more than just a newsletter! Our website hosts a variety of teaching resources and our full Event Calendar. To get in touch, feel free to send us an email, or schedule a consultation to speak live with one of our designers.