TLC Newsletter

Open Calls and Invitations

Present at Celebration of Teaching

The TLC invites proposals for two Celebration of Teaching events on Thursday, May 7:

• 40-minute hands-on workshops (up to 4 selected)
• Teaching Excellence Showcase (up to 25 selected)

The proposal deadline is Saturday, March 14, notification of acceptance is in late March.  The submission method is the 2026 Celebration of Teaching Proposal Form (Qualtrics).  Details about each event type can be found on the Celebration of Teaching blog post or on the submission form.  

Invitation to the Inaugural Inclusion Matters Institute: Transforming Courses for Equitable Learning

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) invites applications for the inaugural Inclusion Matters Institute (IMI). The institute is an intensive, multi-phase course redesign program. Participants of the program will complete a redesign of one course, guided by principles of inclusion, equity, and mattering. Applications will be accepted until March 20,2026. The Institute begins May 19, 2026. For full details visit the Inclusion Matters Institute blog post.

Apply to Join the ThingLink Pilot

ThingLink is a digital platform that enables educators to transform static images and virtual environments into interactive learning experiences. The platform allows faculty to deliver immersive content that recreates real-world professional settings and complex environments. Students can explore complex environments as they engage with embedded multimedia content to bridge the gap between theory and application. For example, students might navigate through food service operations, explore a surgical unit with embedded expert commentary, or tour public health facilities with specifications highlighted at key points and layered throughout the experience. The opportunities are endless.

CHS has procured a limited number of ThingLink licenses for faculty interested in piloting the platform in their courses for the Spring semester. Please complete the ThingLink Pilot Interest Form if you are interested in piloting ThingLink this semester. This pilot is open to all WCU faculty members, however priority will be given to interested CHS faculty. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Drass. 

Contribute to WCU's Teaching Hub

Do you have a teaching strategy, reflection, tool, or methodology that you would like to share with your WCU colleagues?  Want to share your SoTL research or repurpose a resource you've created? The TLC would like to celebrate and promote your work in the TLC Teaching Hub (aka the blog). This will be a forum to share evidence-based insights on teaching and learning with the wider community. If you would like us to highlight your work, please reach out to tlc@wcupa.edu.

Request a Class Consultation Visit

Are you interested in receiving non-evaluative feedback on any instructional session, regardless of modality from Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) staff?  This voluntary program empowers faculty to enhance their teaching while fostering reflective practice and continuous improvement. Instructors requesting a class consultation commit 2 hours of their time to the process.

In Spring 2026 this program is in a pilot phase where only tenured faculty may participate. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the intent is to open this program to all faculty. To learn more about the program and register for a consultation visit Class Consultations.

Apply for Fall 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 Fall 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

Spring Break Accessibility Webinar Series

Haven't had time to join us for accessibility webinars? We invite you to join us as we run the entire series over Spring Break!  View the full schedule and register.

Alternative Grading Faculty Learning Community (FLC)

The Alternative Grading FLC is a group that promotes and shares experiences and details of alternative grading possibilities such as mastery grading, specifications grading, standards-based grading, and ungrading. All are welcome to join our next meeting.

Date: Friday, March 20, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Anderson 125 or Zoom

H5P Workshop

The Teaching and Learning Center will be offering an H5P Basics Workshop:

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

H5P is an online tool that allows users to build interactive learning activities that can be embedded into D2L Course Module Pages or anywhere that supports HTML. H5P’s D2L integration allows faculty to connect H5P activities to the D2L Gradebook and generate completion reports. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please register for the H5P Workshop at your earliest convenience. 

If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact Jessica Drass.

General Education Interdisciplinary Open Lab

Preparing your existing Interdisciplinary course for revalidation? Thinking of adding the attribute to your existing course or proposing a new Interdisciplinary Course? Come to an Open Lab with the Interdisciplinary Director, Simon Ruchti, and Gen Ed Chair, Karen Mitchell. We can help you understand the expectations and discuss how to address them in your Interdisciplinary course.

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM and Wednesday, March 25, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Anderson 456

Come and go as you find useful. Please see the updated INT handbook , criteria checklist , and sample syllabus . If you have questions about the labs, please reach out to Simon Ruchti.

Open Dialogue for Inclusive Curricula: Information Literacy

In the face of the rapidly evolving information landscape, characterized by emerging AI technologies, social media, misinformation, censorship, and robust information access, information literacy skills and knowledge are needed now more than ever.  WCU faculty and graduate students are invited to join us for a 60-minute interactive discussion, facilitated by Megan Donnelly, Information Literacy Librarian and Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Instruction student here at WCU.

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

The goal of this open dialogue is to create a collaborative space to share diverse perspectives, build mutual understanding, and empower our community of educators to apply course design and instructional strategies that foster real, modern information behaviors, and equip students with the information literacy skills needed to navigate the modern information landscape.  This interactive discussion will begin with a brief lecture to define and contextualize information literacy within the curricula, as well as the modern information landscape.  After a brief lecture, participants will respond to discussion prompts designed to engage, inform, inspire, and empower curricular design for information literacy.  If you are interested in participating in this discussion, please register at your earliest convenience! If you have any questions about this offering, please contact Jessica Drass.

Beyond Inclusion: Fostering Belonging for Asian and Asian American Students and Faculty

Micro Courses Provided by PASSHE and ACUE

For a second year, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) have partnered to provide access to the nationally recognized Certificate in Effective Online Teaching Practices (EOTP).  These evidence-based practices have been shown to increase student retention, strengthen belonging and achievement, close equity gaps.  PASSHE will have several Spring ACUE micro course offerings.

The EOTP pathway provides WCU faculty with an alternative option for DE certification or recertification. For DE certification, faculty must complete courses in the series along with the capstone module in the OFD program. For DE recertification, completion of courses in the series is sufficient. 

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Osborne.

University Writing Council

UWC Accepting Writing Emphasis Materials for Review and Feedback

Do you have a writing-related assignment, rubric, or syllabus that you want to make even stronger? If so, use this voluntary form to share your course document with the University Writing Council for feedback. The University Writing Council engages in ongoing efforts to assess student and faculty satisfaction with the writing curriculum at WCU with advisement from the Provost's Office and University Writing Council Advisory Board. You should receive a reply from us after we have reviewed and discussed the materials as a group (typically 4-6 weeks).

Faculty Mentoring Program Updates

Monthly Discussion: Teaching and Advising

In March, we’re focusing on Teaching and Advising.  As you meet this month, take some time to discuss what’s going well, what’s been challenging, and what support could help.  Talk about how you gather mid‑semester feedback—and how you incorporate end‑of‑semester feedback.  Discuss how you balance giving guidance with empowering students to make their own decisions during advising conversations.  And reflect on strategies that help you balance teaching and advising with scholarship, service, and everything else on your plate.  Finally, consider checking out the notes from our FMP Promotion Panels - everyone can find something helpful there!

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