Month: November 2021

Student-Faculty Research Collaborative

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This week’s tip is brought to you on behalf of the Student-Faculty Research Collaborative Team.

Participating in student-faculty research experiences at Chico State fosters student interests, expands their academic and professional skills, and provides them with authentic learning experiences in and outside the classroom. The Student-Faculty Research Collaborative encourages you to explore, discover, and be inspired through research and creative activities. Through this collaborative, Chico State students participate in research or independent creative projects with the support and mentorship of Chico State faculty members.

Key to promoting disciplinary socialization, undergraduate research experience (URE) has long been identified as a High-Impact Practice (HIP).14, 15 Well-structured URE programs are associated with increased retention, stronger STEM identity, and increased likelihood that students will pursue graduate degrees. in a study of multiple factors impacting STEM retention, determine that “faculty mentoring on its own is not necessarily associated with STEM persistence, but rather that its relationship with persistence is contingent on whether or not the student participated in research.” (Chang, M.J., Sharkness, J., Hurtado, S. and Newman, C.B. (2014). What Matters in College for Retaining Aspiring Scientists and Engineers from Underrepresented Racial Groups. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 51(5): 555–580.). Opportunity to engage in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CUREs) may be especially important for URMs, low-income, and/or first generation students who are less likely to seek traditional UREs.

Interested in engaging in topics about authentic research?
Join the Student-Faculty Research Collaborative for the First Annual Fall Research Week
Tuesday, November 30th, to Friday, December 3rd, 2021
All Workshops will be held over Zoom.
Workshop Schedule:  Fall Research Week

Share your experience supporting student research by adding a comment.

What the career center can do for you!

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This week’s Tuesday Tip is brought to you by Betina Wildhaber, Career Advisor in the Career Center.

Dear faculty,

Consider inviting the Career Center to your classes, especially if you have a conference presentation and you are looking for a way to cover your course! We know things may come up during the semester. If you find yourself in a pinch, or would just like to ensure that your students know about the Career Center, please consider having your Career Advisor come to talk about any of the following topics: What the Career Center can do for you, Creating an effective resume and/or cover letter, Successful interviewing techniques, Professional etiquette and behavior in the workplace, Making the most of the Career Fair, Internships 101, Focus2 – Career & Major Exploration platform, or a Custom Presentation Topic. You can request a presentation or simply identify your Career Advisor liaison and reach out to them directly.

What can we do for your students? Well, a little bit of everything from exploring major to career, reviewing resumes and cover letters, practice interviewing, networking through LinkedIn, graduate school search and application support, and so much more. Encourage your students to attend the multiple Career Fairs where each attract 100+ employers with career and internship positions. Do you know an alumnus needing career support? We offer our career services for FREE for LIFE! Furthermore we provide various career resources such as our Career Planning Handbook, Focus2, Handshake (50,000+ jobs were posted on Handshake in the 2019-2020 academic year), and Diversity Career Resources, just to name a few.

Betina D. Wildhaber, M.A. 
Career Advisor (Connect with me on LinkedIn)
California State University, Chico
College of Humanities & Fine Arts College of Natural Science
Website  |  Instagram  |  LinkedIn

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Global Engagement Opportunities for Faculty & Students

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This week’s Tuesday Tip is brought to you by International Education and Global Engagement (IEGE).

As study abroad opens up the world for students, teaching and conducting research abroad can be a life-changing experience for faculty, tapping into resources and developing pedagogy that incorporates global learning and engagement, a strategic priority of the University.

Chico State joins higher education institutions around the world in honoring and celebrating International Education Week from November 15-19, 2021. IEGE is hosting a series of activities next week for faculty, staff, and students to engage in global learning and cultural events, we ask that you encourage your students to attend, and explore international research and teaching opportunities for yourself.

Research and teaching with global partners, physically or virtually, provides space for faculty to develop intercultural competency and inclusive communication that enrich the CSU, Chico experience. Through these opportunities, faculty can also empathize with the experience of international students, staff and faculty at Chico State, as the instructor is immersed in different languages and cultures and learns to navigate a new educational system and environment. IEGE can help support faculty to internationalize their courses by adding a cultural and academic exchange experience within a class through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).

Additional learning opportunities for global engagement and resources available to Chico State faculty include,  

  1. Upcoming Fulbright Scholar Program Q&A – learn more about this grant and how to put together a successful Fulbright program application for 2023-2024.  Fulbright program staff will discuss award opportunities, the application & selection process, and answer all questions.
  2. Apply to become a Resident Director on a CSU International Program in France, Italy or Spain for a year, deadline to apply is December 31, 2021. Contact Chico State ACIP Rep, Dr. Fay Mitchell-Brown, with questions: fmitchellbrown@csuchico.edu.
  3. Learn more about the COIL experiences of faculty, students and teaching partners through this panel presentation. For more information on COIL Faculty Learning Community, please contact COIL Co-coordinator, Dr. Sara Trechter, strechter@csuchico.edu.
  4. Invite a Study Abroad and Exchange advisor in your class(es) to present on program options, specifically tailored to your department or student interests, by completing this classroom presentation request form.
  5. Join the International Faculty and Staff Association.
  6. Encourage your students to visit the campus English as a Second Language (ESL) Support Services, which offers free online tutoring services for non-native speakers of English who want to improve their English proficiency. 
  7. Consider hosting a visiting international scholar in your academic department.
  8. Take students abroad through Faculty-Led Study Abroad. Deadlines vary by term.

Need more information than above?

Contact Dr. Jennifer Gruber, jlgruber@csuchico.edu, Interim AVP for International Education and Global Engagement.

Share your experience about studying and/or teaching abroad by adding a comment.

ChicoFlex Updates and Training Opportunities

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Dear faculty,

I want to take the opportunity of this Tuesday tip to remind you of a number of resources related to ChicoFlex technology and pedagogy. First of all, I want to point you to this website, which clarifies some general questions about this mode of instruction and provides updates on the technology and the trainings available.

Winter 2022 GoFlex training
Kathy Fernandes and I, together with the Technology & Learning Program (TLP), have been hard at work to plan additional training for faculty interested in teaching ChicoFlex courses and, more broadly, in hybrid pedagogy. There is currently an open call for faculty interested in participating or mentoring in our Winter 2022 GoFlex session. This 5-day session is designed to prepare faculty who have not attended GoFlex in Summer 2021.This Winter session will also have a STEM track focusing on implementing ChicoFlex in courses offered in the Science building.

DATES: January 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 (skipping January 10th, Monday), 2022. You can read more information in the Call for Applications. Applications are due by Wednesday, November 17th.

If you want to learn more about GoFlex, you can visit this website, which includes faculty showcase videos.

ChicoFlex and Hyflex Fellows
Additional efforts in relation to ChicoFlex and hyflex pedagogy include the selection of six faculty that will work with Faculty Development and the Technology and Learning Program in Spring 2022 to develop an assessment plan for the ChicoFlex model and will start piloting a full hyflex mode of instruction. The key difference between ChicoFlex and hyflex is that ChicoFlex does not include the possibility for students to attend a course fully asynchronously, while full hyflex courses in the future will. You can read more about this distinction here.

Faculty Learning Community: Innovative Hyflex and Inclusive Pedagogy
Lastly, I want to announce a new faculty learning community that will be offered in Spring 2022. Dr. Jamie Gunderson will lead 20-25 faculty in a learning community that will focus on universal design for learning and will encourage faculty to create inclusive hybrid and virtual learning spaces. The call will come out on November 15th, together with all FDEV Spring 2022 programs, so stay tuned! Share your experience on our blog if you are teaching a ChicoFlex course this semester and/or you have completed GoFlex in the Summer!

Add a comment to share your experience if you are teaching a ChicoFlex course this semester and/or you have completed GoFlex in the Summer!