Author: Chico State Faculty Development

Dear faculty, 

Dean Kate McCarthy and I want to share information about a funding opportunity from the Chancellor’s Office, a call for proposals for the CREATE awards. 

Below is the broad description for the award and attached you find the full call. 

“The program invites individual faculty and faculty teams to propose plans that will transform the student experience. Winning proposal(s) will identify a common problem, articulate the ability to advance a solution locally and at scale, have a strong emphasis on equity and demonstrate the ability to institutionalize innovation across the CSU system. The award recipient(s) will be those who can creatively increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded, shorten time to degree and dramatically reduce equity gaps.” 

Proposals should be developed to align with one of three funding tiers: up to $50,000; from $50,001 to $100,000 and from $100,001 to $150,000. You can find more information on the CREATE Awards website, including information about past awardees, to get a sense of the type of proposals funded last year. 

Kate and I plan to host a Zoom session on Monday, March 27, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. to hear ideas from interested faculty and to see if UED and FDEV can support and/or collaborate with faculty who plan to apply. If you plan to attend, please let us know and share your idea in advance, so we can collect any necessary resource or information. Please be aware that this is not a call for funding sent by UED and FDEV, so for specific questions about the application process, please contact Dr. Chenoa S. Woods, director of Research​ and Student Success Initiatives at the Chancellor’s Office. 

The Zoom information is below: 
https://csuchico.zoom.us/j/7507777561?pwd=OWRzeUFyZERMdFJ6aldzaW5Ecjkwdz09

Meeting ID: 750 777 7561 
Passcode: 270151 

We look forward to seeing you on Monday! 

Chiara Ferrari, Faculty Development Director 
Kate McCarthy, Dean of Undergraduate Education 

Sent on behalf of Dr. Grazyne Tresoldi, Assistant Professor in the College of Agriculture and READI Equity Fellow.

Dear colleagues,  

I assume we are all familiar with the equity biases in the student evaluations of teaching but are you aware of the implications of your own unconscious (implicit, hidden) biases?  

I hadn’t thought much about it until I found this study published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology. In their research, teachers graded (similar) students’ written essays but were not blind to their ethnical and socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Essays associated with students from lower SES received lower ratings than those associated with higher SES. However, the number of objective errors identified was the same, suggesting the teacher’s judgments were biased. After this, I stumbled over many articles addressing this topic, including in STEM – where we are trained to be highly objective and thus less subjective. Our unconscious biases can only help perpetuate the inequalities and a patriarchal society. 

As a person who truly enjoys knowing students at the personal level, I have implemented a few strategies to lessen the effects of this systemic problem.  

1. Recognize my own unconscious biases. I learned about the Implicit Association Test during the CSU Avoiding Bias in Hiring training. This free test can help you to explore your attitudes, beliefs, and biases toward marginalized groups. Becoming aware is the first step toward change! 
2. Use of anonymous grading. Both Canvas and Blackboard offer the option to hide student names during grading. If grading hard copies, I require a student ID number instead of names.  
3. Grading with rubrics. In addition to helping students evaluate their own work, rubrics help us to be more objective during grading. The British study above, suggested that teachers are more likely to revert to biased judgments when there is no clear evaluation rubrics.  

What strategies have you implemented? I would love to hear what you do to promote more equitable grading! 

Need help getting yourself started? Reach out! The READI hub is here to help you to implement EDI & antiracism teaching practices. 

Dear faculty,

I want to use this Tuesday Tip to promote an event organized by the WellCat Counseling Center.

The center will be offering a free faculty and staff training to learn how to serve students who are on the Autism Spectrum and improve their college experience.

The training will be held via Zoom, on March 24, from 9:00 am-11:00 am. Please register here if you plan to attend. More information is available in the attached document.

I also want to take this opportunity to share a couple of resources available in Faculty Development to support neurodivergent students:

1. You can listen to an episode of the Rise Teach Learn podcast that focuses on Neurodiversity in Higher Education to learn about information and data about neurodiversity in academia, but especially at Chico State
2. You can access the corresponding Teaching Guide on Neurodiversity in Higher Education to learn about practices to adopt in your classes to make neurodivergent students feel more comfortable, including communication tips.

We hope you’ll find these resources useful!

Chiara Ferrari, Ph.D.
Faculty Development, Director
MLIB 458A
Campus zip: 026
cfferrari@csuchico.edu
FDEV: https://www.csuchico.edu/fdev/
READI: https://www.csuchico.edu/readi/
Professor
Department of Media Arts, Design, and Technology
Campus zip: 504

Dear faculty, 

I heard about some racist zoom bombing episodes and other racist incidents that have happened recently to Chico State faculty. 

I have been tempted, in writing this email, to use the phrase “ needless to say” to introduce a number of paragraphs. “Needless to say” we condemn these attacks, “needless to say” in Faculty Development we promote inclusion and diversity, “needless to say” our university does not tolerate these actions. 

But then it occurred to me that it DOES need to be said, clearly, that Faculty Development is a place where we actively promote antiracism.  

• It is not enough for Faculty Development to be inclusive: FDEV must ensure that all faculty have a chance to belong. 
• It is not enough for Faculty Development to promote diversity of opinions and perspectives: FDEV must provide a safe space for all voices to be heard. 
• It is not enough for Faculty Development to condemn these acts: FDEV must dismantle systemic racism, including the one happening in academia at large.  

This is the main reason why I so strongly believed in creating the READI hub and centering EDI work in what we offer.  

In case you want to access programs that promote these values, I recommend visiting the READI workshops page. We offer series that in various ways and from different perspectives share resources on how to approach these conversations in your classes, but also among your colleagues.  

When we first began planning to launch READI, I had not fully envisioned how we could approach EDI work in Faculty Development. Working with equity fellows like Samara Anarbaeva, Lesa Johnson, and Pablo Ochoa Bailey helped me immensely in framing the kind of values the Office of Faculty Development should commit to when embarking in this work. And one thing was clear: there cannot be equity diversity and inclusion unless there is also a commitment to actively pursuing an antiracist agenda. 

The A in READI stands for antiracism, and in light of these events, I want to renew my and FDEV’s commitment to offering a space where we not only condemn racism, but we actively fight against it. 

Chiara Ferrari, Ph.D.
Faculty Development Director

Dear faculty, 

I am glad no one noticed that I missed the Tuesday Tip last week….. next time I miss one, you get extra credit if you notice and email me!! 

Overall, though, I think that this new tool we have in Faculty Development was worth waiting for… so let me unveil it (virtually) to you! 

The FDEV team worked incredibly hard last semester to turn our original FDEV Virtual library into a searchable tool that can provide a much more interactive experience to those faculty who are looking for some resources for their research or their classroom. 

The new FDEV Virtual Library allows you to search books by topic (assessment, curriculum, equity & diversity, etc.) or by title, and we have included a thumbnail photo for each book, in case you have more of a visual memory like me! 

In partnership with the Meriam Library, we have selected a list of electronic publications that cover key areas of faculty interests. The best part? all books are accessible to our campus community via the Ebook Central database so you can access them through a simple login (and the same applies to your students, in case you want to assign some readings in your classes). 

We hope you will take some time to explore these resources and let us know if there are books we should include in our virtual library! 

Chiara Ferrari, Ph.D. 
Faculty Development, Director 

Dear faculty, 

In light of the recent events that have shaken our campus, I almost forgot that this week is finals week. 

Students are scrambling with finishing their projects and completing exams, faculty are scrambling with grading and finalizing their courses, staff are scrambling trying to close the semester and everything that needs to be completed to submit and finalize grades. 

Finals are never easy. And this year they just got a lot harder. At the risk of sounding trite, I hope you remember to take care of each other, always, and especially during this week.  

Please reach out to Faculty Development if you need any support and take advantage of our beautiful Rose Garden Room (MLIB 459) for some respite.

Chiara Ferrari, Ph.D.
Faculty Development Director

Dear faculty,

as I clarify below, this Tuesday Tip is sent on behalf of one of the READI equity fellows, Tina Hanson-Lewis.

However, I want to reiterate how important it is, especially at this time of year, to dedicate some time to yourselves and to practice some self-care. Below you find some practical steps to follow, and I encourage you to explore the ones that better apply to you.

For some of us, this means focusing on and prioritizing our family and loved ones. In this spirit, I want to inform you that the December issue of the FDEV Zine will be released on Monday 12/12, instead of Monday 12/5, and our next FDEV podcast will be released in early Spring instead of this coming Thursday. 

Chiara

Sent on behalf of Tina Hanson-Lewis, lecturer in Chemistry and Biochemistry and READI equity fellow.

Make time for yourself the same way you make time for work. We will always have never-ending to-do lists: classes to prep, grading piling up, emails awaiting responses, meetings to attend — not to mention actually teaching. Additionally, conversations about complex topics arise frequently while we are trying to increase equity, inclusion, retention and success in our classrooms, programs, and across our campus. While these conversations are important, they can be very challenging and draining for everyone involved. Since stress is inevitable, especially at this point in the semester, it’s important to take time for self-care. Self-care refers to activities that we can do on a regular basis to reduce stress and boost our health and well-being. Practicing self-care is an important professional development activity that will help you cognitively, physically, and emotionally ‘bounce back’ each day. This will, in turn, make you more capable of handling the stressful situations that can arise in our careers and lives.

Everyone’s approach to self-care will be different because it is demarcated by what you do to look after your holistic wellbeing. While there is no self-care routine that works as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan, there is a common thread to all self-care plans: take some time to focus on important aspects of your life such as mind, body, emotions, spirit, work, and relationships. To refine your own self-care plan, you will want to think about what you value and need in your day-to-day life, this is called “maintenance self-care,” and strategies you can employ when or if you face a crisis along the way, called “emergency self-care.” Since we are all strapped for time, I want to provide succinct steps and resources to guide you:

1. Identify what it is you are doing now to manage the stress in your life. Additionally, determine if those coping strategies are healthy or unhealthy. The “Is your life causing you stress?” assessment can help you with this. Decreasing or eliminating at least one unhealthy coping strategy can be one of the goals of your maintenance self-care. Utilizing more healthy strategies can be another goal.
2. Recognize what you are doing now for self-care. The “Self-Care Assessment” can help you realize the healthy things you are doing for yourself already. This assessment can also help you see where imbalances exist in your current self-care practices and give you ideas for additional activities you can do to correct those imbalances.
3. Draft a maintenance self-care plan. The “My Maintenance Self-Care Plan Worksheet” can be used to write down the activities you want to focus on in each domain of your life as well as barriers you might face (see the “Self-Care Assessment” for ideas). This document can then be referred to when you are feeling stressed, burned out, or overwhelmed. Don’t be afraid to modify and update it over time; it is your self-care plan!
4. Sketch out an emergency self-care plan. Even though emergency events are relatively rare, they do still happen. Being prepared can really help in the moment. The “My Emergency Self-Care Plan Worksheet” can guide you.
5. Make a commitment to yourself and dedicate the time needed to complete your self–care routine. You deserve self-care. Take a little bit of time to come up with a plan and then make a promise to yourself. If you find it tough to commit, sit with those feelings and think about why you are hesitant. Remind yourself that you must support yourself before you can truly support others.

Dear faculty, 

I want to use this Tuesday Tip to share some news about the Quality Learning and Teaching Program (QLT). 

Throughout the years, QLT at Chico State has been offered in different formats: initially as one-on-one mentoring opportunity (2014-2016), then as a faculty learning community (2016-2020), and more recently as a series of synchronous online workshops (2020-2022). These changes always tried to reflect and respond to faculty’s needs. 

It is in the same spirit that the Office of Faculty Development and the Technology & Learning Program are now excited to offer QLT in one additional format: as an asynchronous course in Canvas. Starting in Spring 2023, faculty will be able to choose between attending five synchronous online workshops and completing a self-paced course in Canvas. As more departments explore the possibility to launch online and hybrid programs, we hope that this opportunity will allow more faculty to complete QLT. 

If you want to learn more about QLT at Chico State, I invite you to explore the QLT portfolios as they provide information about how the program has evolved and offer some examples of QLT course reviews, in addition to faculty and TLP staff testimonies. You can also access these best practices in online learning and teaching, which were created to align with the QLT instrument. 

Spring 2023 QLT CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 

FDEV and TLP are calling for applications for the QLT program for Spring 2023. As I announced above, there will be two options to complete the QLT training: 

Option 1: Complete a series of 5 workshops, offered synchronously online 

Option 2: Complete an asynchronous course in Canvas 

Read the full call for applications and fill out this Google form to apply. If you cannot commit to completing the whole program, you are welcome to attend just a few workshops, and in this case we ask that you register here. 

For any questions, please contact Faculty Development Director Chiara Ferrari (cfferrari@csuchico.edu). 

Sent on behalf of Mark Faaita, Director of Forensics and READI equity fellow.

Dear Faculty,  

As the Director of Forensics, I have the benefit of working with students from a variety of majors and, of course, a diversity of backgrounds. To be competitive, students must delve beneath the surface of issues in order to craft arguments that are simultaneously unique and relatable to a diversity of audience members. In 2018, Kanako Otani, an International Student from Hiroshima, Japan (still featured on the International Admissions’ International Inspirations webpage), qualified for the most prestigious Speech and Debate national tournament in the country with her After Dinner Speech on accent discrimination. 

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion explicitly states that “people who speak any languages” are welcomed by Chico State. It is important to consider that this declaration should also stand for people who speak languages differently than an imagined standard. Dr. Rosina Lippi Green makes a case for the fluidity of language and the universality of accent in her book English with an Accent. The legitimizing role of accent discrimination against immigrants is an article that discusses the role accent discrimination plays in a variety of experimental circumstances towards enhancing prejudice. Considering the diversity of our student population, it is important we remember that an accent is not merely a marker of birthplace. How we talk can denote many things, but it should never be deemed by faculty as a means for judging comprehension, or ability.  

As a faculty member participating in groups made up entirely of faculty members, I have been present for the dismissal of narratives because of the “vulgarity” of the language used to share said narratives. I voiced my frustration with the dismissal in my own way, but I never returned to the groups. I am privileged to be where I am. I am a first-generation high school graduate who has managed to reach a place that allows me to currently be writing this to you, and I still struggle with discrimination and dismissal towards voices that sound like those that I grew up with. Our students deserve better. We have an opportunity, as faculty, to be a voice of acceptance and reassurance. The sounds of welcoming eventually outweighed the voices of rejection for me, but if we are not conscious about how we treat the diversity of voices with which we interact, our students may not be as lucky. 

Accent discrimination is a nuanced aspect of discrimination at large. Discrimination is by no means something that only happens intentionally. READI and Faculty Development can provide some resources. You can start from this teaching guide on Academic Language Development or this teaching guide on Language Development Through Coursework. Our role is to work with faculty on all their equity-related needs, so reach out and book a consultation if you need additional help and support. 

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

Chico State joins higher education institutions around the world in honoring and celebrating International Education Week from November 14-18, 2022. IEGE will be 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.

Faculty often report that teaching and conducting research abroad, or incorporating collaborative online international learning (COIL)opportunities into the classroom, can be life-changing, tapping into resources and developing pedagogy that incorporates global learning and engagement, a strategic priority of the University. 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.

Additional global engagement opportunities and resources available to Chico State faculty:  

1. Attend our Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Networking Reception on Tuesday, November 15 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm in Colusa 100A to learn about the COIL experiences of faculty, students and teaching partners. IEGE supports faculty to internationalize their courses by adding a virtual exchange experience within a class. For more information on COIL Faculty Learning Community, please contact COIL Co-coordinator, Dr. Sara Trechter, strechter@csuchico.edu.
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, 2022. Contact Chico State ACIP Rep, Dr. Fay Mitchell-Brown, with questions: fmitchellbrown@csuchico.edu. 
3. Check out Fulbright Grant programs for US Scholars and attend the Fulbright “Ask Us Anything” session on November 14^th to prepare for a 2024-2025 program application. 
   Additionally, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines for graduating college seniors, graduate students, and early-career professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. 
4. Invite a Study Abroad and Exchange advisor in your class(es) to present on program and study abroad scholarship options, specifically tailored to your department or student interests, by completing this classroom presentation request form. 
5. Join the International Faculty and Staff Association. Open to all international faculty and staff and allies, the IFSA celebrates the collective broad-based experience and representation across all cultures, languages, beliefs and disciplinary backgrounds.
6. Encourage your students to visit the campus English as a Second Language (ESL) Support Services, which offers free 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, AVP, International Education and Global Engagement.