Tag: faculty

You Can Listen

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I have been struggling with what to share this week. This is an exciting and stressful time of the year under typical circumstances with commencement and finals just days away. The budget situation combined with the tension on campuses throughout the nation has many of us trying to find the right words. Faculty are often the face of the institution for students. You are the person they ask questions of and look to for guidance. This is incredibly challenging especially since very few of us are trained in international politics, budget projections, or de-escalation. These issues are making their way into our classrooms and offices whether we want them to or not. 

There are resources on campus to help you and your students navigate challenging situations. The Counseling Center exists as does the Employee Assistance Program. However, the thing we can all do regardless of our professional background is the simplest–we can all listen. You can listen to your students who feel alarmed by what is happening in Israel, Gaza and/or campus. You can listen to students who have been subjected to antisemitic or anti-Muslim bigotry. You can listen to your student who does not want this to be the focus of the end of their semester as they try to finish the term or graduate. You can listen to your colleague who is anxious about the budget and what that will mean for their job. You may hear something you need to share with your Department Chair or a different office on campus–cross that bridge when you get to it.

Listening does not mean agreeing and it almost always helps. It can help you understand and it can help someone else feel heard. This is not the first time I have shared this advice in a fraught moment. I want to borrow the closing line I used in 2016. 

No one ever looks back on a decision and says to themselves “I wish I would have understood people less before proceeding.” So ask students how they are doing, let them know your office student hours are open to them, and listen.

Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

The Strike

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The scheduled strike to start the Spring 2024 term is of great concern for us all. This tip is dedicated to some advice about navigating this time of uncertainty. 

First, be transparent with your students. They have a lot of anxiety about what a work stoppage would mean for their semester and whether they are supposed to go to class next week. You should be sending them an announcement through Canvas this week about what your plan is. Consider including information about whether your class will meet and your availability to answer questions. I would also recommend some transparency about why you are doing what you are doing. Students should also know many campus services they rely on like the WellCat Health Center and the Food Pantry will be open. 

Second, if you have questions about your rights please reach out to your local CFA contact or consult the FAQ on the CFA website and the email from Faculty Affairs on 1/9. 

Finally, I will be on strike as a faculty member for the first week of the semester unless a resolution is reached. I will not be replying to work related emails or inquiries while I am on strike. The FDEV office will be open and is reachable at fdev@csuchico.edu. 

In Solidarity,

Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Tools for Spring

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Faculty start work on their spring courses at different times and with different needs. For those of you preparing now, we want to highlight a couple of asynchronous faculty development resources.

We have a robust set of teaching guides developed by campus experts on everything from Teaching with Case Studies to Culturally Responsive Teaching. Check out the full, searchable and sortable, FDEV Teaching Guides list to get help with your prep for the spring semester. 

We also developed an asynchronous Canvas course with a step-by-step guide to course revision in the world of generative AI. The world has changed, and this will help you change with it. Enroll in the course at a time that works best for you.

Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

What Was Missing This Fall?

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The end of the year is often a time for reflection. Some of you may be ending the term and thinking about the project that got away–the manuscript you were meaning to finish or a class you want to improve. We hope you will have a look at the preliminary slate of Spring offerings from FDEV and find something that connects to a professional goal in your life. We are going to start fast in the Spring. Applications will be live for most programs on 1/18 with a due date of 1/30 so we wanted to preview the slate for you now. 

Chico Affordable Learning Solutions (CAL$)
Lead: Beth Shook 
Compensation: $500
Format: Asynchronous online

Want to decrease course costs for students? And at the same time provide students high quality and accessible course materials? Participate in an asynchronous Canvas training designed to help faculty identify and evaluate Open Educational Resources (OER) and other free or affordable course materials for your courses. Faculty who complete the online training, including developing a cost-savings plan to be implemented in a Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 course, will earn $500 in taxable income. 

Canvas modules will cover the following topics: OER and why they are important, finding and evaluating OER, Library resources, understanding copyright and Creative Commons licenses, ensuring accessibility, curating and adapting materials for your course, teaching with open resources, and the Zero Cost Course Materials (ZCCM) designation.

Advancing Hispanic/Latinx Student Success
Leads: Yvette Zuniga and Teresita Curiel
Compensation: TBD $500-$1000
Format: TBD

This project is partially funded by a generous U.S. Department of Education Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) grant from PI Ryan Patten, College of BSS. We are happy to collaborate on this important work. This FLC will feature connected workshops focused on better understanding Hispanic/Latinx university students and how Chico State can advance their success.

BIPoC Writing Community 
Leads: Stef Baldivia and Gloria Lopez
Compensation: TBD, at least $500
Format: TBD

The purpose of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color Faculty Writing Community (BIPoC-FWC) is to cultivate community and support for a diverse group of faculty to successfully navigate the retention, tenure, and promotion process, by developing scholarly and creative work, while strengthening a network of colleagues at the Chico State campus. The BIPoC-FWC is designed to create a space for BIPoC faculty to share their research ideas and publication goals, while supporting and motivating each other. All self-identified Black, Indigenous, or Faculty of Color, are encouraged to apply. Members will regularly meet in a set location for a total of ten 90-minute sessions and two community building events. During writing sessions, every writer works on their own project, with mutual support offered through fellowship both prior to and following the writing sessions. Faculty will be working in a large cohort led by two peer-mentors, Gloria Lopez and Stef Baldivia. There will be a mandatory kick-off meeting in early spring based on participants availability.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching (EDIT)
Leads: Alisa Wade and Allison McConnell
Compensation: $500 for attending the majority of the workshops
Format: FLEX

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Teaching (EDIT) Series includes six workshops, and is designed to offer faculty an introduction to basic concepts of equity, diversity, inclusion, and how they can be implemented in the classroom in order to create more equitable and accessible learning environments. Each workshop explores–and models–a different facet of student-centered and inclusive teaching through tools, resources, and strategies: positionality in the classroom, antiracist pedagogy, backward design, accessibility of course materials, culturally responsive teaching and the hidden curriculum, and practices of classroom community building. Workshops are each paired with a teaching guide (and other materials) and offer the opportunity for faculty to complete deliverables that they will be able to incorporate into their course(s) moving forward.

Grant Writing Support
In Development
Compensation: TBD

Leadership Development
Lead: Holly Nevarez
Compensation: $500
Format: TBD

The leadership development faculty learning community (FLC) will introduce leadership styles and strategies. This FLC is designed for you lead from wherever you are. Perhaps you are not a formal leader on campus, but find yourself leading other staff or students; perhaps you would like to be a formal leader someday and want to start to develop skills; or perhaps you are going to be a department Chair next year and want to start preparing. In any of those scenarios, this FLC is for you. We will talk about staffing, shared governance, facilitating meetings, managing difficult people, work to develop a leadership philosophy and more.

Publish and Flourish
Lead: Chris Fosen
Compensation: $500
Format: One online synchronous FLC and one in-person FLC

The Office of Faculty Development is bringing back faculty learning community (FLC) writing groups for the spring 2024 semester. After a survey was sent out in December 2023 to “Publish and Flourish” and “Write an Article in Twelve Weeks” participants about meeting preferences, we recognized the need for two distinct meeting patterns and goals for FLC participants. Faculty can select either option below:

  • Meeting one hour a week on Zoom for dedicated writing time with minimal interruption, for the purposes of getting words down on paper and providing mutual accountability.
  • Meeting two hours every other week in-person (flex possible) for time to reflect on their writing process, plan out benchmarks for completion, and share drafts in small groups of 2-4. These groups provide accountability and increased understanding of how writing time can mesh with other professional duties.

Participating faculty will receive $500 in taxable income for completing some significant portion of their writing goals, and attending all meetings (through week 13 or 14).

Teaching Climate Change & Resilience (TCCR)
Lead: Mark Stemen
Compensation: $500
Format: Online synchronous and asynchronous
Applications due on 12/15

Faculty participating in the TCCR FLC will learn from experts in the field about the science behind climate change, the solutions available to counter it, the need to incorporate justice into the conversation and the enormous anxiety all of this produces in our students. The five 90-minute sessions spread evenly throughout the semester will be held over Zoom, allowing faculty to form breakout rooms based on discipline for further discussion and curriculum development. In addition to changing their own courses, participating faculty will also become part of the systemwide network of colleagues focused on issues of climate change that formed after the first FLC, and learn how other faculty incorporate those issues across a wide spectrum of curricular disciplines.

Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT)
Lead: Allison McConnell
Compensation: $750
Format: Asynchronous online

The Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT) Program is an asynchronous, self-paced Canvas course structured around the QLT evaluation rubric. This QLT course is designed to meet core standards in the QLT instrument through the completion of eight modules with associated deliverables that guide you to fully redesign a course (or design a new course). Topics and deliverables focus on backwards design, student engagement, authentic assessment, inclusion and accessibility, and more. This QLT course requires a final course review. While focusing on online learning, QLT provides a framework that is applicable to all modes of instruction.

Finally, if you find yourself with time and an inclination toward professional development in the next few weeks, remember we have developed a 100% online and asynchronous course to help you redesign your classes in a world of generative AI. We also have our institutional subscription to the NCFDD with a variety of great resources. Or you could just get some rest–up to you!

Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Global Opportunities

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The tip this week is brought to you by International Education and Global Engagement (IEGE), as part of International Education Week 2023.

Chico State joins higher education institutions around the world in honoring and celebrating International Education Week from November 13 – 17, 2023. IEGE is hosting a series of activities this 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.

Global engagement opportunities and resources available to Chico State faculty:  

  1. Attend our Global Opportunities for Chico State Faculty virtual session on Thursday, November 16 from 10:00-11:00 am on Zoom.  Learn from campus and affiliates about opportunities to teach, conduct research, and collaborate globally through a variety of opportunities, including Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), leading faculty-led study abroad programs, applying for Fulbright or German Academic Exchange Service grants, or teaching abroad with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC).   
  2. Apply to become a Resident Director on a CSU International Program in Italy for a year, deadline to apply is December 31, 2023. Contact Chico State ACIP Rep, Dr. Fay Mitchell-Brown, with questions: fmitchellbrown@csuchico.edu.
  3. Check out Fulbright Grant programs for US Scholars, or how to host visiting scholars and scholars in residence. Likewise, 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. If you have any questions, our campus faculty liaison is Dr. Matthew Stone and he’s available for support: mjstone@csuchico.edu.
  4. Take students abroad through Faculty-Led Study Abroad. Check out Carli Ross’ adapted physical education internship program in Northern Italy as one great example.
  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. Invite a Study Abroad and Exchange advisor or alumnus into 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.
  7. Encourage your students to visit the campus English as a Second Language (ESL) Support Services (ESLS), which offers free tutoring services for non-native speakers of English who want to improve their English proficiency. 
  8. Consider hosting a visiting international scholar in your academic department. These short-term J-1 scholars enrich the campus in many ways including teaching courses, collaborating with Chico State faculty on research projects, and sharing their academic expertise with our faculty and students.

Need more information? Contact Dr. Jennifer Gruber, jlgruber@csuchico.edu, AVP, International Education and Global Engagement.

Our NCFDD recommendation this week is tied to the tip from AVP Gruber. NCFDD regularly hosts experts to discuss programming and makes the archives available. Interested in more information about the Fulbright program? Check out this webinar on the topic. You have to sign up for NCFDD (which you have free access to for this year) and once you do, you will have access to an incredible catalog of useful resources for your classroom and professional development. 

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Teaching and leading can be challenging

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At some point, many of us find ourselves in roles that cross boundaries between typical faculty work and leadership. This can take many forms from working in the Senate, serving as Department Chair, or perhaps leading a special initiative. In higher education we do not do an especially good job preparing people for leadership. We often fall into the trap of assuming someone will be good at organizing people and projects because they are a good researcher or teacher.

We are working on some leadership oriented professional development in Faculty Development for the Spring. In the meantime, we wanted to share two boundary-crossing resources you might find useful as you develop in leadership and in the classroom.

First, Dr. Jamie Gunderson from the School of Education hosts our Rise, Teach, Learn podcast. We were recently able to sit down with President Perez to discuss teaching and learning. Give the most recent episode a listen to learn about how highs and lows in classroom instruction inform the vision of President Perez.

Second, I continue to be impressed by the variety of professional development opportunities within NCFDD. This archived webinar covers managing dual roles as a teacher and administrator and would be a useful investment of time for those currently in, or considering a leadership opportunity. It is one of hundreds of outstanding resources available after you sign up for NCFDD. Just as a reminder we have a membership this year so it is free to you.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Teaching Climate Change & Resilience

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The main portion of this tip is brought to you by Dr. Mark Stemen, from Geography and Planning.

Over Spring 2022, 65 CSU faculty redesigned over 75 courses to include greater engagement of climate change and resilience, immediately affecting the education of thousands of students across the CSU the following year, including over 900 students on our campus alone. 

The CSU Teaching Climate Change & Resilience (TCCR) Faculty Learning Community (FLC) was first offered in Spring 2022 through the Office of Faculty Development. 

Since then, the FLC has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education and has received the Campus Sustainability Achievement Award by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and most recently received recognition from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. 

In Spring 2024 the FLC will be offered again, with the support of Chico State’s Office of the President, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and the Office of the Chancellor’s Innovative Teaching & Learning Programs. The FLC will be open to all 23 CSU campuses and aligns with the California State University Sustainability Policy, which “is intended to position the nation’s largest university system as a leader in the teaching and use of applied research to educate climate literate students.” 

This FLC is designed with busy and burdened faculty in mind. The five sessions are only 90 minutes long, and each will help faculty step by step to easily incorporate climate change and resilience into a course they teach. Our goal is to connect faculty with a broad range of approaches and ideas, as well as resources that are well-researched, relevant, and relatable to their discipline; lots of resources.  

The five Zoom sessions on Tuesdays from 9:00-10:30 a.m. 

This FLC also offers the rare opportunity to connect with colleagues across the system. The FLC will be entirely over Zoom, allowing us to organize breakout rooms based on discipline. We found when we used disciplinary breakout rooms, the sessions became more productive and transformative for faculty.  As one participant remarked, “It felt like the department I always wanted. Everyone believed in climate change and they all wanted to help.” 

The FLC application is due by December 15, 2023. All faculty are welcome to apply.
Additionally, we in FDEV want to point you toward a timely NCFDD resource. Many faculty have been personally impacted by the tragic situation in Israel and Gaza. In addition, many faculty are encountering conversations about this situation in the classroom. In 2020 Dr. Chavella Pittman was featured in a webinar on Preparing for Difficult or Controversial Conversations as part of their Empowered Teaching Toolkit. You have to sign up for NCFDD (which you have free access to for this year), but once you do you will have access to an incredible catalog of useful resources for your classroom and professional development.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Changes in Artificial Intelligence Mean Changes in Our Classrooms

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In August we shared some basic information about what generative artificial intelligence is and what it means for your classroom. Since then, TLP has hosted a series of fantastic workshops organized by joshuah whittinghill. 

Today I want to share some AI news with you that has and will change how we teach and learn again. 

First, ChatGPT premium users now have access to a plugin that can browse the internet. When we first started our campus discussion of AI this program was limited by training data that was frozen in time and a year out of date. This was not the case for some competing programs like Google Bard, but asking students about current events was a useful way to work around the most popular model. That is no longer the case. This new development exacerbates the financial equity gap since only paid users get access to this new more powerful version of the tool.

Second, later this month ChatGPT will roll out “vision” which integrates visual and text tools together. This is part of a next-generation set of “multi-modal” models where the inputs and outputs can be in a variety of forms. I was not sure about the impact this would have on education until a recent episode of the podcast/YouTube channel “AI Breakdown.” You will be amazed by an example from beta-version user Pietro Schirano where ChatGPT draws meaning from a series of images that look like they were lifted from a textbook. I have included the image at the end of this message.

I prefer Tuesday Tips that have straightforward and actionable steps. This one does not. The tip is to try and stay abreast of developments because the assignments we have used for years and even some of the workarounds we developed a few months ago are suddenly out of date. 

This winter we will be offering an AI retrofit one week intensive to help faculty figure out how their content fits in this new world and we are also developing a self-paced Canvas course to accomplish some of the same goals at scale. Be on the lookout for those announcements in the coming weeks. In the meantime, look at the image below, whether you are a regular user or have never touched an AI tool before, it is likely to change your perception.

a group of individuals comparing their perspectives to reach a consensus through communication

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Course Materials…Already?

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It is that time of year again! The weather is cooling down and my daughter is changing her mind about a Halloween costume every weekend so it must be…time to select Spring textbooks?

Having the correct course material in place before spring registration in October helps students make course and budget decisions. Reporting your course materials is critical even if you are using library or open educational resources (OER).

Do you know what classes you are teaching?

Are you planning on using the same materials you did last time?

If you answered “yes” to both of these questions you can finish this process in five minutes. Use the Canvas “Account” menu option in the upper left, and then click “Follett Discover”, or you can email your course materials list to wildcatstore@csuchico.edu, and you will be done in a flash.

I know many part-time faculty will not have specific sections yet and schedules can change. However, this is a critical issue for students as they make decisions and early reporting also allows the bookstore time to find lower-priced used materials. I encourage you to consider a department or program-level conversation about selecting predictable materials for classes so the Department Chair can make selections for courses yet to be assigned. 

Speaking of textbooks, if you are looking to find or develop a quality resource to lower costs for students, that also increases the likelihood they will have the materials and read for your class, be on the lookout for our CAL$ application later this fall.  The CAL$ program will run during the Spring semester.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Applications for the Initial Slate of FLCs are Due Today

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We are trying not to clutter your inbox so we are using this week’s tip to simply remind you that applications for the initial slate of Faculty Learning Communities are due today. There is something here for everyone. 

We are excited to bring you the initial slate of Fall 2023 offerings from FDEV and partners. All applications are live now and are due on Tuesday 9/12 at 11:59pm. Applications will be evaluated by members of the FDEV board or sponsoring units.

This group of programs includes Faculty Development programs and offerings from Undergraduate Education and International Education. We collaborated to try and maximize visibility and accessibility, but we want to be sure those programs receive the credit they deserve. Any questions about the programming broadly should be directed to Interim Director Zach Justus.

Collaborative Online International Education (COIL)
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: Synchronous and Online
Compensation: $500
Length: Fall Semester
Contact: Dr. Nan Li
Full Description
Application 

International Education and Global Engagement (IEGE) is offering an opportunity to participate in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) this fall to assist professors with the implementation of Collaborative Online International Education (COIL) as a course component on our campus. COIL engages your classes with students across the world in discussion, group projects, and/or problem solving, and professors have the opportunity to collaborate in teaching with colleagues across the world.  

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching (EDIT)
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: In Person
Compensation: $500
Length: Fall Semester
Contact: Dr. Alisa Wade, Allison McConnell, and Zach Justus
Full Description
Application

The Office of Faculty Development (FDEV) in collaboration with the READI Hub will be offering an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Teaching Series in Fall 2023. The series is led by Dr. Alisa Wade (History) in collaboration with Allison McConnell (TLP). The series includes six workshops, and is designed to offer faculty an introduction to basic concepts of equity, diversity, inclusion, and how they can be implemented in the classroom, to create more equitable and accessible learning environments. 

Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT)
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: Asynchronous and Online
Compensation: $750
Length: Fall Semester
Contact: Zach Justus
Full Description
Application

The Office of Faculty Development is partnering with the Technology & Learning Program (TLP) to offer the Quality Learning and Teaching program, which is designed around the QLT evaluation rubric. The course is offered as an asynchronous, self-paced course in Canvas.

STEM Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 
Who: STEM Faculty only (NS and ECC) Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: Hybrid–all meetings online and in person
Compensation: $1880
Length: Full Academic Year
Contact: Dr. Jamie Linn Gunderson and Zach Justus
Full Description
Application

The Office of Faculty Development is excited to offer an NSF-funded Faculty Learning Community (FLC) focused on the implementation of teaching strategies that support student learning in STEM. 

Supporting Undergraduate Research via Assignment Design
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers; preference for faculty teaching 100-200 level courses.
Format: in person
Compensation: $250
Length: Three workshop sessions; 2 hours each
Dates: Mondays, Oct 2, 9, & 16 from 9:00-11:00am
Contact: Dr. Kim Jaxon
Application

The Office of Undergraduate Education and Academic Success is offering support for Undergraduate Research. Dr. Kim Jaxon, Coordinator of Undergraduate Research, is leading the workshop series focused on assignment design. These workshop sessions offer an opportunity to design assignments that weave primary research practices into existing courses to support expanded undergraduate research experiences. We know that inviting students to engage in authentic research with faculty is an effective high-impact practice. We also know that mentoring and supporting undergraduate research is time-consuming, often taking place outside the teaching of our courses. We will work with model assignments, design assignments, and support each other as we try out ways to enrich our curriculum with undergraduate research. 

Be on the lookout for additional programs later in the Fall. 

Coming in the Spring
Chico Affordable Learning Solutions (CAL$) with Beth Shook
Teaching Climate Change Resilience (TCCR) with Mark Stemen 

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences