Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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

ChicoFlex Updates and Training Opportunities

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!

Summer Opportunities for Professional Development and Training

Dear faculty,

I know I mentioned in my last Tuesday Tip that you might be tired of opportunities for professional development and that you might prefer a nap at this stage, but….

We do have a great series of summer programs available and I want to make sure you know where to find them and how to apply. Below, you will find information about three different opportunities that we hope you will consider!

2 Ps in 2 Days: Increasing Student Engagement (Hosted by: Office of Civic Engagement)

May 27-28, 2021

Faculty will develop plans to increase students’ engagement through assignments that highlight a sense of place and community partnerships. Learn how you can tweak a single course to better align your assignments with the 2 Ps, or work with a group of interdisciplinary faculty on university-community partnerships. Campus and community presenters will share their experience and expertise. Participants will be provided blocks of time to work with a more experienced colleague to apply the 2 Ps in ways that are meaningful for their discipline and deepen student learning.

Contact Ann Schulte for more information or questions.

Institute on Active & Experiential Learning (Hosted by the Office of Faculty Development)

June 8-10, 14-15

The Office of Faculty Development will be offering an Institute on Active & Experiential Learning in Summer 2021 (June 8-15). The Institute is designed to offer faculty practical tools, resources, and ideas to use in the classroom to facilitate and promote more active methods of learning. The institute will be offered virtually, via Zoom.

The Institute will provide faculty the opportunity to work in cohorts and explore best pedagogical practices that promote:

  1. student research;
  2. innovative use of classroom space;
  3. civic and global engagement;
  4. application of learning to professional fields
  5. collaborations with local institutions and businesses. 

The institute will also offer resources in relation to Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and faculty will have a chance to explore successful examples of SoTL. 

Faculty development is looking for both faculty participants and faculty that can facilitate workshops in the areas listed above.

Full Call for Applications

Application for Participants

Application for Workshop Facilitators 

Contact Chiara Ferrari for questions.

GoFlex Summer Institute (Hosted by: TLP, FDEV, and CST)

Session #1 – June 22, 23, 24, 29, and 30; approx 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Session #2 – July 27, 28, 29, August 3 and 4; approx 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

In fall 2021, there will be over 100 classrooms equipped with new tracking cameras and microphones installed in the ceilings that allow students online in Zoom to communicate with the faculty and students in-person in the classroom. These classrooms are called hyflex classrooms. 

ChicoFlex is the Mode of Instruction (MOI) we created that gives students flexibility in attending their classes in-person and/or online. ChicoFlex classes are noted in the Class Schedule and are taught in hyflex classrooms. More information on hyflex classrooms and ChicoFlex modes of instruction can be found here.

For faculty to prepare to teach in hyflex classrooms in fall 2021 or spring 2022, we are offering a GoFlex Summer Institute. This call for applications is for faculty participants and mentors. Faculty participants will learn about how to manage the classroom equipment, the features and configurations to engage in-person and online students at the same time. Faculty mentors will lead and facilitate a cohort of up to 15 faculty. GoFlex will support faculty in leveraging tools (e.g. Poll Everywhere for polling students both online and in-person at the same time), sharing templates for student activities and best practices for classroom rules of engagement in this new environment.  

Full call for applications

Application Form

DRAFT Schedule at a glance

Contact Kathy Fernandes or Chiara Ferrari for questions.