Jax State Faculty Exchange Spring 2026
Faculty Commons is offering opportunities this spring to explore innovative teaching practices that deepen student engagement and success. The sessions will highlight both high-impact practices (HIPs) and experiential learning strategies that can be integrated across disciplines:
- High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Learning Community Session
Learn more about Jax State’s HIPs Learning Community, hear from past participants, and discover ways to get involved in upcoming cohorts. This session will showcase how HIPs—such as undergraduate research, service learning, and collaborative projects—strengthen teaching and student learning.
- Engage Jax State: Experiential Learning Sessions
This two-part series will feature a “listen and learn” conversation on experiential learning’s role in student success, followed by a hands-on workshop focused on developing and enhancing internship opportunities.
- Familiarize faculty with high-impact practices (HIPs) and experiential learning strategies and their role in enhancing teaching and student success.
- Demonstrate how HIPs and experiential learning increase student engagement, critical thinking, and retention across disciplines.
- Show how experiential learning projects align with HIPs and support broader goals for student development and general education.
- Equip faculty with tools, examples, and approaches to implement HIPs and experiential learning in their own courses effectively.
- Share opportunities for involvement in future HIPs Learning Communities and experiential learning initiatives at Jax State.
Meeting Locations, Dates, and Times
Presentation: Innovating General Education: Faculty Designs from the HIPs Learning Community
Date: January 15
Location: 300 Merrill Hall
Time: 2:00-3:00
Description: After a year of shared inquiry, faculty in the HIPs Learning Community present course designs that embed High-Impact Practices into general education.
Presenter(s): J. Seth Johnson (Associate Dean, CAHS) and the HIPS Faculty Learning Community
Presentation: Funding Your Scholarship and Creativity: What You Need to Know
Date: January 26
Location: 208 Self Hall
Time: 2:00-3:00
Description: Are you seeking funding for research or a creative project? We have the grant for you! Join us for an informational session on the Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant! Learn about eligibility, guidelines, deadlines, and tips for crafting a successful proposal.
Presenter(s): OSP Staff; Dr. Michael Boynton (Professor, Theatre and Film); Dr. Sarah Donley (Professor, Sociology)
Presentation: A New Perspective on Disaster Resilience
Date: January 28
Location: 208 Self Hall
Time:1:30-2:30 PM
Description: By examining whether resilience is a compound concept or a collection of distinct ideas, this presentation reviews and redefines the meaning of resilience from the perspectives of multiple disciplines, presents field-based evidence, and proposes a new mechanistic theory for understanding how system resilience functions in society during a disaster.
Presenter(s): Dr. Shih-kai Huang, (Emergency Management)
Presentation: Tilt Framework to Support Student Success
Date: February 23
Location: 208 Self Hall
Time: 1:30-2:30
Description: This workshop will review the TILT framework (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) and explore how this high impact practice (HIP) supports student success in the classroom.
Presenter(s): Dr. Josh Robinson, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students
Presentation: Reflection as a Tool for Engaged Learning
Date: March 17
Location: 208 Self Hall
Time: 2:30-3:30
Description: This session explores the pedagogical value of structured reflection and why it is essential for deep learning, transfer, and student self-awareness. We will also address common concerns about reflection and offer practical strategies for integrating it meaningfully into courses across disciplines.
Presenter(s): Dr. Laura Pitts, Library Services and 2024-2025 Provost Faculty Fellow for Experiential Learning
When you register for a workshop, you will receive a calendar invitation at your JSU Outlook email. Calendar invites are sent manually by Brandy Roberts, so please allow up to two business hours for delivery. Once you accept the invitation, the event will appear on your Outlook calendar. If you do not receive or cannot locate the invite, please contact Brandy Roberts at broberts@jsu.edu.
Registration is encouraged for all professional development sessions but is not required to attend. However, pre-registration is required for any session that includes lunch. Faculty are always welcome to attend without registering, but lunch is only provided for those who have pre-registered.