The Discover Series - Faculty Commons

In accordance with the 2023 University Strategic Plan, Faculty Commons is committed to supporting faculty as they Discover, Engage, and Reach their fullest potential in the classroom. Faculty Commons presentations will explore pedagogical concepts and strategic goals designed to help our students succeed. Topics will include highlighting “diverse, meaningful, and accessible learning opportunities for all students;” providing “experiences that connect learners with real-world knowledge, skills, and opportunities;” creating technologically advanced “active learning” opportunities; and “promoting and assessing critical thinking” in the classroom.  

Support of JSU's Strategic Plan, including strategic goals and objectives

Connection to Strategic Plan

This series supports the commitment of JSU's Strategic Plan including the following strategic goal(s) and objectives:

1. Engage (Commitment 2)

Create symbiotic partnerships that impact the university learning environment, providing additional opportunities for the exchange of ideas, experiential learning, and community engagement, while allowing university members to give back to the community. 

Goals:

Benefit of Belonging: Improve the accessibility of a safe, equitable, diverse campus supportive of all campus and community members. 
- Objective 2: Create environments to encourage campus and community members to connect and learn from each other.

Work with multiple departments across colleges to develop interdisciplinary opportunities that will enable faculty to learn about, from, and with different programs. 

2. Discover (Commitment 3):

In an age of rapid educational change and innovation, we will continue to advance our capacity for creating diverse, meaningful, and accessible learning opportunities that prepare all learners (faculty included). 

Goals:

Experiences: Provide learning experiences that connect learners with real-world knowledge, skills, and opportunities. 
- Objective 2: Expand the utilization of technology to support students, faculty, and staff.
- Provide professional development and training opportunities for faculty.

Environments: Create and provide new learning environments characterized by modern facilities, technological enhancements, active learning, and engaging instruction
- Objective 3: Provide learners access to active learning opportunities, engaging instruction, sustainable training, and professional development.
- Provide inclusive training and professional development opportunities to staff across disciplines

Program Goals

To explore strategies for effective teaching and student learning 
To create inclusive learning environments that foster academic safety and success  
To develop meaningful class assignments and effective methods for assessment and grading 
To explore various ways to create real-world learning experiences for students 
To develop teaching methods that support diverse learning styles

Dr. Kathryn Catlin Assistant Professor of Anthropology	Date: September 7^th, 2023 Location: In person, 208 Self Hall Time: 12:00-1:00 Brown Bag Lunch Workshop Title: The Ungrading Experiment: What Worked, What Didn't, What's Next Blurb: In Spring 2023, I "ungraded" AN345: Cultural Anthropology. Overall, the experiment was a success: most students appreciated and benefited from an emphasis on feedback and metacognition rather than grades and scores. I'll describe what I did for the course, how the students responded, and the things I plan to do differently in 2024. There will be some time for discussion and workshopping at the end of the talk. Description: Grab a brown bag lunch and head to Faculty Commons to learn about the ungrading movement from Dr. Kathryn Catlin. Drinks and snacks will be provided.

Mica Mecham Director of Faculty Commons	Date: September 19^th, 2023 Location: 208 Self Hall Time: 1:30-2:30 Title: Embracing AI: Using Generative AI in the Classroom Description: This session, which was presented at AASCU’s Academic Affairs Summer Meeting, will explore the opportunities and challenges of using ChatGPT and AI in college classrooms to enhance intellectual curiosity and academic learning while maintaining academic integrity. Specifically, we will examine how faculty, staff, and students are navigating the use of ChatGPT and AI in the classroom, and we will also discuss the ethical use of generative AI in the college classroom.

Katelyn Walker Instructor of English	Date: October 30^th, 2023 Location: 208 Self Hall Time: 2:00-4:00 Title: WAC Round Table Description: Faculty teaching Writing-Intensive classes share personal strategies for effective student learning, assessment, and success. This workshop will be an informal conversation among colleagues who are willing to share their own methods and practices for implementing the WAC guidelines in their disciplinary classes.

Katelyn Walker Instructor of English	Date: November 13^th, 2023 Location: 208 Self Hall Time: 2:00-4:00 Title: The WAC Assessments Description: This workshop will provide a clear understanding of the WAC rubric used to facilitate assessment of student writing. Additionally, the rubric will be applied to student writing samples to model grading criteria. Open to all faculty but particularly useful to faculty teaching WI courses who wish to have a better understanding of WAC grading norms.

Upon registration for a workshop session, you will receive a calendar invite at your JSU Outlook email. Calendar invites are manually sent by Brandy Roberts. Please allow up to two hours to receive the invitation during regular business hours. After accepting the invitation, the event will appear on your Outlook Calendar. If you cannot see it, please contact Brandy Roberts at broberts@jsu.edu.