Support for Teaching Excellence

August 2021 Institute

• Keynote & Workshop with Dr. James Lang, on Teaching Distracted Minds: Old Challenges, New Contexts.
• Technology training: Canvas, Flipgrid, Yuja, Google Forms, and more!
• Panel Discussions on Who are Our Students? Insights about the High School Class of 2021 and Understanding Students Outside the Classroom
• Opportunities to connect with colleagues and engage with your research in the coming year.
• Special Offering: Creating Intentional Belonging in Your Endicott Classroom - A Joint Offering by the DEI Task Force (Brandi Johnson, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officers and Gail Cantor, Director of Spiritual Life) and the DEI Curriculum Committee (chaired by Endicott faculty Dr. Charlotte Gordon, Dr. Katie Kilty, and Dr. Jessica Kaufman).

Advising Lunch
October 5, 2021
Learn more about advising systems, and advising days, and receive samples of advising communications.

Provisional Faculty Lunch
October 21, 2021
Learn more about student support structures and processes as well as experiences in the classroom and advising systems.

January 2022 Institute

College students across the country are experiencing unprecedented mental health challenges. In a recent study of 43,000 college students who sought counseling during the 2020-21 academic year, the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Pennsylvania State University found that 72 percent of students reported that the pandemic had negatively affected their mental health, contributing to decreased motivation and focus, as well as feelings of loneliness and isolation.

As we have managed a new phase of the pandemic at Endicott this fall, we have witnessed increasing numbers of our students struggle with anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behaviors. We know that such struggles affect students’ overall well-being, including their motivation, readiness to learn, and academic performance in our classes.

Endicott’s January Faculty Institute will focus on students’ mental health and wellness: What do we need to know about students’ mental health? How can we identify students who are struggling? And how can we support students’ well-being inside and outside of our classrooms?

If you have any questions about the Faculty Institute, you can email Dr. Traci Freeman, Dean of the Endicott Center for Teaching & Learning: tfreeman@endicott.edu

Student Motivation Workshop
March 31, 2022

Have you found yourself thinking about what students "used" to do? Students used to do the reading for class. Students used to laugh at your jokes. Students used to love this lab. Students used to visit you during office hours. Students used to turn in their work. 

We will discuss the science behind student motivation and how we can support students' autonomy, increase their self-efficacy, and leverage relationships in the classroom to motivate student learning.

Facilitating Classroom Discussion Workshop
April 28

Join Daniel Sklar for a lunch workshop, entitled Waking Up or How to Facilitate and Inspire Class Discussion with Energy, Urgency, Enthusiasm, and Encouragement.

This discussion workshop will build off the strategies and methods you already use to get students talking with sincerity and purpose in class. Through hands-on experiments in groups, we will explore the dynamics of what makes a class a safe place that is conducive to the free and open exchange of ideas. In addition, we will examine surefire ways of listening, responding, and inspiring students to want to express their ideas with confidence, enthusiasm, and joy. 

May Lunch Workshop Series

In lieu of the end-of-year institute, the ECTL will be holding daily lunch workshops on May 16-19, 2022. 

These workshops are designed to help you make the most of your summer and will focus on topics like faculty thriving, writing your article in twelve weeks, reflective teaching, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom.

Monday, May 16: Mindfulness as a Tool to Cultivate Resiliency & Wellbeing with Christine McNulty Buckley from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Tuesday, May 17: Maximizing Teachable Moments in the Classroom with Brandi Johnson, Gail Cantor, and Maria Wong

Wednesday, May 18: A Reflection on Practice and Implications for the New Year with Jenne Flewelling

Thursday, May 19: Preparing to write your article in 12 weeks with Traci Freeman

Fall Conference on Teaching & Learning: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusions in the Classroom and Beyond

Monday, August 29, 2022 |  8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday, August 30, 2022 | 8:30 a.m. to Noon

During the last two years in higher education, we have learned that we cannot separate discussions about students’ learning from discussions about their lives and social worlds. Like us, our students bring their whole selves into our classrooms—their embodied experiences, insights, beliefs, and values. And like us, they also bring their blind spots and biases. If we want to cultivate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our classrooms, we might begin by considering:

What might we need to know and understand about our students to teach them?
What might we need to know and understand about ourselves?
How can we create classrooms in which all students feel valued?
How does understanding our own positionality help us do that?

Throughout the Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning, we will respond to these pressing questions. Our goals are to ensure our classrooms are welcoming spaces for all students, whatever their backgrounds and experiences, and to make Endicott's campus a place where all students feel like they belong.  

Advising as Care

September 1, 2022 | 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Post Center Hospitality Suite, Brittany Potter, Ed.D., Associate Dean, Endicott Center for Teaching & Learning

Have you ever felt like your advising interactions only consisted of conversations about our advising systems (i.e. MyEndicott, Etrieve, Stellic)? Would you like to know how to make better use of your time advising and truly get to know your advisees? During this lunch workshop, we will discuss how to create an advising relationship built on care, focusing on relational advising strategies, motivational interviewing techniques, and useful tools in Stellic.

Off to the races: Reflecting on the first weeks of class

September 29, 2022 | 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Diane Meyer Halle Library, Room 206, Traci Freeman, Ph.D., Dean, Endicott Center for Teaching & Learning

Meet with colleagues and reflect on your first few weeks in the classroom. How have things been going? What have you learned? What kind of support would be helpful to you going forwar

Hidden Disabilities with Christina Irene

October 4, 2022 | 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Center for Belonging

In collaboration with the Center for Accessibility Services, Center for Belonging and Inclusion, School of Education, and the Program of Applied Behavior Analysis we invite you to attend a lunch discussion on the topic of Hidden Disabilities with Christina Irene.

Christina Irene has presented on invisible disabilities from the Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico to London, England for non-profit organizations, government entities, academic institutions, and corporations. Drawing from personal experience, she has published two books on the subject: Talking Splat: Communicating About Hidden Disabilities and Splatvocate: Supporting People With Hidden Disabilities. 

RSVPs required, please reach out to Sydney Riu with any questions or concerns.

Developing a DEIB Course Proposal

October 6, 2022 | 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Post Center Hospitality Suite, Katie Kilty, Ed.D., Sport Management Professor

Are you excited about teaching a course with a DEIB designation? Learn about the process for submitting courses for approval and receive real-time feedback from members of the DEIB curriculum committee.

Winter Conference on Teaching & Learning

Teach for Transformational Learning

Keynote Speaker & Workshop by Dr. Linda Nilson,“Transforming Students into Self-Regulated Learners.” 

Most students have misconceptions about learning, especially about the amount of effort and focus it requires and our role as instructors in their learning processes. Teaching students how to become self-regulated learners dispels these misconceptions and helps students understand what learning actually involves. 

Working Lunch with Dr. Sara Quay - Transformational Learning at Endicott:  Defining Our Strategic Vision for Academic Affairs

Tools for Transforming your Teaching

Writing Assignment Revision with Kelsey McNiff, Ph.D. & Ben Horgan, M.Ed.

Active Learning with Traci Freeman Ph.D., Hedrick Ellis M.Ed., and a Faculty Panel

Canvas from a Student's Perspective with Ana Emlinger, Ph.D. and Jim Lacey, Ph.D.

Online Workshop Opportunities

New adjunct faculty, in particular, are encouraged to visit our Canvas page with important information and resources. All faculty are welcome to attend any of the other programming. Adjunct faculty might also want to consult the Faculty Handbook for general information about policies and procedures at the College.

Nuts & Bolts of Canvas

Jim Lacey, Ph.D. Senior Instructional Technologist will offer you a general overview of Canvas, our campus LMS. Jim will also meet with faculty one-on-one. Schedule an appointment with Jim.

Adjunct orientation Zoom hours

Meet with Traci Freeman, Ph.D., Dean, Endicott Center for Teaching & Learning, for a question and answer session. 

Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students

Traci Freeman, Ph.D., Dean, Endicott Center for Teaching & Learning, will offer an online workshop for faculty interested in learning how to support their culturally and linguistically diverse students. Faculty will learn about the ways that language and culture shape students’ experiences in our classrooms, and they will develop some strategies for supporting students who have been educated outside of the United States and who may speak English as a second or other language. 

Five Small Teaching Ideas for a Great Start

Ana Emlinger, Ph.D., Instructional Technologist, Academic Technology Department, will present an online workshop focused on simple ideas that can be easily implemented in Canvas. This approach allows faculty to make effective, yet doable, improvements to their online course design and teaching. She will offer strategies that promote small successes and help instructors build confidence in their ability to keep getting better in their online teaching.

Faculty & Staff Workshops

ChatGPT and Student Writing: What is ChatGPT and what are its implications for the teaching of writing?

In this workshop, we will discuss some of the major trends in the current conversation about AI-assisted writing and consider strategies for addressing ChatGPT and related tools in our classes this spring. 

The Lost Art of Notetaking: Teaching Students to Take Good Notes: Would you like to look out at your classes and see that your students are all taking notes?

In this workshop we will focus on the role of note-taking in student learning. Participants will learn how to teach students to take better notes and to make better use of the notes that they take.

Promoting Self-Regulated Learning through Advising: Advising is the opportunity for students to make meaning with a faculty member through motivational and reflective dialogue.
This workshop will highlight appreciative advising theory by showcasing techniques and tools that will increase student learning and autonomy.

The Un-Workshop: Faculty were provided an opportunity to talk about their teaching, reflect on their year, or brainstorm for next year.  Modeled after the "un-conference," the "un-workshop" had no predetermined topic or agenda and invited all participants to determine the focus of the discussion. 

Provisional Faculty Workshops

Meet the Librarians: Provisional faculty will have an opportunity to meet with our fabulous librarians and learn about how the library can support your teaching and research.

Pursuing research at a teaching College: Provisional Faculty will hear from successful faculty about how they stay productive and learn about the resources available at Endicott to support you in your research and creative work. 

The role of service in faculty governance: Provisional faculty hear from ECFA faculty about the role of service at the College and ways you can get involved.  

The Future of Academic Scholarship in the Age of AI
May 15, 2023 |12:30–1:45 p.m.
Post Center, Hospitality Suite, Traci Freeman and Joe Tragert

While higher education has focused on the ways that Chat GPT and other generative platforms might transform teaching and learning, we have paid less attention to how they might shape academic scholarship. Yet, such technologies may have implications for library research, peer review, and the future of academic journals.The ECTL invites you to join colleagues from EBSCO, who will engage us in a lively discussion about the future of academic scholarship in the age of AI. Register here.

Save Time by Making Good Use of Canvas Structure

May 17, 2023 | 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Post Center, Hospitality Suite, Ana Emlinger

Organizing content for teaching in the classroom or online can be very time-consuming. The good news is that Canvas offers a number of time-saving tricks to take some pressure off your demanding workload. Join this session to learn how to make the best use of the Canvas structure to organize your course content faster and more efficiently. 

Rethinking Assignments and Assessments in the Age of AI

May 18, 2023 | 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Post Center, Hospitality Suite, Traci Freeman

Since the release of ChatGPT-3 to the public, faculty across higher education institutions have been grappling with the implications of AI for our teaching. In this workshop, participants will learn about ChatGPT -- its current capabilities and limitations. They will reflect on how we might adapt assignments and assessments in light of the widespread use of this technology. 

Fall Conference
August 28–29, 2023 | All Day

View the full conference program.

Academic and Student Affairs Happy Hour
August 31, 2023 | 4–6 p.m.

The reception will be an opportunity to meet the Student Affairs team, as well as learn about how faculty can partner and collaborate with the division. You’ll hear from Student Affairs leadership about our services, as well as exciting new initiatives we are offering this academic year. Light refreshments and drinks will be provided.

Fostering Faculty Wellbeing: Mindfulness Micro-Practices
September 7, 2023 | 12:30 p.m.

Mindfulness can be an effective tool to support wellbeing. This session will focus on practical ways to nurture wellbeing through the use of mindfulness micro-practices that suit you and your unique life. We will explore strategies specifically designed for the classroom setting as we identify opportunities for "stealth mindfulness" to nurture resilience for both faculty and students, even in the midst of a busy academic schedule!

AI Generative Tools and the Internship and Career Search: Parallels, Possibilities and Problems
September 22, 2023 | 1 p.m.

The Internship and Career Center in collaboration with Lance Eaton of College Unbound will be presenting on how AI is disrupting the Internship and Job search for our students. The arrival of generative artificial intelligence represents a significant change in how many people can and are working. What once felt like science-fiction is quickly becoming part of many people's daily lives. This guided session will explore the role of generative AI in several capacities related to employment including: How organizations are already using AI in their hiring practices, How internship and job-seekers can leverage generative AI in their own professional growth and learning, How internship and job seekers might leverage generative AI in the search and hiring process, How internship and job-seekers might use generative AI in their future work.

Introduction to the Internship Curriculum and Internship Paper
September 28, 2023 | 12:30 p.m.

At this lunch, we will meet with staff from the Internship & Career Center to discuss the internship curriculum and internship papers.

Promoting Student Autonomy through Appreciative Advising
October 5, 2023 | 12:30 p.m.

Advising is the opportunity for students to make meaning with a faculty member through motivational and reflective dialogue. This workshop will highlight appreciative advising theory by showcasing techniques and tools that will increase student autonomy and optimize their educational experiences.

Learning Circle Opportunities

The Endicott Center of Teaching & Learning strives to enrich discussions about teaching and learning on our campus and provide opportunities for faculty and staff to learn from and with each other about our common work. 

Coordinated by the ECTL, Learning Circles include groups of faculty and staff who meet regularly to discuss topics related to teaching and learning in higher education. Each Learning Circle has a faculty or staff lead, but the specific goals and structure of the discussion are determined by the group. At the end of each semester, each leader is responsible for summarizing the insights of the group to share with the rest of the campus. Leaders receive a small honorarium for their work.

During the Spring Semester of 2023, the ECTL is coordinating Learning Circles on the following topics:

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Teachers 

Join this group to explore mindfulness practices as a tool to support  wellbeing both in and out of the classroom. Together, we will learn and investigate a variety of mindfulness-based practices. Each monthly meeting will have a brief presentation of new content, invitational group practice, and open discussion exploring mindfulness and wellbeing. Rooted in the tradition of Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, this program will present both science and heart-based content, while fostering each participant’s unique best plan to support wellbeing.

AI & Higher Education

Artificial Intelligence is the next disruptor in higher education. Text generating tools, like ChatGPT, are increasingly sophisticated and will require faculty to rethink our pedagogy, policies, and assessment practices. We are only now grappling with the implications of these technologies for our work. 

This learning circle will explore the capabilities of A.I and consider how we will need to adapt our work to meet the challenges of our brave new world. 

Student Engagement

Join this group to engage in discussions about student engagement in the classroom. 

Faculty at Endicott are not alone in experiencing what Beth McMurtrie describes in her article for the Chronicle of Higher Education as a “stunning” level of student disengagement. Many of us are finding that our students are not coming to class prepared. While they are in class, students seem passive, distracted by technology, or otherwise unable to pay attention. More than in past years, students are failing to turn in assignments. Even experienced faculty are finding that our  tried-and-true teaching strategies are not working for our post-pandemic students. This learning circle will take a design thinking approach to solving the problem of student disengagement and develop strategies that we can try ourselves and share with our colleagues.