January 2021 Newsletter

It’s time to sign up for book groups again. Check out the spring semester book list. Sign-up begins this week. Visit our website for changes to book group policy during Covid-19. The deadline to sign-up is January 15.

Faculty Symposium and Launch of the new Digital District

Take Action and be a part of the Faculty Symposium on Tuesday, March 23 from 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. We invite all faculty to participate in this event. Share your ideas about teaching and learning. Discuss current issues in education. Disseminate your research – in progress or completed. Collaborate with your colleagues and organize a panel discussion. We have a number of different formats in which you can participate. Submissions are open until Friday, February 5 at 5:00 p.m. Presentations can be synchronous or asynchronous.

Additionally, we are thrilled to offer the opportunity for faculty to use the new technology in the Digital District space in Lampros Hall for their presentations. These presentations can be recorded prior to the event or done synchronously through virtual means such as Zoom. So, if you are interested, you may want to do your presentation in one of the following areas. You’ll be able to indicate a preference on the proposal form. (Contact the Teaching and Learning Forum if you have questions about any of these.

• Active Learning Classroom
• Innovation Studio
• Collaboration Room (zoom studio)
• Collaboration/Media Viewing Room
• Creative Corridor
• DIY Recording Studio
• Podcast Studio

Submit your proposal for a presentation.

Adjunct Academy and Retreat

We are excited to share with you a new program called the Adjunct Faculty Academy (AFA). The AFA is a series of online sessions that you can watch and learn from at your own pace. The goal of this program is to provide adjunct faculty with the essentials you will need to be successful as you teach your courses. Whether you are new to Weber State or just wanting to revamp your courses, there is something here for everyone. You may participate in all of the sessions below or choose the ones that best suit your needs.

The modules will be offered in the new Bridge program. You can access the program through this link or by logging into the Online Employee Development App through your eWeber Portal. There will be sessions offered from three categories: Employment, Teaching, and Instructional Design. The modules will guide you through the entire semester from pre-semester planning all the way through inputting final grades, and everything in between. We have also created a checklist (attached below) for new adjunct faculty to walk you through everything you will need to do to get started in your first semester at Weber State.

There will be a $300 stipend offered for the first 100 adjunct faculty members who complete the entire program by March 1, 2021. To be eligible for the stipend, you must participate in either the Adjunct Faculty Academy Kick-Off either synchronously on January 7, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. or the Adjunct Faculty Retreat on February 5, 2021.

Please follow this link for more information and to register for the AFA Kick-Off and/or Adjunct Faculty Retreat. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Rachel Cox in the Teaching and Learning Forum (rachelcox@weber.edu).

OER/Affordable Course Materials Workshop

Please join the Teaching and Learning Forum and the Library for a virtual conversation about open educational resources and identifying affordable course materials for your students. The workshop will be presented via Zoom on January 27 and January 28 from 2-4 p.m. by Michael Whitchurch, Media Literacy Librarian at Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library.

Please follow this link to sign up. We look forward to seeing you there.

Teaching for Learning Conference

Overcoming Distance, Disruption, and Distraction Thursday, February 25, 2021, 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

The 5th annual Teaching for Learning (T4L) Conference is co-hosted by Utah State University, Southern Utah University and Brigham Young University. This year's conference outlines the many factors that are distracting our students and offers both practical and theoretical approaches to overcoming those obstacles. During this one-day conference, participants will have the opportunity to make connections with other instructors, take home great ideas for teaching, and stay current on research in teaching and learning.

Enter "WSU2021" to receive a discount!

Learn more at this link.

Tuesday Teaching Tips

Please join the Teaching and Learning Forum for Tuesday Teaching Tips at Two once a month this spring semester. These virtual events will showcase some of the best practices for teaching in virtual and online formats presented by faculty members from all colleges. Presentations will be in the format of GIFTS sessions (Great Ideas for Teaching Students) with Q&A opportunities at the end of each showcase. You can register on our website at this link. You will receive a calendar invitation and Zoom links for all sessions you wish to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!