Below is a description of current Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) we are offering to faculty. A traditional FLC is a year-long program while a Mini-FLC is a semester-long program.
Learning-Centered Syllabus (Mini FLC)
Would you like to increase student motivation? How about engagement? Would you like students to discover the value of your course recognize the knowledge and skills they will learn, and understand how an expert approaches your discipline? What if this could be conveyed before students even meet you? Sign up for our mini-Faculty Learning Community on the Learning-Centered Syllabus: A Course Redesign.
Learning-centered instruction “emphasizes a variety of different method types that shift the role of instructors from givers of information to facilitators of student learning or creators of an environment for learning. In learning-centered teaching, the instructor focuses on what students are learning, how they are learning, and how they can use the learning.”[1]
A small group of interdisciplinary faculty will meet six-eight times throughout the semester to redesign a specific course so that deeper student learning and engagement will result. We will discuss topics such as understanding student motivation, making assessment easier and fun, principles of active learning, feedback & grading, and topics of interest by FLC participants. Fun, experimentation, critical readings, and support will be key ingredients to this program.
The four primary objectives of this program include:
- to build faculty expertise on effective course design
- to apply course design principles in an actual syllabus
- to produce a fully revised syllabus that could score higher using the syllabus rubric tool
- to nurture and build a community of faculty dedicated to the life-long learning process of teaching
[1] Blumberg, Phyllis. 2009. Developing Learner-Centered Teaching: A Practical Guide for Faculty. John Wiley & Sons, Inc: Page 3 from Weimer, Maryellen. 2002. Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. Jossey-Bass: Page XVi.
Current and Past Participants
Arts, Media, and Communication
- Journalism: Elizabeth Blakey, David Grewe
Business and Economics
- Business Law: Ray Calnan
- Systems and Operations Management: Kunpeng Li
- Finance, Financial Planning, and Insurance: Hsin-Hui Chiu
Education
- Elementary Education: Minsung Kwon
Engineering and Computer Science
- Computer Science: Zenaida C. Spradlin
- Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management: Bingbing Li
- Mechanical Engineering: Shadi Mahjoob
Health and Human Development
- Child and Adolescent Development: Kandice Grote
- Family and Consumer Sciences: Rosalia Garcia-Torres, Cynthia R. Williams
- Health Sciences: Suzanne Spear
- Kinesiology: Chris Bolsmann, Ivan K. Guillory, Danielle Jarvis, Douglas McLaughlin
- Nursing: Samira Moughrabi
- Recreation and Tourism Management: HeeKyung Sung
Humanities
- Asian American Studies: Daehwan Lee
- English: Loretta Huizar, Susana Marcelo
- Gender and Women's Studies: Helina Beyene, Melanie Klein
- Jewish Studies: Michele Paskow
- Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures: Svetlana Tyutina
Information Technology
- Faculty Technology Center: Hillary Kaplowitz
Library
- Research, Instruction, and Outreach Services: Charissa Jefferson
Science and Math
- Biology: Lisa Banner, Loni Hands, Daniel Odom
Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Psychology: Stefanie Drew
- Social Work: Judith A. DeBonis
- Sociology: Karen Morgaine
Transforming STEM Teaching
Would you like your students to be more engaged in your STEM courses? Faculty Development invites you to join a group of STEM faculty to explore strategies to enrich your courses and promote student engagement to improve learning. This year-long faculty learning community (FLC) supports faculty (tenure-track and lecturers), especially those teaching large lectures to enhance student learning gains.
Overview
“The Transforming STEM Teaching Faculty Learning Community (FLC) Program is developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley, in collaboration with their Center for Teaching and Learning. It is designed for faculty to: deepen their understanding of how people learn, develop active learning strategies to support student learning in STEM lecture courses, and reflect on their teaching practices.
Changing instructional practice requires faculty to rethink their role in teaching, and thus redefine how lecture courses are designed and taught. Inclusion of STEM faculty from community colleges and universities allows faculty from these institutions to learn together, and hence support efforts to streamline transfer pathways from 2-year colleges and 4-year universities.”
Goals & Objectives
The big picture “dream” of this Transforming College Teaching Faculty Learning Program is to improve student achievement in STEM undergraduate courses through statewide transformation of college level teaching.
Four goals are rooted in this program: (1) to build STEM education expertise of STEM faculty through delving into literature on learning and teaching; (2) to support STEM faculty in developing their teaching practice to support student learning in their lecture courses; (3) to engage STEM faculty in habits of reflection on their teaching practice, through peer and self-observations; and (4) to nurture a tradition of continued learning about teaching practice among participants, and build a faculty learning community. By the end of this program, faculty should be able to:
1) Implement active learning teaching practices effectively that generates student engagement and achievement.
2) Cultivate a capacity to sustain and share new and improved STEM instructional practices within your local department, college, and college/university.
3) Describe the value of developing a collegial and complementary community between STEM faculty who can share instructional best practices.
Current and Past Participants
Arts, Media, and Communication
- Art: Peri Klemm, Meiqin Wang
Engineering and Computer Science
- Electrical and Computer Engineering: John Valdovinos
- Mechanical Engineering: Shadi Mahjoob
Science and Math
- Biology: Mariano Loza Coll, Sean Murray, Melissa Takahashi
- Mathematics: Richard Fine, Otilia Gonzales
Institute for Transformative Teaching & Learning (Mini FLC)- Spring 2021
Program Overview
The Institute of Transformative Teaching and Learning (ITTL) returns in the spring with a continued focus on improving student retention and closing equity gaps for all students. Priority will be given to faculty teaching courses with high rates of failing grades of a D, F or students who withdraw before completing the course.
After a January two-day retreat, faculty will meet twice a month to discuss and learn an array of teaching strategies including the Black Minds Matter framework by Luke Wood and Frank Harris III from CSU San Diego. This framework employs equity-minded, culturally responsive and affirming teaching; in addition, pedagogies of trauma informed teaching and critical pedagogy will also be introduced.
Bolstered by a grant from the university’s inaugural Diversity Equity Innovation Grant, these frameworks increase learning for all students and particularly African American students. Additionally, practices will be adapted for teaching online.
Program Objectives
By the end of this program, faculty should be able to:
- List and explain the principles of an inclusive teaching framework.
- Choose and apply a teaching intervention learned in the spring.
- Apply a new reflective practice that challenges your biases & how they impact your teaching and your classroom.
- Embed new awareness about the perspectives of students intentionally into your teaching.
- Describe the value of developing a sense of community and support among an interdisciplinary faculty peer group.
Spring 2021 Dates
Welcome Retreat- January 19 & 20, 2021
Monthly Meetings- Wednesdays 12:00-2:00pm
- Feb 3, 17
- Mar 3, 24
- April 7, 21
- May 12
- Note: The annual Faculty Retreat, on January 15 & 16, features a keynote by Dr. Frank Harris III, a key contributor to the Black Minds Matter framework and Co-Director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab. Also, a workshop titled InterruptingRacism is offered, we encourage faculty to attend these two offerings introducing important teaching strategies.
Funding
$500 for completing all program requirements
Application
Apply now; space is limited.
Current and Past Participants
Arts, Media, and Communication
- Art: Lynette K. Henderson
- Communication Studies: Christopher Ruh
- Theatre: Matthew A. Jackson, Garry D. Lennon
Business and Economics
- Accounting and Information Systems: Eric Hu
- Systems and Operations Management: Amir Gharegozli
Education
- Elementary Education: Minsung Kwon
- Special Education: Beth A. Lasky
Engineering and Computer Science
- Computer Science: Oscar Marin
- Electrical and Computer Engineering: Kourosh Sedghisigarchi
Health and Human Development
- Health Sciences: Carmen T. Saunders
- Nursing: Zarmine Naccashian
- Recreation and Tourism Management: HeeKyung Sung
Humanities
- Chicana/o Studies: Xochitl Flores-Marcial
- English: Stacey E. Bieber, Janet Cross, Stephen Florian, Audrey B. Thacker, Kimberly D. Young
- Linguistics: Anna Dina Joaquin
- Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures: Sumaya Bezrati
Science and Math
- Mathematics: Khanik Mark Kerobyan
Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Africana Studies: Sharon Johnson, Janice Robinson
- Political Science: Boris E. Ricks
- Psychology: Carolyn Pagan
- Sociology: Monicka E. Guevara, Kristyan M. Kouri
Student Success
- Learning Resource Center: Azure Star Glover
New Faculty (Mini FLC)
If you are a new faculty member (in year 1 of your career here at CSUN) and interested in exploring how you can take intentional steps to plan your success at CSUN consider this program. This Faculty Learning Community (FLC) will integrate materials from The National Center of Faculty Development & Diversity (a free resource to all faculty this year) and engage in discussions around teaching (e.g., equity-minded teaching strategies), scholarship (e.g., academic writing), service (e.g., time management strategies) and wellbeing (e.g., building community, managing conflict). For those who attended our August New Faculty Foundations 2020 event, you'll be reunited with faculty mentors interested in reconnecting and providing support as you learn how to navigate your position.
When does this FLC meet in Spring 2021?
Mondays, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Which dates?
- Feb 8th
- March 1st & 29th
- April 5th & 26th
- May 10th
Is there compensation?
Those who attend every single meeting, complete an assessment and share a final reflection project that reveals how you implemented strategies learned from the FLC can receive a $250 stipend.
How do I apply?
Complete our short online application by Monday, January 25th
Who is eligible?
Tenure-track and lecturer faculty hired who started 2020-2021. Priority will be given to those who have not previously joined a FacDev FLC.