In this edition of the Pew FTLC Newsletter:

People First. The word “trust” appears frequently in a variety of contexts these days. As a result, I have been reflecting on the presence of trust in both the classroom and in our broader world and the extent to which so much of what we need to do together relies on strong relationships. At a leadership-focused conference this summer, I was struck by the way one speaker described the job of a leader as being first and foremost about building relationships. She went on to say that leadership is not about being right and that putting aside being right is key to making space for putting people first. I have always considered teaching to be leadership, so I believe that these ideas are transferrable to the classroom.  

As I was setting out to remind you here that materials from the August Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning sessions are available on our website, including a recording of Tracie Addy’s keynote address, I remembered that Peter Felten’s keynote last year very much focused on relationships and trust. If you would like to refresh your memory, the 2025 Fall Conference page has the details. Alternatively, this article by Peter and colleagues is a beautiful treatment of “trust moves” in the classroom.  

Why? This question is one of my all-time favorites. From internal reflections such as “Why did this happen?” and “Why do I have so many browser tabs open?” to broader questions such as “Why does this platform require so many clicks to get my work done?” and “Why don't we talk more about the ways in which mistakes and missteps that are a natural part of the process of learning?” and “Why is Audrey Tang writing about the connections between democracy and AI?” I have many, many such questions at the ready. Asking “Why?” questions builds a natural pause into the rhythm of our days. Now that we are a few weeks into the semester, it is an ideal time to ask students any number of “Why?” questions: Why are we studying these topics? Why are the assignments in this course sequenced the way they are? Why is this course important? Why is this course part of the General Education program? Why are we doing a group project? Why is it important to do these calculations by hand and to not use AI? Why is it important that I speak up in class? Reflecting on the syllabus and other foundational course materials at this point in the semester can help reinforce the learning outcomes, expectations, and requirements of your course and help smooth the way through the rest of the semester. Two helpful resources: Start with WHY, Simon Sinek and The Book of Beautiful Questions, Warren Berger. I am super curious about your favorite questions as well as the reflective questions you choose to ask students, so please send me a quick note if you have a moment (renerc@gvsu.edu).  

Protect the Foundation. The MIT report on AI in Education that I mentioned earlier this month is still getting plenty of press–for good reason. I keep coming back to their description of the “social contract” between instructors and students and the importance of an intellectual community that leans into learning. The values of higher education are beautifully described in this report and I have to say that I am comforted by the fact that the foundational nature of these values and pursuits persist whether the topic is AI or any other emerging thing (for lack of a better word). The human-to-human stuff can take many forms depending on the course and the instructional modality but deserves the lion's share of our attention in our teaching. How do we ensure that students trust us? How can we help students build community amongst their peers? Oh, and ensure that we are assessing student learning in authentic and meaningful ways? The heading for this section was inspired by a new teaching guide from Wash U, Assessment in the Age of AI. I love that the authors articulate their ownership of their use of the em-dash! All of this is an admittedly heavy lift, but the fact is that we do have to revisit both our assessment and student engagement strategies. If you aren’t sure where to start or would like to pressure-test an approach, please do reach out.  

Digital Accessibility Corner. In alignment with the Digital Literacy Initiative, I offer here the next installment in support of the why and the what of our goals for digital accessibility. As always, don’t forget the Digital Accessibility Committee resource page. Let’s talk about our PDFs. I fear that I am old school in my attachment to attaching PDFs. I appreciated WebAIM’s site that gives a high-level overview of PDF accessibility and the meaning/importance of tagging. (Be sure to click “NEXT” at the bottom of the page to view the rest of the tutorial.) What I think many of us are learning the hard way is that remediation of PDFs is challenging, and that creating accessible documents in Word or other formats prior to conversion to PDFs is the optimal way to go. I do recognize the challenge of using PDFs created by others in our teaching. Ways to go about checking the accessibility of such resources will be the subject of my next note.  

Be kind to yourself, this week and always- 

-Christine Rener, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning 

Are you hoping to attend a teaching and learning related conference during the January 1, 2027-June 30, 2027 window?  If so, consider applying for our Faculty Conference Grant!

Our Faculty Conference Grant provides up to $700 to help defray the cost of attending an in-person or virtual teaching-related conference, workshop, or training, with or without presenting! All faculty are eligible to apply but preference is given to first time applicants. Be sure your application explicitly states how participation/attendance at the selected conference, workshop, or training will impact your teaching and hopefully, the learning of your students.

Faculty can apply via our online grants system beginning October 15, 2026. Applications will be accepted for two weeks prior to starting our review. Once we begin reviewing applications, this grant is awarded on a rolling basis until funds are depleted. Mark your calendars!

This is your final call to join a Fall Semester or Year-Long Learning Community!

Learning Communities (LCs) are small, faculty- and staff-led groups that gather around a shared topic for a semester or two. These communities create space for collaboration, new kinds of learning, and the opportunity to meet people across campus. New Fall LCs are being added frequently, and below are just a few of the LCs that are currently open and accepting new members.

Carve out time to focus on your writing goals in a structured, supportive environment and join the Fall Remote Writing Challenge.

We’re hosting 1.5-hour writing sessions on Zoom on the Thursdays below from 2:00 - 3:30PM. Register for one, a few, or all of the dates. Each session includes 15 minutes for introductions and goal-setting, 1 hour of focused writing time, and 15 minutes to share successes and reflections.

Whether you're working on articles, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), book chapters, professional documents, syllabi, or other writing projects, these sessions provide accountability and momentum to help you make progress. We’ll provide a quiet, distraction-free space. Writing can feel solitary, but with a supportive community, the process becomes more motivating, productive, and even fun! All faculty and staff are welcome. 

For dates and information on our writing challenges, visit the Faculty Writing Challenges webpage.

The Mid-Semester Interview about Teaching, or MIT, is a mid-semester evaluation technique that provides instructors useful feedback from their students about their learning in a course. A consultant visits your class and interviews your students about their learning experience, gather information about the course strengths and potential improvements. Conducted during the 4th to 9th week of the semester, the MIT takes just 30 minutes of class time!

Named in honor of Dr. Diana Pace, former Director of the GVSU University Counseling Center and Associate Dean of Students, the Pace Initiative for Connecting Mind and Health seeks to ground well-being, health, and mental health in disciplinary coursework and services to students.

Integrating personal reflection of well-being, health, and mental health into academic contexts has the potential to cultivate student identity development, knowledge, and life skills impacting their lives personally and professionally as community leaders. Faculty and staff accepted into the Pace Initiative have the benefit of a community actively engaged in sharing and expanding their pedagogical approaches and practices. 

Learn more by visiting our Pace Initiative for Connecting Mind and Health webpage. Apply online to be a Pace Initiative Associate. Fall semester meetings are underway, so apply soon!

This multi-week virtual workshop is designed to support faculty members preparing for a contract renewal, tenure/promotion, or promotion to full personnel action in the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Through large group meetings, small group and individual meetings with a faculty mentor, participants will be given guidance on composing their Personal/Reflective Statement and on gathering supporting materials for their portfolio in accordance with their college and unit personnel policies.

The workshop will run October 22, 2026 — November 19, 2026 with large group meetings hosted on Zoom each Thursday from 1-3pm.  Spots are limited and the workshop will fill quickly.

While registration isn’t quite open yet, we encourage you to put your name on the Fall Personnel Portfolio Workshop Interest List by emailing Raquel Ramirez directly at ramirraq@gvsu.edu. Anyone on this Interest List will be contacted directly once registration for this workshop opens, hopefully allowing them to register before the workshop fills. 

This workshop will be offered again in Summer 2027 so if your personnel action is further ahead, there will be another opportunity to engage with us in this way.

LGBTQ+ FS 20th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, October 16 from 4:00-6:00pm

Grand River Room - 2250 Kirkhof Center

Join us as we commemorate two decades of community, advocacy, and belonging at Grand Valley State University. Together, we’ll celebrate our past, recognize our present, and envision the future of the LGBTQ+ FSA. The evening will feature storytelling, community connections, and light refreshments as we honor 20 years of partnership and growth.

For more information and to register, visit the LGBTQ+ FSA webpage.

Accessibility Fix-Your-Content Day

Friday, October 23 from 11:00am-1:00pm

Drop in anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to work alongside experts from Student Accessibility Resources, eLearning Technologies, and University Libraries on making your digital content more accessible. Hosted in support of the university’s WCAG accessibility initiative, assistance will be available at all three campuses, with a virtual option also available.

Please register for accessibility training so we can plan staffing at all three locations.

For questions or to request specialized accessibility training for your department, contact accessibility@gvsu.edu.  Can’t make the October 23 event? Explore our accessibility training offerings for additional training opportunities and resources.