The ground is frozen solid, and the air is sharp and desiccating. Staying inside is a great option right now for those of us who aren’t too keen to look like the bagels in the back of my freezer. 

I’m sure that going into hibernation seems pretty attractive to many of us. I, for one, would love to sleep the days away and ignore the world outside my window as freezer burn slowly rips the nutrients out of every cell in every blade of grass. 

Unfortunately, I’ve learned from history that ignoring what’s going on outside is not the right path. What’s happening outside the walls of my sanctuary will eventually find a way in, if I ignore the signs. I have to turn my thermostat up, check the weather stripping, and make damn sure that I’ve got all the tools to shovel snow and scrape ice at the ready. 

Most importantly, I have to keep my blinds open because I know I have neighbors whose houses aren’t as well-insulated, who can’t afford to turn the heat up, and can’t shovel their snow or scrape the ice. I have neighbors who have no shelter at all, and rely on the community to keep them fed and warm. 

I know this winter is going to test us to our absolute limits. Even those of us with a warm house and a nice blanket are going to be seeing our breath once in a while. I argue that it is absolutely incumbent upon us to find ways to share our warmth with the folks out there who have purple fingers and chapped noses. The stakes are highest for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Here’s what else I know: Spring will come again. And when the ground thaws out, and the air is warm and wet, are we going to remember the lessons we learned? Are we going to be able to say that we did everything necessary to ensure that all of our neighbors got to see the cherries blossom?

Michael Wallis, Student Learning Consultant
Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education

The Learning and Teaching Commons newsletter is delivered to your inbox on the first Friday of the month during the quarter. Click here to read past newsletters

Monday, February 10 | 5-6:30 pm

SEM II E3123

Enjoy some (gluten free and vegan) sweet treats from Miss Moffet's Mystical Cupcakes and catch up with your colleagues following the Leadership Update.

Michael Wallis is the Student Learning Consultant for The Washington Center. His collaborative services are available to faculty who wish to improve the equity and student learning focus of their curricula.

Looking for someone to talk to about your teaching? Wondering how to prepare for future programs? Need a friendly listener to offer support? Contact Julia Zay, LTC Faculty Scholar for a confidential consultation! 

Last December, I wrote about composer Pauline Oliveros in relation to listening, learning, and embracing vulnerability together. This month, I’m sharing another Oliveros score–this one for a collective movement piece that invites participants to slow down to a near stop while walking.

Learn more →

Now is the time to start on your proposal for Summer Institutes 2025! Deadline for proposals is Friday, February 14.

In case you missed the proposal workshop, check out this 13 minute video for an overview of the proposal format, evaluation criteria, and review process.

April 24-25 | Early-bird Registration Deadline February 18

The Integrative Learning Curriculum Planning Retreat supports faculty in creating integrative learning experiences. It benefits both newcomers and experienced educators in linked or paired courses, clustered courses, first-year experience programs, living-learning communities, or coordinated studies programs.

This two-day retreat at Rainbow Lodge offers flexible programming for collaboration and individual or team work on curriculum design. Sessions focus on student success, integrative assignments, team teaching, and guided pathways.

FREE workshop | Friday, February 28 | 9-10 am

[REGISTER]

The National Learning Communities Association (NLCA) is delighted to sponsor a focused, one-hour virtual session exploring the features of learning community programs in higher education. This free session offers valuable insights for faculty, scholars, practitioners, and administrators with an interest in the benefits of learning community programs for student belonging and success.

Whether you're exploring learning communities for the first time or seeking to enhance your existing program, this session offers valuable insights for all experience levels. 

PRESENTERS

Nathan Phelps, NLCA President | University of Wisconsin - Madison

JuliA Metzker, Director of the Washington Center | The Evergreen State College 

This Spring Quarter, Evergreen will hold its seventh annual Equity Symposium on Wednesday, April 16th and Thursday, April 17th. Learn more →

PROPOSE A WORKSHOP  

The submission form is open through February 21st for workshop proposals. Proposals must align with the theme The Wisdom of Stories. We invite proposals for presentations, activities, trainings, artistic expression, and more, that consider the following: 

What can stories offer us during uncertain times? Stories provide a way to understand one another and make sense of our experience.  Stories give us grounding and hope and can help us envision a future that is more just and liberated.  Sharing our personal stories gives us a way to be known, seen, and understood as a remedy to isolation and loneliness. Stories allow us to transmit and preserve cultural knowledge.   Stories can be told in a multitude of mediums, from creative expressions like visual and media arts, music, writing, and our fashion choices, to the stories we tell through scientific research and data. Join us as we use the wisdom of stories to fortify ourselves for the challenges ahead.        

Want to talk through your session idea before you submit it? Drop-in support sessions will be held by the Equity Symposium Planning Group to help you develop and refine your proposal. Outlook invitations will be sent out for two Drop-in sessions: 

February 12 from 1-2 p.m. in the Social Justice Center (Evans Hall 2205) 

February 14 from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom  

SUPPORT STAFF THE EVENTS  

Do you want to support the event, but don’t have a workshop idea? We are recruiting event support staff! Find more details about the needs via the sign-up form. 

More information on Equity Symposium speakers coming soon! 

Questions? Email socialjusticecenter@evergreen.edu

If you wish to sponsor ILC or INT students during summer 2025, please read this information and take appropriate action by March 3, 2025.

All faculty who are planning to sponsor contracts in the summer need to complete this form by March 3, 2025.

In order to sponsor contracts in summer quarter, you must have an employment contract.  Different faculty types require different steps to receive a contract. Certain Adjunct faculty or those who have not completed the required sponsor training will have additional steps they must take.  Read about the criteria on the summer ILC/INT Sponsor Page, and they form will also remind you of additional steps.

If you have questions, please contact Steff Beck (becks@evergreen.edu ) or Emmie Forman (formane@evergreen.edu).

Kindness in Higher Education: Let's Heal Together | Friday, Feb. 21 | 3-4:40 pm

Facilitated by Wajeehah Aayeshah, The University of Melbourne

[REGISTER]

Kindness is often the core fabric of a good academic space. However, despite being a fundamental part of our tapestries, it isn’t often acknowledged. We face a lot of interesting challenges in the current toxic academic systems. [Learn more]

Rhetorical Grammar: Antiracist Approaches to College Writing | Friday, March 21 | 10-11:30 am

Facilitated by Ansley Clark & Carla Haddad, The Evergreen State College

[REGISTER]

What does intentional, creative, and linguistically and culturally spacious academic writing look like?  This workshop focuses on how instructors can use linguistic justice and critical language awareness frameworks to teach grammar and other foundational college writing skills. [Learn more]

Are you feeling the emotional weight of supporting your students? Consider inviting an Evergreen Community Circle to your course or program to provide a supportive space for sharing feelings and experiences.

In our community circles, students will engage in a structured sharing protocol. Each participant will have uninterrupted time to speak while others practice deep listening. This process, guided by a skilled facilitator, helps foster a sense of community and mutual understanding among students.

The Social Justice Center and the Washington Center have collaborated to provide support, care, and resilience through Evergreen Community Circles. These circles are designed to help students engage in community-centered healing.

If you're interested in hosting a circle in their course or program, contact us and a member of our team will be in touch to schedule and plan for the facilitation.

The Learning and Teaching Commons is pleased to announce a new resource to support faculty with narrative evaluations. This practical guide includes example narrative evaluations from your colleagues that you can annotate using Hypothesis. We invite you to check out the new module:

A guide to Narrative Evaluation at Evergreen. 

Let us know what you think.  Send your feedback to learningandteaching@evergreen.edu.

If your class is doing something cool this academic year, especially this Fall please email Shandra Witke: your name, the class title, what your class will be doing, and a general idea of the date(s) you will be doing it. 

We are hoping to connect with Faculty to schedule some updated shots. We need photos of:

-Updated classroom and group discussions

-Classroom demonstrations

-Class activities outside the classroom – both on and off-campus

-In the forest

-At the beach

-Off-campus field trips (downtown Olympia, local nature, Study Abroad)

-Class visits to the library or other places on campus 

-Art and design classes like woodshop or ceramics

-Classes in the computer labs or 3D printing lab

-Students making cool stuff or showing off their projects

-Students working and collaborating in the science labs or with science equipment

-Anything fun, engaging, unique, Evergreen

Email Shandra Witke→

Hours of Operation for Winter quarter: 

1 to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday, Appointment Only

1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Drop-In

Holidays & Campus Closures are observed.

The Basic Needs Center, CAB 135, is located on the first floor of the CAB building. Separate entrance from the Greenery.

Learn more →

General Writing Center Hours:
In-person, Olympia and Online:
Monday-Thursday, 12pm-7pm
Friday and Sunday, 12pm-4pm
Contact: writingcenterstaff@evergreen.edu 

In-person, Tacoma:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 2pm-4pm
Saturday, 10am-3pm 
Contact: Kileeo.R.Wideman@evergreen.edu

Tutoría de escritura en español - en zoom https://evergreen.zoom.us/j/4631248757
lunes 12-5pm con Carla (Olympia y en zoom)
miercoles, 12-2pm con Carla (Olympia y en zoom)
lunes y jueves, 4pm-7pm con Esmeralda (en zoom)
viernes, 12pm-4pm con Esmeralda (en zoom)
sábado, 10am-3pm con Carla (Tacoma y en zoom)

Contacts:
Esmeralda.Zuniga_Lemus1@evergreen.edu

Carla.I.Haddad@evergreen.edu  

Events: 

Writer's Circle: a casual creative writing gathering with supportive conversation and writing prompts, every Wednesday from 5pm-7pm in the Writing Center (Library 2304)

Academic Statement Workshops:
Week 3: Saturday, 1/25, 10-11:30am—in-person on the Tacoma campus and on Zoom: https://evergreen.zoom.us/j/4631248757
Week 5: Wednesday, 2/5, 3-4:30pm—in person in Purce Hall 4 and on Zoom: https://evergreen.zoom.us/j/4631248757

Writer's Open Mic Night: Thursday, March 13th, 5-7pm, an open mic night for all forms of writing, hosted by the Writing Center, the Library, and BLISS

There are many opportunities for faculty to share their achievements, and we want to encourage you to contribute to the wealth of knowledge in our Evergreen community. Learn more about how to share your work with our community.