Happy Spring Quarter!
As the academic year approaches its close, I am wrapping up my project assessing Evergreen’s assets in culturally sustaining and inclusive teaching. Thanks to all the faculty who responded to the Winter quarter survey, whether at the Faculty Meeting or in the following weeks. There were 58 responses to at least part of the survey, of which 32 were completed during the faculty meeting, and faculty from every part of Evergreen’s curriculum (CAT, program) participated. I am using your responses to inform the direction of my Spring work, which will focus on recording and sharing specific practices Evergreen faculty have used successfully in supporting rich learning experiences for all students.
A fuller report on the survey results will follow, but here I’d like to share a few quick takeaways. First, respondents generally report substantial confidence in their ability to create nurturing learning environments and employ inclusive teaching strategies. These are self-reports, of course, with all the caveats that come with such survey data, but it is encouraging, though not surprising, that confidence and frequency responses reveal a faculty who pay careful attention to building community in their teaching and generally feel well-equipped to do so. Similarly, faculty generally report high engagement with deepening their understanding of self-awareness regarding their professional and social identities, with 96% of respondents reporting doing so at least occasionally. This is an important factor in developing an educational mindset that supports adoption of practices known to help students from all backgrounds and identities succeed.
In other areas Evergreen faculty show considerable strengths and confidence, but with substantial numbers acknowledging a potential for improvement. These areas shape my spring plans, which focus on identifying ways Evergreen faculty can continue to learn from one another. One thing I hope to do is identify our existing exemplary practices and capture them for the benefit of both new Evergreen faculty and for experienced faculty eager to learn new ways to engage with our ever-changing student population. If, for instance, you observed a teaching partner doing something particularly effective in creating the conditions for inclusive excellence, or honoring students’ cultural heritage in the classroom, I would love to hear from you and spread the good work among faculty at large.
I wish everyone a Spring quarter in which the inevitable hard work of learning and teaching are entwined with the joys of discovery and empowerment!
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The Learning and Teaching Commons celebrates notable faculty accomplishments through Faculty Notes. Each year we collect notable publications, presentations, appearances, recognitions, awards, exhibits, performances, research, or other accomplishments to celebrate the incredibly talented faculty at Evergreen.
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April 17th, 3:15-5:00 PM | Zoom
Everyone is welcome to join the new faculty for this workshop.
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"Our accrued experiences from personal and social histories matter to how our relationships with our students develop. If we ignore this context, we can fail to see how we are contributing to socially disconnected classroom environments (Dewsbury, B. and Brame, C, 2019)"
Learn more →
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| Join fellow staff and faculty for an evening of tabletop games on April 28th!
Learn more →
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Welcome our new Faculty Scholars!
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Julie Levin Russo has been a faculty member at Evergreen since 2013, a position she described as her "dream job" due in large part to an emphasis on innovative teaching. Previously, she taught at Stanford University as visiting faculty and at Brown University as graduate and later adjunct instructor. She really hated grading but loved seminar, and completing certificates at Brown's Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning was memorable. Julie researches vernacular creativity and criticism in lesbian TV fandom, exploring how queer online communities engage the media industry, and vice versa. At Evergreen, she teaches media studies and arts in wide-ranging intensive or interdisciplinary contexts, with a commitment to connecting theory and practice. That's part of #5 on the Six Expectations of an Evergreen Graduate, but Julie's most rewarding teaching moments happen when all six come together to empower deep student-originated work. She is passionate about making this transformative education more equitable for Evergreen's diverse student body, most of whom belong to one or more groups underrepresented in higher ed. Julie has served in curriculum leadership roles as a Planning Unit Coordinator, Path Convener, and, since 2019, CAT Leader for Food, Art, Media; she is also on the United Faculty of Evergreen Coordinating Committee.
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Julia Zay: "I got my first teaching gig in my senior year of high school when, as a devoted student of writing and literature, I asked my English teacher if I could borrow an hour a week of his class time with his 8th graders to introduce them to the art of writing poetry. This experience made tangible for me the pedagogical value of learning something through teaching it; one of the central reasons that teaching at Evergreen since 2003 has been so gratifying for me is that I have worked with so many students eager to learn and grow in learning communities by teaching and learning from each other. Our practice of team teaching and the related value of being a co-learner has also shaped my strong curiosity about what happens when, as teachers, we stay connected to our own experiences of the rich and sometimes vulnerable space of the ‘beginner’s mind’ and cultivate this in our students. Related concepts of not-knowing, comfort with ambiguity, and process over product, as well as embodied and experiential learning techniques, inform much of my teaching of creative practice as an arts faculty and are shaping my LTC scholar project on “contemplative practices” in higher education and their role in inclusive pedagogy. I am looking forward to my time as the Learning and Teaching Commons Faculty Scholar. In 2024, I will begin my 21st year teaching at Evergreen, a college whose experimental roots and expansive traditions of innovative pedagogy first drew me here and have continued to fundamentally shape me as a person, a citizen, an educator, and an artist."
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Registration Coming Soon!
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Registration opens April 17th
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Washington Center Collaborative Workshop
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The Washington Center Collaborative is a space for higher education faculty, scholars, practitioners, and administrators to discuss emergent issues with colleagues at other campuses.
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| | Do you have a teaching puzzle? The Learning and Teaching Commons offers individual and small group remote teaching consultations.
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Week 1 Resources and Reminders
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Syllabus and community agreements due: Please turn these in through evergreen.edu by Friday, April 14th. Please make this a regular practice—this information is of great help to folks advising students.
Curriculum Planning retreat Week 5, Wednesday 5/3, where CAT leaders will support Paths in developing Path curriculum (especially for So-Sr level students) and Abir will support faculty who have agreed to teach 1st-yr or lower division in fall and/or winter 24-25
Draft 24-25 curriculum due Week 7, Friday 5/19,
Equity Symposium is coming up in Week 3! Please join the campus community for events on Wednesday April 19 and Thursday April 20. See this link for detailed event and schedule information:
Academic Fair: Wednesday, May 17 (4-6pm)
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May 12, 10-12:30 | Zoom | Free!
Fostering Connection and Belonging: Practical Strategies for Creating Inclusive Learning Communities
Register Now →
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The Accessibility Summer Camp is a FREE annual conference with the goal of connecting professionals and educators with best practices in accessibility and Universal Design. Over the past few years, the ASC conference has grown to become one of the most popular accessibility conferences in the country.
Our mission is to provide accessibility professional development that empowers attendees to create high quality, accessible learning environments while removing barriers for all individuals who have a desire to learn.
Learn more →
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We have a small amount of workshop passes free on a first-come, first-served basis while they last.
Learn more →
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These individuals and offices are eager to support students. Keep this list handy when advising students or reach out to schedule a visit to your program or course.
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The Greener Hub connects students in touch with the people, offices, and services they need.
- Visit the Daniel J. Evans Library page to learn about student access to electronic and print materials.
- Refer students to the Writing Center and the Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center for tutoring support.
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TRiO provides wraparound services to first-generation, low income, and disabled students.
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Media Services offers equipment, instruction, and production services in audio, video, animation, film, and photography for students, faculty, and staff.
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The Title IX office is available to support us in our responsibilities as mandatory reporters. Review the Guide for Responsible Employees for more information.
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Connect your students with Advising and Career Services for support with academic planning and career exploration.
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Access Services for Students with Disabilities works with admitted Evergreen students to ensure equal access to academic programs and services.
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Submit your student concerns to the Campus Assessment, Response & Evaluation (CARE) Team. This cross-divisional team directs students towards supportive campus resources.
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The basic needs center provides resources for a variety of student needs.
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