Director's Note

Warm. Humanizing. Caring. Inclusive. Would students use these words to describe your course syllabus? Whether your answer is definitely yes, maybe or likely not, here are a few resources that provide guidance along with concrete examples. The start of each new semester is the perfect time to examine the framing language of your course description, class expectations, grading schema and assignments. Even small tweaks to wording can make a big difference in helping students not only understand our sometimes lofty terminology but also to better appreciate the extent to which we care about their success.

The shortest possible story: Establishing Expectations, an overview of ideas for the syllabus, assignments, and early weeks of a course.

A longer story: Syllabus Review, a guided inquiry resource from the USC Center for Urban Education.

Tutorial module: Your Syllabus as a Tool to Promote Student Equity, Belonging, and Growth, a rich tutorial with practical tips for developing/revising syllabi. The tutorial embeds activities that will help you apply the concepts to your own syllabus. As the foundation of our Strong Start Teaching Institutes this past year, the module has received rave reviews from faculty.

We have a great program planned for the 30th Annual Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning. I hope that you are able to join us on August 15th. We also have a robust lineup of fall programs, some of which are introduced in this mailing. There is more to come, so we will be in touch again in the coming weeks.

Happy Fall, all—
—Christine Rener

Keep Us On Your Radar!

Fall 2024 is one of our busiest semesters ever with more events, workshops, consultations, Learning Communities, Faculty Mentoring opportunities, and conferences than ever before. We know you're all busy preparing for such an exciting start to our academic year, so here are the highlights of the Fall 2024 semester to keep on your radar.

August

New Faculty Orientation - August 7, 8, and 9
30th Annual Fall Teaching Conference - August 15
Foundational Course Workshop: Building Asset-Based Approaches and Fostering a Sense of Belonging - August 19
Propose or join a Learning Community - Anytime
Join a Faculty Mentoring Group - Anytime

September

Apply for a Sponsored Teaching and Learning Event - Anytime
Register for a Magna Digital Library Account - Anytime
Apply for a Sandbox Innovation Grant - Until Funds Are Depleted
Register for an NCFDD Institutional Membership - Anytime

October

Pace Initiative Mental Health Summit - October 18
Personnel Portfolio Workshop - October 25 - November 22
Request a Mid-Semester Interview about Teaching (MIT) - Weeks 4-9 of the semester
Check Out the Teaching Resources Webpage - Anytime

November

Reacting to the Past Conference - November 7, 8, and 9
Annual Teach-In - November 13 and 14
Faculty Conference Grant Window Open - November 15 until Funds Are Depleted

December

Final Short Reflections Due - End of Semester

Image of an oyster and pearl with the caption

Last Chance to Register!

Join us for the Annual Conference on Teaching and Learning, featuring two expert keynotes: Lauren Barbeau on Critical Teaching Behaviors and John Warner on AI in Education.

We hope to see you soon!

Find out more here about The Fall Teaching Conference on Thursday, August 15 | 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Eberhard Conference Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Foundational Course Workshop: Building Asset-Based Approaches and Fostering a Sense of Belonging

Monday, August 19th
2 – 4 pm
4 – 5pm – optional one-on-one consultations
102 Lake Huron Hall
Allendale Campus

This session is designed especially for instructors of foundational (100- and 200-level) undergraduate courses. In preparation for the coming academic year, join us for an interactive program that addresses:

Taking an asset-based approach in working with our newest students
Connecting students to appropriate student support resources
Rejuvenating your syllabus to better promote inclusivity and a sense of belonging for their students. Specifically, participants will learn strategies for promoting feelings of student belonging and provide peer-to-peer feedback on their written syllabi.

This session is part of the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center Strong Start Initiative focused on the success of first-year students at GVSU. Session facilitators will be Dr. Jessica Jennrich, Office of Student Support and Belonging, Dr. Maggie Goss, Pew FTLC and Dr. Christine Rener, Pew FTLC.

Please bring a laptop or tablet, if possible, and either electronic or paper copies of a syllabus that you would like to workshop during the session. The 4 – 5pm portion of the workshop is optional and reserved for one-one-one consultations. Learn more about the Foundational Course Workshop here.

1 Campus Drive
068 Zumberge Hall
Allendale, MI 49401