The work is never done. The teaching and learning scholar Lee Shulman, who passed away last year, wrote that “classroom teaching…is perhaps the most complex, most challenging, and most demanding, subtle, nuanced, and frightening activity that our species has ever invented.” While the book from which this statement is drawn, The Wisdom of Practice, focuses primarily on the K-12 context, I still find comfort and inspiration in his words. The notion of complexity reminds me that becoming an educator is a lifelong pursuit, one worthy of ongoing exploration, growth and development. Our professional explorations and journeys are often supported by a network of mentors (including folks who we realize years later played key mentoring roles). A free upcoming webinar on this subject caught my eye, so I share here for your consideration: The Perpetual Benefits of Mentoring, The American Council on Education, Wednesday, March 19 at 2pm.

I recognize that it is a busy time (one of the busiest?) of the year and that bandwidths are limited, but I encourage you to take a look at a few other upcoming learning opportunities detailed below. One of the beautiful aspects of being part of the Grand Valley community is the vast number of learning opportunities outside of one’s discipline and typical path. Cross-disciplinary learning has certainly been a strong theme this semester, so I offer a likely unexpected recommendation coming from a biochemist: the open access volume, The Play in the System: The Art of Parasitical Resistance offers a fascinating window into artistic approaches as well as implications for broader contexts. On a different (but related) note, I invite you to join me in viewing another free webinar, Working with Climate Anxiety in the College Classroom (Theirs and Ours): A Climate Action Pedagogy Workshop on Wednesday, March 26, 12–1:15pm. This webinar is led by Karen Costa and Sarah Rose Cavanagh. If you would like to join us for the group viewing, check our website soon for location details. Regardless of your discipline, I also invite you to learn more about the Climate Action Pedagogy initiative and explore the OER Teach Climate Project resources.

Saying the hard things. Another recent read occupying my thoughts is this new report from AAC&U and AAUP, Academic Freedom and Civil Discourse in Higher Education: A National Study of Faculty Attitudes and Perceptions. The findings resonate with what I have been reading and hearing elsewhere about folks (faculty and students) not being as willing as in the past to talk about controversial topics. Without going too deeply into the why’s, I offer several resources that offer concrete classroom strategies for engaging in difficult topics and helping one another say the hard things: Firstly, a powerful IHE piece, Trans Allyship in Academia Today, secondly, the UofM CRLT, Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or High-Stakes Topics, and, lastly, the robust programming and resources available through the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse. As with many things, practice makes a difference, so I would encourage us all to select a new approach or strategy and give it a try. I would love to hear how it goes.

Take good care, 

-Christine

How can YOU help your students begin their GV journey with a strong start? The Strong Start Teaching Institute equips faculty with best practices for engaging first-year undergraduates.

When: May 5 (8:30 AM–5 PM) & May 6 (8:30 AM–12 PM)
Where: DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) 445

Together, we'll explore key themes:

Whether you're teaching a course for the first time or refining an existing one, this Institute offers valuable insights. Sessions include both in-person and asynchronous components, relevant across disciplines and experience levels. See the Strong Start page for more details.

Limited to 40 participants. Preference given to first-time attendees, adjunct, affiliate, and visiting faculty. 

More students than ever are managing college while navigating mental health challenges and learning differences. The Minds That Matter series, sponsored by the Pew FTLC, helps faculty explore these issues and implement strategies—like Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—to support student success. Tomorrow’s session focuses on ADHD and Neurodiversity, offering insights and practical strategies to help students thrive.

Tuesday, March 12 | 9–11 AM
Pere Marquette Room (RM 2204 KC) or via Zoom

The session includes:

Can't Make It to the Strong Start Teaching Institute? There's still room in this series!

The Strong Start Continued Series offers workshops on small teaching practices to support first- and second-year students. Led by Dr. Maggie Goss, these in-person sessions will be held on both the Allendale and downtown campuses.

Part of the Strong Start Teaching Institute, the Pew FTLC offers workshops open to all faculty, and the workshops provide valuable insights for teaching at any undergraduate level, with no prior Strong Start participation required.

Workshop #3 – Rejuvenating Your Syllabus (with live student feedback!)

Tuesday, March 25th, 10:00-11:30am (3068 Zumberge Hall)
Thursday, March 27th, 10:00-11:30am (411 Eberhard Hall)

Revise your syllabus to promote inclusivity and belonging with feedback from GVSU undergraduate students and peers, helping you enhance student engagement.

Our Sponsored Teaching and Learning Event (STLE) Grant supports faculty in attending selected conferences, events, and workshops focused on teaching and learning. The list of STLEs evolves each year to highlight leading practices in pedagogy. Several STLEs are currently open and accepting applications. To explore these opportunities and more, visit our Upcoming Sponsored Teaching and Learning Events webpage.

2025 Reacting to the Past (RTTP) Summer Institute

Join fellow engaged educators at the 25th annual Reacting to the Past Summer (RTTP) Institute at Barnard College in New York City. This conference offers RTTP's signature mix of engrossing educational game workshops, thoughtful concurrent sessions, and working groups dedicated to addressing pressing questions facing instructors at this moment.

June 5–8, 2025
Barnard College, New York City, NY
Award Amount up to $2250
3 spots available
Application deadline: March 26, 2025
Apply for this grant via FTLC Grant System. 

The 2025 Knapsack Institute: Transforming Teaching and Learning

The Knapsack Institute is a three-day summer institute focused on social justice pedagogy. 

June 9–11, 2025
Online/Virtual
Award Amount up to $850 (for registration fee)
5 spots available
Application deadline: April 18, 2025 
Apply for this grant via FTLC Grant System. 

The 2025 Landmark College Summer Institute for Educators

The Summer Institute at Landmark College has been an annual opportunity for education professionals to reboot their learning and refresh their enthusiasm for supporting students who learn differently. 

June 24–26, 2025
Putney, VT
Award Amount up to $2500
3 spots available
Application deadline: April 10, 2025
Apply for this grant via FTLC Grant System. 

GVSU's Annual Day of Giving 2025
Join us for GVSU Day of Giving on March 20! Thanks to generous gifts from our
donors, challenge and matching gifts are available to make your donation go even
further. Big things happen when Lakers Give Back, and we're excited to see what our
community can do!

Engagement Scholarship Consortium Opportunities – Key Updates
The Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) is a network of public and private higher education institutions dedicated to fostering strong university-community partnerships through rigorous scholarship and capacity-building.

Call for Proposals: ESC Conference
Submit proposals for the 2025 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference (Oct. 8-9, Roanoke, VA). This year's theme: "Bridging Resources to Build Stronger Communities." Open to topics advancing community engagement. Deadline: March 31.
Learn more & submit

Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop
An intensive pre-conference program (Oct. 6-7) for advanced doctoral students & early career faculty. Includes mentoring, discussions, and presentations on community-engaged scholarship. Apply by April 11.
Learn more & apply

ESC Awards for Excellence
Recognizing outstanding institutional programs and their contributions to engaged scholarship in multiple categories. Nomination deadline: April 4.
Submit a nomination

Grand Valley State University is a proud ESC member.