Welcome to the weekly UTLC Newsletter supporting teaching and learning at UNCG.
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TEACHING TIPS
This section is full of timely and evidence-based practices to apply in your teaching.
Our focus is on the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the feast of Eid celebrated at its end. We provide insights into how students observe this sacred time and how faculty and staff can support students during this month.
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First, we hope you will begin by watching the two minute video above created by the UTLC in collaboration with students from the UNCG Muslim Students Association. It explains what Ramadan means to them and how they observe it - in their words "it's a time of reflection, self discipline and spirituality."
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Please keep the following strategies in mind throughout the month of Ramadan each year.
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Learn about Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is anticipated to take place from March 10-April 9, 2024 ending in the celebration of Eid al Fitr on April 9-10 (dates may vary slightly based on lunar sightings). See the local Greensboro calendar for daily prayer and fasting times during Ramadan 2024. It is important to remember that the dates for Ramadan change by approximately 11 days on the Gregorian calendar each year. Ramadan includes several traditions and practices, the most well know being the fasting (abstaining from any food or drink including water) from sun up to sun down, but there are many more, so take a moment to learn about how Ramadan and Eid al Fitr are observed and celebrated.
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Acknowledge Ramadan. Acknowledgement of the holy month during which some of our students may be fasting can go a long way to helping students feel supported. Sending an announcement, or beginning class by saying Ramadan Mubarak or Happy Ramadan to all students is a great and simple way to raise awareness about this special time for Muslim students. It is important to not single any one student out, but acknowledging that now is a time of fasting and worship for many members of our campus and surrounding community is a way to show support and educate others. You may also consider using this time to share information about Ramadan and add the dates of Ramadan to a course calendar as a way to counter Islamophobia.
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Be Flexible during Ramadan. Ramadan features many traditions that can impact students in your class who observe this holy month. For example, fasting during hours of sunlight can affect students’ energy levels, and students may need to leave or adjust their class times due to prayer. As Lasell University in their notes highlights ways of supporting students through Ramadan. Students have different thresholds when fasting so you may want to consider project due dates or when exams take place. This may include reaching out to the University Proctoring Lab to see how you can offer alternative times for testing during Ramadan, and/or extending assignment deadlines to 11:59 pm. You may also notice that students are more tired or less engaged in class discussion than normal, especially during late afternoon or evening classes. It can be helpful to provide alternative ways to contribute to class discussions when students are experiencing fatigue, and you may notice that many of your non-Muslim students like having this option too! Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate!
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UTLC FEATURED ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Check out the latest updates and offerings from the UTLC.
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| Next Faculty Burnout Book Club Meeting
2-3pm Thurs 27 February
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The third meeting to discuss the book Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal by Rebecca Pope-Ruark will be on Thursday 29 February, 2-3pm, in MHRA 3501 (or virtually via Teams). We will be discussing chapters 4 and 5 entitled Compassion and Connection, refreshments will be provided. You can read a summary of the main points arising from the discussion on Identity and Purpose. The book is available, online. It is not required to have read the book in detail; the main aim of the meeting is fellowship and renewal. If you cannot join in person then join via the Teams link below. Future dates and times can be found on our Literary Circle webpage.
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| ITS Learning Technology Update | Adding Videos to Canvas
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This Learning Tech Tip video, will show how you can quickly and easily add videos you've created or stored in M365 (OneDrive, Teams, etc.) to your Canvas course!
Keep an eye out for more weekly Learning Tech Tip videos, or subscribe to UNCG ITS: Learning Technology on YouTube to be notified when new content is available.
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FACULTY ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT
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Check out these upcoming opportunities from the UTLC and other partners on campus. Additional training opportunities are available at workshops.uncg.edu.
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Upcoming Events, Training, and Workshops
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| 📖 Faculty Fellows Burnout Book Club |Workshop on Avoiding Faculty Burnout and Finding True Work-Life Balance
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The third meeting to discuss the book Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal by Rebecca Pope-Ruark will be on Thursday 29 February 2-3pm in MHRA 3501 with refreshments, or virtually via TEAMS. All very welcome.
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| ☕️ UTLC Coffeehouse | Co-hosted by the Bryan School of Business in Bryan Building, Room 360
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Coffeehouses are a space to gather with colleagues. No set agenda, just coffee (or tea), snacks, and great conversation.
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| 📣 VOISES Panel | Students in Recovery
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Join the UTLC and Office of Intercultural Engagement for a conversation about key UNCG student experiences in the classroom and beyond. VOISES panels provide a venue for faculty to hear the perspective of students from marginalized identity groups on campus. These moderated panels give faculty the chance to ask questions while reflecting on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion at UNCG. Registration is required for this event.
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This segment features instructors who exemplify excellence and innovation in teaching at UNCG.
We are pleased to announce our next nominee, Rachel Briley!
Click the image below to read the nominee's Words of Wisdom.
To nominate yourself or a colleague, please complete the form at go.uncg.edu/minerva-mentions.
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