center for INNOVATION in teaching, assessment, and learning

May 7, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

It looks like Spring has finally sprung and we are on our way to completing another successful academic year. As you wrap up the semester with final exams and grading, your CITAL team wants to provide a few resources and reminders. We start with more insights from your peers about creating a sense of belonging through the EPIC program, provide information on registering for the upcoming Spring Faculty Workshop, news about SImple Syllabus Fall availability, and finally virtual professional development opportunities and information about May being Global Accessibility Awareness Month. As always, we appreciate your support and hope you have a wonderful summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Sincerely,

The CITAL Team (Ed, Gina, and Cindy)

The EPIC program is currently overseen by Michael Watters, Kristi Bugajski, Teresa Bals-Elsholz, Nick Rosasco, and Bonnie Dalhke-Goebbert.

Improving Retention Through A Sense of Belonging:
The EPIC Program

By Mike Watters, Professor of Biology

Student retention is important to any university, especially keeping commuter students who are traditionally less anchored in campus life. Even more at risk, given the leaky STEM pipeline, are STEM commuter students. To address this issue, a group of Valpo faculty and staff proposed a National Science Foundation grant. The grant was awarded and thus began the EPIC scholarship program (Enhancing Practices Integrating Commuters), launched in 2016.

To Read the Full Article, Click Here.

RSVP for the Spring 2024 Faculty Workshop

May 13, Harre Union Ballrooms B & C, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Luncheon, Bell & Beacon North Room beginning at noon.

Breakout session topics:

Fostering Community & Student Engagement
Teaching to Your Strengths
AI & the Classroom
Share Classroom Success Stories

More information about each of these topics is available on the RSVP form.

2024 Summer & Fall Terms Available

You can access your course syllabi individually from your Blackboards or all at once from your Home Screen at Valpo's Simple Syllabus production site as shown in the example below. From your Home Screen, you can use the term filters to refine your course lists. Your To Do list on the left side is where you edit, complete, and submit to publish your syllabi in Valpo's Syllabus Library. Once published, your syllabi will display in your Completed List on the right side where you can edit, view, print, and share. In Simple Syllabus Edit mode, you can easily import and map content from another syllabus.

If you are new to Simple Syllabus or would like a refresher on how-to, please submit a CITAL Help Desk Ticket for support.

Attendee Registration

Hosted by the College of Charleston's Teaching & Learning Technologies (TLT) Team and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Research Webinars

Join the QM Research Colleagues and other researchers from the QM Community for presentations of research on the impact of quality assurance in online learning and other related topics.
The webinars are free and open to QM Members as well as non-members.

Recordings from recent presentations:

May is Global Accessibility Awareness Month

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) will be celebrated on Thursday, May 16, 2024. This marks the 13th annual GAAD, which aims to raise awareness about digital access and inclusion for more than One Billion people. It’s a day to encourage conversations, learning, and thinking about how we can make technology more accessible for everyone.

Do you know the most common accessibility issues your students may have with your online courses? Click here to learn more.

Visit the CITAL Website, Your One-Stop-Shop for Faculty Resources

Submit a CITAL Helpdesk Ticket

219.464.50001700 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46383-6493 USAvalpo.edu