Spring! Kids wonder why they have to go to bed while it's still light out, and evenings are available again for long sunset walks and cherry blossom gazing. 

A year ago this week, I was beginning a quarter of medical leave to address chronic mental health needs. I share this candidly because I want to normalize talking about our mental health at work. I want to talk to you about burnout. 

The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

“The keyword in that definition is 'workplace.’ Burnout is a workplace phenomenon, a cultural problem that creates an environment of unrelenting stress for those working in the organization. It’s much easier to assume that burnout is a personal failing or individual weakness. If it’s a personal problem, we can focus on the individual’s mental health, offer them coping strategies, or even allow (or encourage) them to walk away. But if it’s a culture problem, whether at an institution or throughout higher ed in general, that’s orders of magnitude more complicated,” writes Rebecca Pope-Ruark, Director of the Office of Faculty Professional Development at Georgia Institute of Technology, and author of Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal (2022).

Keep reading →

Complete the 2025 Evergreen Faculty Experience Survey

Check your email for your personal link to complete the survey. Survey closes Wednesday, Aprili 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Julia Zay, Faculty Scholar
Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education

 

The Learning and Teaching Commons newsletter is delivered to your inbox on the first Friday of the month during the quarter. Click here to read past newsletters

It's time to submit your Faculty Notes for this academic year!

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. Submit a Faculty Note.

Join us on Tuesdays from 12-1:30 PM in SEM II E3123 or on Zoom to sharpen your online teaching tools with Timothy Corvidae. 

 Group Work that Works Online | April 8

Group projects are generally beloved by Evergreen students. We like to learn together around here. But that doesn’t make us immune to the most common complaints about project-based learning: mismatched goals and expectations between group members, wanting more guidance or clearer instructions from faculty, discomfort confronting conflict, indirect communication that leads to scheduling difficulties, power imbalances, and more. Let’s talk about how we can use online tools and structured design to help groups thrive.

Collaboration Online: A Lucid Tutorial | April 15

Using digital whiteboards can enhance both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Come spend some time practicing with Lucid, a digital whiteboard that’s free and works inside of Canvas. Let’s keep the tech we’re asking our student to use streamlined, secure, and easy to find.

Less Painful Sites and Slides: A few Graphic Design tricks to Ease Your Eyes | April 22

Let’s face it, Canvas is not pretty. It’s just not. But there are a few things you can do to make it a little easier on the eye. We’ll learn how to make buttons and discuss best practices for organizing information and orienting your students so they don’t miss things. We can also touch on some quick tips for teaching videos and presentation slide design.

Michael Wallis is the Student Learning Consultant for The Washington Center. His collaborative services are available to faculty who wish to improve the equity and student learning focus of their curricula.

Looking for someone to talk to about your teaching? Wondering how to prepare for future programs? Need a friendly listener to offer support? Contact Julia Zay, LTC Faculty Scholar for a confidential consultation! 

Michael Wallis is the Student Learning Consultant for The Washington Center. His collaborative services are available to faculty who wish to improve the equity and student learning focus of their curricula.

It was a fine day in the early Spring. The dewy earth breathed out a rasping breeze that chilled Will and wicked at the sweat uncomfortably condensing at the small of his back. The great tree before him, which often grew small with distance as Will sat cross-legged beside it, had become a familiar companion in the years since he’d dedicated himself to learning how the tree grew its roots. 

Learn more →

Below, I offer some observations I’ve gathered from students in various programs I’ve visited with CRAFT. All of these received widespread agreement among students. I share them with you without commentary; some may be relevant to your teaching methods, and some may not be.

Learn more →

Join us for a special reception for Instructional Designer, Timothy Corvidae. Timothy has been a vibrant member of our community and has worked closely with many faculty to enhance online teaching and learning. We look forward to celebrating his contributions to Evergreen and the bright future ahead as he pursues the next stage of his career.

April 24-25 | Rainbow Lodge

The Integrative Learning Curriculum Planning Retreat supports faculty in creating integrative learning experiences. It benefits both newcomers and experienced educators in linked or paired courses, clustered courses, first-year experience programs, living-learning communities, or coordinated studies programs.

This two-day retreat at Rainbow Lodge offers flexible programming for collaboration and individual or team work on curriculum design. Sessions focus on student success, integrative assignments, team teaching, and guided pathways.

This Spring Quarter, Evergreen will hold its seventh annual Equity Symposium on Wednesday, April 16th and Thursday, April 17th. Learn more →

Free tickets now available for Keynote Address by Alexis Pauline Gumbs!

Faculty are encouraged to make plans to incorporate Equity Symposium events into your course or program (Plan Your Workshop Schedule). Equity Symposium programming includes an opening plenary address followed by lunch, two days of engaging workshops led by Evergreen community members, and a keynote address with Alexis Pauline Gumbs which is free and open to the public (Get Your Free Tickets).

Questions? Email socialjusticecenter@evergreen.edu

How Status Interferes with Learning in Groups and What Instructors Can Do About It | Tuesday, April 22 | 10-11:30 AM PT

Sunshine Campbell, Ph.D., N.B.C.T., The Evergreen State College

[REGISTER]

Group work offers numerous benefits for both academic learning and social-emotional development. However, teachers often abandon it as a teaching strategy due to a variety of challenges that hinder students’ learning. One major obstacle is status, or how students perceive themselves and others as competent, which can create barriers to effective and equitable group work. In this workshop, we will explore status hierarchies and discuss strategies teachers can use to make learning more accessible for all students.

Community is Everything: Drexel University Climate Justice Pedagogy Incubator | Wednesday, May 28 | 12:30-2 PM ET | 9:30-11 AM PT

Magdalena Maczynska, Drexel University | Casey Hanna, SUNY Binghamton | Cassidy Joyce, Drexel University

[REGISTER]

Meet the faculty-student team behind the Drexel University Climate Justice Pedagogy Incubator: a transdisciplinary learning community designed to foster relationships, resource-sharing, and collaborations around climate justice education. [Learn more]

Book and supply orders for summer 2025 are due Monday, April 14, 2025, while the deadline for fall 2025 is Monday, May 19, 2025. Turning in your orders on time supports students by allowing them, the library, and the bookstore the opportunity to shop around, find used copies, etc. and also helps the college meet legal requirements. Your prompt attention to this is appreciated!

The USTF has made recent updates to the Undocumented Student Support Syllabus statement and other essential resources for faculty to reference when supporting these students.

Please make sure your syllabus statement is updated to reflect recent federal changes to the "sensitive locations" policy. You can find the updated language below, and on the Syllabus Statements page on the LTC website.

Evergreen welcomes all students, regardless of residency, citizenship, or immigration status. Undocumented and immigrant students are integral to the Evergreen community and have a right to dignity, safety, and belonging. Evergreen provides various forms of on-campus support for undocumented and immigrant students, students with DACA, and those from mixed-status families. Students can find more information in our resources flyer, available in English and Spanish [Evergreen Undocu Resources Recursos bilingue Jan 2025]. For holistic support, information, and questions, students, staff, and faculty can contact: Evergreen’s Undocumented/Underserved Student Support Specialist, available in Spanish, and the Undocumented Student Task Force, a group of students, staff, and faculty committed to supporting and advocating for undocumented students at Evergreen. Both can be contacted by e-mailing (undocu@evergreen.edu).

[Learn more] about updates to College Policies and Community Resources from the USTF.

The deans continue to seek opportunities for faculty to spend informal time together to build community and find new teaching partners. This spring, we are hosting faculty lunches in the Greenery, all from 12-2:

Tuesday April 8

Thursday April 24

The more the merrier; come to one, two, or all three!

Are you feeling the emotional weight of supporting your students? Consider inviting an Evergreen Community Circle to your course or program to provide a supportive space for sharing feelings and experiences. Learn more →

If your class is doing something cool this academic year, especially this Fall please email Shandra Witke: your name, the class title, what your class will be doing, and a general idea of the date(s) you will be doing it. 

We are hoping to connect with Faculty to schedule some updated shots. We need photos of:

-Updated classroom and group discussions

-Classroom demonstrations

-Class activities outside the classroom – both on and off-campus

-In the forest

-At the beach

-Off-campus field trips (downtown Olympia, local nature, Study Abroad)

-Class visits to the library or other places on campus 

-Art and design classes like woodshop or ceramics

-Classes in the computer labs or 3D printing lab

-Students making cool stuff or showing off their projects

-Students working and collaborating in the science labs or with science equipment

-Anything fun, engaging, unique, Evergreen

Email Shandra Witke→

Hours of Operation for Winter quarter: 

1 to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday, Appointment Only

1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Drop-In

Holidays & Campus Closures are observed.

The Basic Needs Center, CAB 135, is located on the first floor of the CAB building. Separate entrance from the Greenery.

Learn more →

Writing Center General Hours:

Writingcenterstaff@evergreen.edu 

Monday-Thursday, 12pm-7pm, in-person or virtual

Friday and Sunday, 12pm-4pm, in-person or virtual

 

Tutoría de escritura en español:

Esmeralda.Zuniga_Lemus1@evergreen.edu

Carla.I.Haddad@evergreen.edu

lunes y jueves 12-5pm con Carla (Olympia y en zoom)

miercoles, 12-2pm con Carla (Olympia y en zoom)

lunes y martes, 3pm-6pm con Esmeralda (en zoom)

viernes, 12pm-4pm con Esmeralda (en zoom)

sábado, 10am-2pm con Carla (Tacoma y en zoom)

 

Academic Statement Workshops:

Week 3: Saturday, 4/19, 10am-11:30am, Tacoma Campus and on Zoom

Week 5: Wednesday, 4/30, 3-4:30, Purce 4 and on Zoom

Week 8: Wednesday, 5/21, 3-4:30, Purce 4 and on Zoom

Eval Week: Wednesday, 6/11, 3-4:30, Purce 4 and on Zoom

 

Writers' Circle: 

Every Tuesday, 5-7pm, in the Writing Center (Library 2304)

A place to write, share, and collaborate with peers. Any skill level, any genre. Drop by whenever you can--no sign-up needed!

Writer's Open Mic Night: 

Thursday, May 22nd, 5-7pm, Library Underground

Come read your poems, stories, essays, and lyrics! Meet other amazing writers and build your writing community! All types of writing are welcome!

There are many opportunities for faculty to share their achievements, and we want to encourage you to contribute to the wealth of knowledge in our Evergreen community. Learn more about how to share your work with our community.