Western Carolina University logo with Coulter Faculty Commons

Essential Teaching Resources for a Strong Fall Semester

by | Aug 25, 2025 | Blog, Faculty Development Workshop, Teaching and Learning, University Support

The Coulter Faculty Commons is here to support you this Fall semester! With all the back-to-school emails, you might have missed hearing about these three opportunities:

1

Excellence in Teaching & Learning Event (ETLE)

Get students to read & discover tools on how to be an authentic professor

Flyer for the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Event 2025, including information about the speaking times and titles

Our Excellence in Teaching and Learning Event, (ETLE), will feature two days of celebrating teaching and learning at WCU, September 11–12. Featured guest Dr. Liz Norell (University of Mississippi), author of The Present Professor, will lead a pre-ETLE workshop on Thursday afternoon.

Friday’s sessions will open with remarks from Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and will be followed by a keynote and an interactive session on authenticity and transformational teaching.

Learn more and register for ETLE.

2

Mid-semester Assessment

What are your students thinking? Don’t wait until the end of the semester to hear their feedback!

Optimize your teaching in less than 2 hours with a TAP. Coulter Faculty Commons

Teaching Analysis Polls (TAPs) have returned this fall! The TAP is a mid-semester feedback program designed to support instructors. It gives you the opportunity to hear directly from your students at a meaningful point in the semester, allowing you to make adjustments that can strengthen both your teaching and your students’ learning. 

To sign up for a TAP please see registration details. 

TAPs will run from Monday, September 22, to Friday, October 10, during the 2025 Fall semester.

3

Equality Policy

How does the UNC System Equality Policy impact my teaching?

The UNC System logo, depicting the outline of the state of North Carolina.

The University of North Carolina System has adopted a revised policy on equality that emphasizes academic freedom, equal opportunity, and institutional neutrality. The Coulter Faculty Commons is hosting two separate information sessions with Shea Browning and Heather Baker from the Legal Counsel team. They will provide an overview of the policy and practical implications for faculty as well as staff who have a teaching role at WCU. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion to better understand how these changes impact their roles and responsibilities.

Faculty: Tuesday, September 9, 2:00-3:15 pm

Staff (SHRA and EHRA-non-faculty) who serve as the instructor of record for a course: Tuesday, September 9, 3:30-4:45 pm

Reserve your spot & register for the UNC System Equality Session.