Call for Interest: Hurricane Helene Symposium Fall 2025

by April Tallant | Apr 21, 2025 | Blog, Discussions, Event, Feedback, Professional Development

Are you interested in a Learning Symposium to mark one year since Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact and to exchange knowledge across disciplines regarding the service, research, and teaching response of our faculty, staff, and students?

The Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is assessing interest in a potential university-wide event to do that next fall. Please indicate your interest by completing a brief form (< 2 minutes) no later than Friday, May 2.

There is no commitment required at this time. If there is enough interest, the information that you provide will help us to plan the event. Please contact Joy Mischley, Director, Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, for more information at jmischley@wcu.edu.

Call for Applications: E-Learning Faculty Fellow

by April Tallant | Mar 31, 2025 | AI, Blog, Educational Technology, Pedagogy, Professional Development

Apply to become an E-Learning Faculty Fellow

Coulter Faculty Commons is seeking applications and nominations for an E-Learning Faculty Fellow for the 2025-2026 academic year. The selected fellow will promote pedagogically driven uses of Canvas and champion innovative teaching and learning tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), for both online and in-person courses.

Faculty Fellows work an average of 2-4 hours per week during fall and spring semesters.
The faculty selected for this position will receive a $1,000 stipend each academic semester.

Key responsibilities:

Collaborate with educational developers and campus partners to promote tech-forward teaching practices.
Provide workshops and create resources to support faculty in leveraging Canvas and other educational technology to enhance course design, student engagement, and pedagogy.
Explore cutting-edge tools to enhance teaching and learning, including AI.
Support the assessment of e-learning programming within the CFC.

Ideal candidates will have:

Strong collaboration and communication skills.
A passion for supporting faculty in using technology to enrich student learning.
Expertise in Canvas and instructional technology from a pedagogical perspective.
Experience with assessment and data-informed decision-making.

Application Deadline:

Applications will be accepted from all full-time tenured, tenure-track, and full-time fixed-term faculty members. The application deadline is Tuesday, May 13.

Contact Scott Seagle at seaglej@wcu.edu for questions.

Apply to be a SoTL Scholar

by April Tallant | Mar 28, 2025 | Blog, Professional Development, Research, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The SoTL Institute is a key component of the SoTL Academy, designed to strengthen WCU’s ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.

At the Institute, SoTL Scholars will develop research questions, design studies, and identify dissemination outlets.

Participants will leave with a SoTL project plan to enhance teaching and learning in their courses. SoTL faculty learning community participants receive priority consideration.

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Design Institute will be held May 18 & 19, 2025.

The 2-day intensive institute will be led by SoTL expert, Dr. Laura Cruz, from Penn State University.
Accepted participants will enjoy full coverage of program costs, meals, and overnight stay.
Seats are limited.
Applications are due April 4th.
Selected participants will be notified by April 11th.
Contact April Tallant if you have questions at atallant@wcu.edu.

Apply to be a 2025 SoTL Scholar

Apply to be a 2025 SoTL Scholar

Interdisciplinary Brown-bag Reading Group: Grounded Teaching and Learning Amid Disaster

by April Tallant | Jan 16, 2025 | Blog, Book Club

Join our latest reading group!

You are invited to join an interdisciplinary brown-bag reading group on the topic of teaching during and after disasters. The reading group is facilitated by Lyn Burkett, Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Music, & Sarah Jackson, Assistant Professor, Emergency & Disaster Management.

In the shadows of crises, how are WCU faculty teaching? How are students learning? Through critical reading and case studies, we will uncover ways to navigate teaching and learning when both faculty and students are experiencing trauma. Given our recent experience with Hurricane Helene, our time together may provide insights to navigating that pedagogical landscape in future disaster scenarios. Our first meeting will be Monday, Jan 27, 12:30-1:30 pm in Coulter Faculty Commons Course Design Studio (Hunter Library 166). Other meeting dates will be decided at the first meeting. Limited hard copies of books are available to participants.

Flyer for the Spring 2025 Reading Group for teaching during and after disaster.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Faculty Learning Community

by April Tallant | Jan 15, 2025 | Blog, Pedagogy, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, Teaching and Learning

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Faculty Learning Community Interest Meeting

Friday, Jan 24 | 2:30 – 3:30 pm | Hunter Library 166

Coulter Faculty Commons is thrilled to announce the launch of a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Faculty Learning Community (FLC) for Spring 2025! This exciting opportunity invites educators across disciplines to explore evidence-based teaching practices, exchange experiences, and grow as instructors through the lens of SoTL, meeting five times over the Spring semester.

Join our FLC interest meeting on Friday, Jan 24, 2:30–3:30 pm in HL 166 (Coulter Faculty Commons Course Design Studio) to learn more, decide on upcoming meeting times, and to gain priority access to upcoming SoTL initiatives. Reach out to Faculty Fellows Chad Hallyburton, Darby Harris or CFC Senior Educational Developer April Tallant if you have questions.