Western Carolina University logo with Coulter Faculty Commons

A Day Dedicated to Scholarly Teaching at WCU

by | Jul 1, 2026 | Blog, Event, Faculty Development Workshop, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Pop quiz: What is scholarly teaching?  

A. Thinking about your work as an educator and talking about teaching and learning with colleagues. 
B. Consulting with an educational developer and other resources (newsletters, peer-reviewed research, blogs) about your teaching practice or student learning. 
C. Designing course elements that are evidence-informed.  
D. All of the above. 

If you chose D – All of the above – you are correct!

Flyer for the Coulter Faculty Commons’ Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day, depicting a happy light bulb.

Want to know more? Check out the Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day website for the full schedule!

Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day, hosted by Coulter Faculty Commons on July 28, 2026, offers an opportunity to explore and engage in scholarly teaching. Participants will have a chance to reflect, re–energize and connect teaching with evidence–based inquiry that benefits students, faculty and instructional staff. 

Provost Starnes will welcome participants and Dr. Laura Cruz, Research Professor at Penn State University’s Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, will serve as the keynote speaker and facilitator for this professional development experience. Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day also includes concurrent sessions around the following three tracks:

  • High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Made Practical: HIPs that Fit Your Course 
  • From One Course to the Next: Sustaining Student Learning Over Time 
  • Teaching Students to Think and Talk: Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue

Another highlight of the day will be a panel of WCU faculty members who will share reflections on their Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) journeys, highlighting their growth from early inquiry to deeper scholarly engagement.  

Unable to attend but interested in learning more? Watch Elon University’s SoTL vs. Scholarly Teaching video interview with renowned SoTL scholars, stop by Coulter Faculty Commons to chat with a member of the CFC team, or set up a time to meet with April Tallant that works with your schedule. 

Register for the 2026 Teacher-Scholar Day

Educators: Help Graduate Student with Survey

by | Jun 29, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections

This is a courtesy post for WCU graduate student Ky Johnson.

 

Educators’ Perceptions on Ungrading in Higher Education

Hello, my name is Ky Johnson, and I am a graduate student in the School Psychology master’s program at Western Carolina University. The purpose of this survey is to explore faculty members’ feelings related to student performance, the grading process, and the controversial topic of “ungrading.” Ungrading relies on faculty providing extensive feedback on student assessments, aimed at helping the student to learn and improve, instead of providing letter grades.  

You are invited to participate in a research survey exploring educators’ perspectives on ungrading in higher education. Your insights are valuable and will make a meaningful contribution to this study.  

This survey is completely anonymous. You will not be asked to share identifying information, and individual results will not be shared. Participation in this survey is completely optional. This survey should take 5 – 15 minutes to complete.  

To participate, you must:  

  • Be an instructor in higher education at a public or private university. 
  • Be 18 years of age or older 

If you meet the above criteria, I kindly ask that you complete the survey using the link below:  

https://qualtricsxm66k8fvwyy.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3HMrfyiRrQNiUyW 

If you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact me at mtjohnson@wcu.edu. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.  

Sincerely,  

Makiyah (Ky) Johnson 
Graduate Student 
School Psychology Program 
Western Carolina University 

 

Get a Head Start: Acquire Course Materials Early to Reduce Last-minute Stress

by | May 4, 2026 | Blog

As you refine your syllabi and prepare your courses, we encourage you to plan so both you and your students have everything needed for a strong start to the fall semester. Hunter Library Subject Specialists can help you acquire your course materials in advance to avoid delays, reduce last‑minute stress, and ensure students can fully engage from day one.

To support a seamless start, consider the following tips:

  • Audit Canvas links to ensure all content is active, accurate, and working properly. This step is made easier with the validate links tool in Canvas.
  • Verify access to eBooks and databases you regularly use to confirm licenses have not expired.
  • Request course materials early, including books and streaming films, so they are available to students at the beginning of the semester.

If you need help, contact your Subject Specialist! Find us on the library’s staff directory page.

Digital Accessibility in Canvas

by | Apr 6, 2026 | Accessibility, Blog, Canvas

The Division of IT is offering Zoom sessions on the Federal Accessibility Requirements for digital materials.

IT staff will discuss the requirements and the digital tools that WCU has available to help you make your Canvas courses more accessible. Click on the links below to register. 

SoTL Scholar Feature – WCU Faculty Share Work

by | Apr 6, 2026 | Blog, Pedagogy, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, Teaching and Learning

Four WCU employees standing in front of a poster.

Pictured left to right: Jessica Casimir, Chad Halllyburton, April Tallant, Barbara Arnold at the 2026 SoTL Commons Conference in Savannah, GA.

The SoTL Scholar Feature highlights the work of WCU faculty participating in the SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) Academy, a program sponsored by the Coulter Faculty Commons.  

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholars from WCU were well-represented at the 2026 SoTL Commons Conference in Savannah, GA, February 25-27, and at WCU’s Research and Scholarship Conference March 25-26. 

Congratulations to Jessica Casimir, Chad Hallyburton, Darby Harris, Geraldine Riouff & Barbara Arnold for sharing the important work you do to contribute to student success at WCU! 

The following scholarly activities were shared at the SoTL Commons Conference: 

  • Arnold, B. (2026). Self-Care in the Social Work Classroom: An Exploratory Study of Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching and Practicing Self-Care. Poster Presentation. 
  • Casimir, J. (2026). Film-based Instruction and Student Learning: Early Findings fro and Introductory Sociology Pilot Study. Poster Presentation. 
  • Tallant, A., Hallyburton, C., Harris, D., & Seagle, J. (2026).  Re-building a SoTL Culture: A Scaffolded Academy Model to Promote SoTL Practice, Use, and Growth. Podium Presentation. 

The following scholarly activities were shared at RASC. Congratulations to Mariana Da Costa and student Isabella Erskine, too! 

  • Hallyburton, C. Opening to Possibilities: Growing Student Engagement through SoTL, Course-based Undergraduate Research, Campus Collaborations, and More. Poster Presentation.
  • Hallyburton, C. The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good: A Pilot Project Building Early Undergraduate Research Engagement. 3MR Competition. 
  • Hallyburton, C., Da Costa, M., & Erskine, I. Bridging Research and Practice: Preparing Nursing Students as Future Vaccine Decision-Making Leaders through a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience. Poster Presentation.
  • Riouff, G. & Hallyburton, C. (2026). Evaluating Curriculum to Reflect the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Workplace Practices. Poster Presentation. 
  • Tallant, A., Hallyburton, C., Harris, D., & Seagle, J. (2026). Re-building a SoTL Culture: A Scaffolded Academy Model to Promote SoTL Practice, Use, and Growth. Poster Presentation.