Register for the 2025 Summer Institute for Teaching & Learning (SITL)

by Anabel Livengood | Apr 21, 2025 | Blog, Professional Development, Summer Institute for Teaching & Learning (SITL), Teaching and Learning

Summer Faire of Ideas, Innovation, and Inspiration – 20th Anniversary of SITL

Join us for two energizing days of interactive workshops, inspiring presentations, and practical takeaways you can use right away. Whether you’re looking to refresh your teaching or try something new, SITL is a great way to connect with colleagues and leave recharged for the year ahead.

The theme for this year’s institute is Renaissance of Teaching: A Summer Faire of Ideas, Innovation, and Inspiration and will be held May 14 & May 15.

The full program is now available – take a peek and start planning your experience!

Don't forget to register!

Your RSVP helps us plan and—most importantly—order enough food to nourish all our hungry scholars.

Register for SITL 2025

Open Up Learning: Apply for an OER Grant

by Anabel Livengood | Apr 3, 2025 | Blog, OER, Teaching and Learning, University Support

A Million Reasons to Go Open

OER Grants Now Available!

Open Education Resources (or “OER”) are openly-licensed, free or low-cost materials that can be modified and redistributed to educate students while reducing the cost of a college education. We are excited to announce a partnership between the Bookstore, Hunter Library, and Coulter Faculty Commons (CFC) to sponsor up to $1,000,000 in faculty grants for the adoption of OER materials into the Book Rental program.

OER graphic depicting an open book and the text "Open Educational Resources"

This program is designed to:

Promote additional course flexibility in the Book Rental program,
Support faculty with largely unrestricted grant funds,
Foster long-term savings for students,
Give faculty the tools they need to explore and adopt materials with the assistance of Hunter Library, and,
Help faculty integrate OER materials through course redesign assistance with Coulter Faculty Commons

OER materials can be made available digitally and/or as a printed book through the Book Rental program to accommodate all styles of teaching.

Visit our OER Grant Program page for more information on grant types, how to apply, and support resources.

Canvas Online Course Template Training at Biltmore Park

by Anabel Livengood | Mar 27, 2025 | Blog, Canvas, Online Learning

Newly Added In-Person Training Sessions at Biltmore Park!

Due to popular demand, we’ve added two in-person training sessions at Biltmore Park! Join us on:

📅 Tuesday, April 1, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., Biltmore Park (Room 336)
📅 Friday, April 11, 10:00 a.m. – noon, Biltmore Park (Room 338)

These sessions provide hands-on support and guidance to help you make the most of the university’s new Online Course Template. You can view the full schedule to find all available training opportunities, including virtual and on Main Campus, on our previous blog post Training for New Canvas Online Course Template.

Check out the schedule and join us at a session that works for you!

Register for Sessions at Biltmore Park

Training for New Canvas Online Course Template

by Anabel Livengood | Mar 7, 2025 | Blog, Canvas, Online Learning

New Online Course Template Launching Summer 2025

Starting Summer 2025, a new Online Course Template will be included in all online courses (distance and residential) at WCU. The template is designed to enhance consistency, engagement, and support for both students and faculty.

Register for CFC Training Sessions

Register for Sessions at Biltmore Park

Key Benefits

- Consistent Course Layout: Standardized format for easy navigation.
- Enhanced Engagement: Built-in features for interactive learning.
- Streamlined Support: Simplified access to Canvas tools and resources.

What’s Included?

The template follows best practices in online course design and includes:

- Verbiage for the Syllabus tool.
- An editable master module for customization.
- A sample module demonstrating best practices.
- An Instructor’s Guide with video tutorials and quality guidelines.

Training & Support

The CFC will offer drop-in training sessions to help you integrate the template into your courses. Video tutorials are also included in the template for on-demand support.

We encourage faculty to adapt the template to fit their course needs while maintaining a cohesive structure across WCU. For questions or assistance, reach out to the CFC.

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CFC Online Course Template Training Sessions

Mar 21 (virtual), 1 – 3 p.m., Zoom
Mar 26 (in-person), 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., CFC (HL 166)
Mar 26 (virtual), 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zoom
Mar 31 (in-person), 3 – 5 p.m., HHSB 433
NEW @ Biltmore Park! Apr 1 (in-person), 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., Biltmore Park [Room 336]
Apr 3 (in-person), 3 – 5 p.m., CFC (HL 166)
Apr 3 (virtual), 3 – 5 p.m., Zoom
Apr 10 (in-person), 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., CFC (HL 166)
Apr 10 (virtual), 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Zoom
NEW @ Biltmore Park! Apr 11 (in-person), 10 a.m. – noon, Biltmore Park [Room 338]
Apr 28 (in-person), 3 – 5 p.m. – HHSB 433
May 12 (in-person), 3 – 5 p.m., HHS Room TBD

Call for Proposals – SITL 2025

by Anabel Livengood | Mar 6, 2025 | Blog, Event, Professional Development, Summer Institute for Teaching & Learning (SITL)

Submit your Proposal for SITL 2025

The Coulter Faculty Commons invites faculty to submit a proposal for a dynamic presentation, panel, hands-on workshop, or short story session for their annual 2-day institute.

The Call for Proposals for the 2025 Summer Institute for Teaching & Learning is now open! The theme for this year’s institute is Renaissance of Teaching: A Summer Faire of Ideas, Innovation, and Inspiration and will be held May 14 & May 15.

Find detailed information, including a description of the conference tracks and proposal guidelines, on the 2025 SITL CfP website. Proposals will be accepted until the submission deadline on April 1, and presenters will be notified by April 15.

Call for Proposals flyer for the 2025 Summer Institute for Teaching & Learning of the Coulter Faculty Commons.