Open Up Learning: Apply for an OER Grant

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

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!

Training for New Canvas Online Course Template

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.

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.

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

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.

Apply to be a Faculty Mentor

This is a call for interdisciplinary faculty mentors for the Faculty Mentoring Learning Community (FMLC).

Due to the success of our pilot mentoring program, The Coulter Faculty Commons for Teaching Excellence is excited to offer again our interdisciplinary learning community mentoring program for the 2025–2026 academic year.

2025-26 Faculty Mentors

Application reviews begin April 4, 2025.

What’s involved?

The community will consist of two tenured faculty mentor facilitators and 8 to 10 first- or second-year faculty. The community will meet approximately every two-three weeks throughout the program (10 sessions, 5 per semester). The mentor facilitators will meet virtually to plan each session.

 

Who are we looking for?

First, you identify with being a faculty mentor because you find working with others energizing, empowering members of the Catamount community is part of your personal mission, and you believe not only in mentorship, but you see WCU fostering a mentoring culture.

 

Preferred skills/attributes/abilities include evidence of successful:

  • Ability to facilitate peer interactions, creating an adult learning style (andragogy) environment
  • Cultural awareness and sensitivity (ability relatability to new faculty of varying ethnicities, learning styles, sexual orientation and gender identity, economic status, religion, etc.)
  • Mentorship experience
  • Creating and maintaining a collaborative, welcoming community
  • Strong communication skills
  • Goal setting and goal progression
  • Teaching and scholarship
  • Tenured, Associate/Full Faculty rank

These mentor positions will be supported by a stipend of $500 per semester for two semesters, totaling $1,000 per mentor. Your participation is recognized as a significant service contribution. 

 

Application Materials

Download & edit the following three Word documents:

For questions, please contact Resa Chandler at tmchandler@wcu.edu.
Please send your application and approval letters from your Department Head and Dean to CFC@wcu.edu and use “Faculty Mentoring Application” in the subject line.

 

Sincerely,
Resa Chandler, Faculty Fellow for Faculty Mentoring
Associate Professor, School of Teaching and Learning