Western Carolina University logo with Coulter Faculty Commons

Teacher–Scholar Inspiration Day

by | Apr 6, 2026 | Blog, Event, Faculty Development Workshop, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

You are invited to attend Teacher–Scholar Inspiration Day, a one‑day gathering designed to energize your teaching, deepen student learning, and support your own well‑being as an educator. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 28, 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM in Apodaca. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, a letter from the Coulter Faculty Commons, and a light breakfast and lunch. 

Through an engaging keynote delivered by Laura Cruz, faculty panel, interactive sessions, and collaborative conversations, participants will explore how small, intentional, evidence‑based shifts in teaching can make a meaningful difference for students and for ourselves. 

SoTL at WCU banya tree
Register for the 2026 Teacher-Scholar Day

The day emphasizes scholarly teaching: using curiosity, reflection, and research- informed practices to guide instructional choices. You’ll exchange ideas with colleagues, explore shared teaching challenges, and leave with practical inspiration you can carry into the year ahead. We’ll also have SoTL (the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) concurrent sessions as one possible pathway for turning teaching questions into collaborative inquiry. If you have never heard of  SoTL, are ready to begin planning a SoTL study, or your SoTL project is complete and you need help moving forward, we have you covered.  

All faculty, instructional staff, and graduate teaching assistants are welcome to attend and take away what is most meaningful for your teaching, your students, and your professional renewal. Come grounded in your current practice. Leave inspired, connected, and supported. 

Dr. Katie Searles to Speak at WCU

by | Apr 2, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections, Event, Professional Development

The Haire Institute for Public Policy is pleased to sponsor a guest speaker on April 6, 2026. Dr. Katie Searles, Olin Johnson Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina, will facilitate events throughout the day, including a session called “Supporting Faculty Facing Occupational Intimidation” and “How News Coverage of Democracy Affects Audience Perceptions.” Please email Chris Cooper at ccooper@wcu.edu for more information and to RSVP. 
Flyer with women sitting. Cover of book and event title included.

Supporting Faculty Facing Occupational Intimidation

by | Feb 19, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections, Event, Professional Development, Research

Dr. Katie Searles, Olin Johnson Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina, will be holding an open session for interested faculty on “Supporting Faculty Facing Occupational Intimidation.” The larger project has been featured in Inside High Ed. Lunch will be served for participants. The event will be held in Hunter Library 101A on April 6th from 10:30am-2:00pm. Please email Chris Cooper at ccooper@wcu.edu to reserve a space.

Campus Community Connections – February 2026

by | Jan 29, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections, Event

Highlighting Opportunities and News from our Campus Partners

Black History Month at 100: Reclaiming the Legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s Black History Month and the War Over Historical Erasure 

  • February 3: “In the Legacy of Black History: The Revolutionary Praxis of Malcolm X.: Dr. Richard Benson, Professor, University of Pittsburgh 
  • February 5: Global Black Studies Inaugural Undergraduate Student Research Conference: “A Century of Struggle, Scholarship, and Survival: Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” 
  • February 10: “The ‘Mis-Education’ of 2026: Modern Erasure and Woodson’s Warning.” Dr. Alicia Fontnette, Director of the National Council for Black Studies and Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, University of Delaware 
  • February 17: “When the Witness Becomes the Record: on ‘Bombingham’ and the Record of Racial Terror in Birmingham, Alabama.” Mr. Dale Long, Survivor of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing, Birmingham, Alabama 
  • February 19: “Commemoration or Confrontation? Interrogating if Black History Month Needs a Makeover” 

All events held in Apodaca Science Building, Room 123 @ 2:00 pm. 

From the Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning (CCESL)

SLC/CEC Faculty Roundtable 

February 18, 2026 (Wednesday) | 3:30 – 4:30 pm Hunter Library 156 (CFC Conference Room) 

For All Interested Faculty: Come discuss service-learning and community experience courses with WCU faculty Dr. Brian Byrd (School of Health Sciences) and Dr. Patricia Bricker (School of Teaching and Learning). This roundtable conversation will feature opportunities to hear about their experiences, to learn about the designation process (coming March 2nd!), and provide an open forum to exchange ideas. Questions? Contact CCESL Director Joy Mischley (jmischley@wcu.edu). A Zoom option is available for those not able to attend in-person (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81328274742) 

Community-Engaged Courses: Upcoming Deadline 

The Service-Learning Course (SLC) and Community Experience Course (CEC) designation process for Fall/Summer 2026 courses is currently underway. The initial designation process involves the faculty member completing a brief (~9 min) form. Please refer to the CCESL website for more information or contact Joy Mischley, Director (jmischley@wcu.edu). If you submitted your course during one of the deadlines last year, you do not need to repeat the process this year. Instead, CCESL will contact you individually about completing a brief renewal. 

Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2026, for Summer & Fall 2026 courses 

QR code for staff senate

Staff Senate

Staff Senate is here for you.

Website: staffsenate.wcu.edu

CFC November Workshops

by | Oct 20, 2025 | Blog, Canvas, Event, Faculty Development Workshop, Online Learning, Teaching and Learning

November Workshop Line-Up Is Here!

We’re excited to share our November workshop schedule, designed to help you make the most of your teaching tools before the end of the semester. This month, we’re rotating three focused sessions:

  • Canvas Grading Tools (Intermediate) – A 30-minute demo of our favorite strategies and features for time-saving tips and smart grading workflows, followed by a brief Q&A.
  • Canvas Communication Tools (Intermediate) – A 30-minute demo of our favorite strategies and features for keeping students informed and engaged, followed by a brief Q&A.

  • Online Template Session – The CFC continues to offer training to help you integrate WCU’s online template into your courses.

New this month: All sessions will be offered in a hybrid format — join us in person at Hunter Library 156 or participate virtually via Zoom, whichever fits your schedule best.

If none of the workshop times work for you, we highly recommend our new 4-week asynchronous UDL course, which guides you through applying Universal Design for Learning principles to your own course.

Session Descriptions:

Grading in Canvas: SpeedGrader, Rubrics & Feedback Tools 

Simplify your grading workflow while maximizing feedback quality. Learn how to use SpeedGrader, apply rubrics, record video comments, and manage your gradebook with ease. 

Tuesday, Nov 18 | 10:00 – 10:45 am

Wednesday, Nov 19 | 2:00 – 2:45 pm

Communication in Canvas: Be Present, Be Heard 

Stay connected with your students with built-in Canvas features. We’ll show you how to use announcements, feedback tools, the syllabus feature, and discussions to build an engaging and communicative course environment. 

Tuesday, Nov 18 | 9:00 – 9:45 am

Wednesday, Nov 19 | 3:00 – 3:45 pm

Online Course Template Training

The Online Course Template is designed to enhance consistency, support, and engagement for both students and instructors. We will support faculty to adapt the template to fit their course needs while maintaining a cohesive structure across WCU.

Wednesday, Nov 19 | 9:00 – 10:30 am

Thursday, Nov 20 | 1:00 – 2:30 pm

Register for Canvas Workshops

Biltmore Park Day – September 2

by | Aug 5, 2025 | Biltmore Park, Blog, Event, Faculty Development Workshop, Teaching and Learning

Join us for a whole day of workshops in Biltmore Park

The Coulter Faculty Commons is heading to Asheville! We’re excited to host a Biltmore Park Day featuring four hands-on, practical workshops designed to support your teaching, wherever you’re based.

These workshops are open to any instructor who teaches at Biltmore Park, as well as main campus or online instructors who live nearby and would like to participate.

Join us for any or all of the following sessions on Tuesday, September 2, 2025:

Workshop 1: 9:00 – 10:00 am | BP 330

Teaching Philosophy Make & Take

It’s common for instructors to find it difficult to clearly express their teaching philosophy, even after years in the classroom. In this hands-on session, you’ll explore your core teaching beliefs, narrow them down to 3–5 guiding priorities, and learn how to express them in a clear, authentic narrative. Whether you’re preparing a statement for promotion and tenure or simply want to reconnect with your teaching purpose, you’ll leave with a strong draft and next steps. 

Workshop 2: 10:30 – 11:30 am | BP 330

Active Learning for In-Person Classes

Looking to energize your classroom? Explore simple, research-backed strategies to get students thinking, talking, and engaging. You’ll leave with ready-to-use ideas and a renewed sense of what’s possible face-to-face.

Workshop 3: 1:00 – 1:45 pm | BP 330

Grading in Canvas: SpeedGrader, Rubrics & Feedback Tools 

Simplify your grading workflow while maximizing feedback quality. Learn how to use SpeedGrader, apply rubrics, record video comments, and manage your gradebook with ease. 

Workshop 4: 2:00 – 2:45 pm | BP 330

Communication in Canvas: Be Present, Be Heard 

Stay connected with your students with built-in Canvas features. We’ll show you how to use announcements, feedback tools, the syllabus feature, and discussions to build an engaging and communicative course environment. 

Come connect with colleagues, learn something new, and let the CFC come to you!
Register for Biltmore Park Sessions