Professional Development | Coulter Faculty Commons

Calling all WCU SoTLers! Join us for the SoTL Commons Conference in Savannah, GA

by April Tallant | Sep 15, 2026 | Blog, Pedagogy, Professional Development, Research, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, Teaching and Learning

The Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) Commons Conference is celebrating 20 years on March 3-5, 2027 in historic Savannah, Georgia. Founded by former Coulter Faculty Commons Director Dr. Alan Altany, this conference has built a community of SoTL practitioners that has inspired educators, impacted students, and transformed communities around the globe for two decades. Please consider submitting a proposal about a pedagogical technique, educational resource, or curricula that you use to engage and support students. Join the conversations with a community of scholars from around the world, spanning more than 100 institutions, and hear from the ultimate SoTL experts: Pat Hutchins, Dan Bernstein, and Randy Bass.

If you would like help preparing your proposal, please reach out to April Tallant at atallant@wcu.edu. Don’t have a proposal but want to attend? There is usually a group of WCU folks who attend the SoTL Commons Conference each year to continuously build our teaching tool kits. Plus, Savannah in March – yes, please! Review the registration information. Reach out about attending, carpooling, or just learning more about what to expect.

Hyatt Regency Hotel on Savannah’s Riverfront

Image: Hyatt Regency on Savannah’s Riverfront.

Welcome New Faculty!

by Scott Seagle | Aug 31, 2026 | Blog, Professional Development, University Support

Western Carolina University is starting the fall 2026 semester with a warm welcome to 60 new faculty members who have officially joined the university’s academic ranks.

These new colleagues bring with them a shared commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and community engagement. In choosing WCU, they’ve joined a remarkable community of lifelong learners — outstanding educators, creative scholars, and engaged contributors who help shape both the university and the region it serves.

The Coulter Faculty Commons is proud to support these new faculty members as they begin their journey at WCU. Through their teaching, they will help shape the futures of WCU students. Through their research and creative work, they will advance knowledge and strengthen the broader community.

Summer Institute for Teaching and Learning Inspires Teaching Changes

by April Tallant | Aug 31, 2026 | Blog, Professional Development, Summer Institute for Teaching & Learning (SITL)

The Coulter Faculty Commons’ (CFC) Summer Institute for Teaching and Learning (SITL) is our premier annual teaching and learning event, designed to inspire innovation, encourage collaboration, and celebrate excellence in teaching and learning. The two-day event was held May 13 & 14, and our theme was River Valleys to Mountain Peaks: Expanding Our Teaching Horizons. SITL featured both general and concurrent sessions, and a newly added leadership track for department heads. More than 20 faculty and staff from across campus and guest speakers from our neighbors at Mars Hill University led workshops at SITL.

SITL 2026 participants discuss good list in small groups

Pictured above: SITL participants in small groups discussing items to add to their “Good List” during SITL 2026.

67 participants attended SITL this year and in survey feedback, 96% indicated that they planned to make changes to their teaching as a result of SITL in the following areas: innovative assessment; inclusive course design; student engagement and active learning; and learning supports and resources. The word cloud below represents specific changes faculty plan to make. By offering SITL and other programming, CFC continues to serve as an “anchoring partner” (Stitt-Bergh, Fowler, Donaldson, Richardson, Hunter, & Patterson, 2023) for our teaching and learning community by creating opportunities to explore, adopt, and implement research-informed teaching practices that strengthen student learning and support teaching excellence across WCU.

Stitt-Bergh, M., Fowler, D., Donaldson, J. P., Richardson, R., Hunter, T. & Patterson, C. A., (2023). Designing for impact: The center for teaching and learning as a cultivator of a faculty learner-leader praxis. To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development 42(2): 1. https://doi.org/10.3998/tia.2491

Faculty Forward: A Learning Community for New Faculty

by Anabel Livengood | Aug 28, 2026 | Blog, Learning Community, Professional Development

Faculty Forward is a supportive program designed specifically for early-career (years 1-3) faculty who want to build a strong foundation in teaching. Through a series of interactive sessions, you’ll explore effective, evidence-based strategies to create engaging learning environments, foster student success, and grow your teaching confidence. You’ll also connect with peers from across campus who are on a similar journey – because good teaching doesn’t happen in isolation. Find more information on the CFC’s Faculty Forward homepage.

Fall 2026 meeting dates:

Our Wednesday Cohort meets 2:30 – 3:45 pm on the following days: 09/16, 09/30, 10/21, 11/04

Our Thursday Cohort meets 11:00 am – 12:15 pm on the following days: 9/17, 10/01, 10/22, 11/05

Register for either Faculty Forward Cohort via our Faculty Forward Registration Form.

Quantum Computing Faculty Learning Community

by CFC | Aug 27, 2026 | Blog, Learning Community, Professional Development

Faculty members interested in quantum computing and its applications are invited to participate in an interdisciplinary Quantum Computing Learning Community. While open to all faculty, this community may be of particular interest to colleagues in Mathematics/Computer Science, Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics.

The Faculty Learning Community will serve as a resource for interested faculty to stay current with the literature, collaborate with colleagues across disciplines, and create a shared syllabus of readings, modeling activities, and assignments. Faculty who are interested in learning more about quantum computing, developing curriculum, exploring research opportunities, or building interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged to participate.

Read more and complete this survey to let us know when you are available to meet as part of the FLC. If you have questions, please contact Enrique Gomez at egomez@wcu.edu.

A quantum computer with gold plates and intricate silver wiring against a black background

Dr. Katie Searles to Speak at WCU

by Chris Cooper | 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.