Upcoming Events & Workshops
Fall 2024 Events
General Education Portfolio Training
Teaching General Education courses and unclear about the new General Education Portfolio (GEP) requirement? Never fear, the General Education Council is sponsoring a one-hour remote information session led by WCU Director of e-Portfolio Janneken Smucker. Janneken will introduce you to the details of your role in this requirement as an instructor, the pedagogy and theory behind e-portfolios and metacognition as a High Impact Practice, Google Sites as WCU’s portfolio platform, and strategies for assignment prompts designed to help students meet the General Education Goal for your course. Sessions will be recorded, but attending “live” is your best opportunity to ask questions.
- Thursday, Aug. 15, 10:00 - 11:00 am
- Wednesday, Aug. 21, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Proactive Accessibility: Minimizing Accommodation Requests through Inclusive Course Design
Have you noticed an increase in student requests for accommodations in your courses? You’re not alone! Join the OEA and the TLC on Tuesday, September 10 at 2:00pm for a workshop to explore effective strategies for supporting students with diverse learning needs and designing courses that minimize the need for individual student accommodations. This workshop is co-sponsored by the Faculty Ombuds Office.
Designing for Equity: Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to Create an Equitable & Inclusive Classroom
Join the TLC staff on Zoom on Wednesday, September 11 at 2:00pm for a flexible format workshop to discuss the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to design equitable and inclusive classrooms. Our goal is to allow faculty to tailor the experience to their own knowledge, experience, and goals. Are you new to UDL? Do you want to improve your courses in one of the three UDL areas? We’ll have instructional designers on hand to work with you on what matters most to you.
Teaching Neurodiverse Learners
Join DCAP and the TLC on Thursday, September 12 at 2:00pm for a workshop exploring effective strategies for supporting neurodivergent students and managing a neurodiverse classroom.
Strategies for Facilitating Dialogue Across Difference
Complementing Teaching in Turbulent Times, this session focuses on practical tools and skill building for facilitating constructive conversations across diverse perspectives. This workshop will offer resources and strategies for faculty and staff available through the Constructive Dialog Institute (CDI) platform, such as identifying constructive open-ended questions for challenging conversations, modeling reflective and active listening, and developing ready responses for unpredictable moments inside or outside of the classroom.
Facilitators: Dr. Joan Woolfrey (WCU Faculty Ombuds) and Helen Hammerschmidt (Provost’s Office)
Dates and Times:
- Wednesday, September 18, 1 – 2:30 pm (Online)
- Tuesday, October 2, 3:30 - 5 pm (In Person)
Teaching in Turbulent Times
As the daily news often reminds us, there are moments in our society that are fraught with controversy and contention. As a University that values diversity and inclusion, how can you ensure that our classrooms and other learning environments are places for civil discourse and respectful disagreement? This discussion will allow faculty and staff to explore this issue by examining case studies and proactively plan for these moments. This workshop was created by Dr. Tracey Robinson and is designed for participants to explore strategies for maintaining civil discourse and respectful disagreement in the classroom during contentious societal and classroom moments.
Facilitators: Dr. Tracey Robinson and Dr. Janneken Smucker
Dates and Times:
- Wednesday, September 25, 1 pm – 2:30 pm (Online)
- Tuesday, October 8, 2 pm – 3:30 pm (In Person)