TLC Newsletter

Open Calls and Invitations

Apply to Join the ThingLink Pilot

ThingLink is a digital platform that enables educators to transform static images and virtual environments into interactive learning experiences. The platform allows faculty to deliver immersive content that recreates real-world professional settings and complex environments. Students can explore complex environments as they engage with embedded multimedia content to bridge the gap between theory and application. For example, students might navigate through food service operations, explore a surgical unit with embedded expert commentary, or tour public health facilities with specifications highlighted at key points and layered throughout the experience. The opportunities are endless.

CHS has procured a limited number of ThingLink licenses for faculty interested in piloting the platform in their courses for the Spring semester. Please complete the ThingLink Pilot Interest Form if you are interested in piloting ThingLink this semester. This pilot is open to all WCU faculty members, however priority will be given to interested CHS faculty. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Drass. 

Contribute to WCU's Teaching Hub

Do you have a teaching strategy, reflection, tool, or methodology that you would like to share with your WCU colleagues? Want to share your SoTL research or repurpose a resource you've created? Pitch us ideas for posts you are interesting in contributing to the TLC Teaching Hub (aka the blog).  The Hub is also a great resource to explore as you think about how to update your syllabi for the coming semester.

Request a Class Consultation Visit

A pilot program to empower faculty to enhance their teaching by requesting non-evaluative feedback on any instructional session, regardless of modality. Facilitated by the Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) staff, this voluntary program fosters reflective practice and continuous improvement. All feedback remains between the instructor and the TLC, ensuring a safe space for professional growth. Instructors requesting a class consultation commit 2 hours of their time to the process.

Process: Instructor requests a class consultation using the Qualtrics form. Instructor and consultant schedule necessary meetings and visits. Instructor meets with consultant for a pre-visit meeting. Class visit occurs. Instructor meets with consultant to debrief the class visit. In Spring 2026 this program is in a pilot phase where only tenured faculty may participate. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the intent is to open this program to all faculty. To learn more about the program and register for a consultation visit Class Consultations.

Apply for CELT Grant

The Committee for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) invites proposals for Professional Development Funding to support cutting edge projects to improve student learning. CELT seeks to promote a variety of pedagogical strategies that actively engage students in learning and that will result in improved student learning. Up to four projects will be selected for funds up to $2,000 per project. These funds are to encourage the implementation of new and innovative projects that would not be possible without this financial support. We are particularly looking for projects that demonstrate:

1. Significance – projects that address major challenges and/or have the potential for considerable impact on student learning; and
2. Reach – projects that have the potential to reach large audiences and across departments and disciplines.

Ready to apply? Submit an application before Friday, February 13, 2026.

Apply to Become the TLC Faculty Associate

The Teaching and Learning Center is seeking applications for a Faculty Associate.

• Three-year term, July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2029
• 3 credit AWA per semester, while contributing 5-7 hours of work per week
• Apply by February 27, 2026 to tlc@wcupa.edu
• Submit statement of interest with CV no longer than 2 pages outlining relevant experience.

Please see full description and instructions. 

Apply to Co-facilitate the Diversity and Inclusion FLC

The TLC invites full‑time faculty to consider applying to co‑facilitate the Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Learning Community. As a co‑facilitator, you will work closely with a partner facilitator, connect with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines, and help shape an engaging space for shared learning and reflection. The role comes with a three‑year commitment and a three‑credit AWA. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in DEI‑focused teaching and facilitation, as well as an interest in collaboration, growth, and open dialogue. If this opportunity feels like a good fit for you, please submit an application by March 1. If you have questions about this opportunity, please reach out to Tiffany Bennett or Kimberly Johnson.

Share your Published Research on Teaching and Learning

Have you published research related to teaching and learning since July 2025? The TLC would like to celebrate and promote your work! We are looking to showcase scholarship of teaching and learning publications by WCU on faculty on the TLC blog. This will be a forum to share evidence-based insights on teaching and learning with the wider community. If you would like us to highlight your work, please reach out to Tom Pantazes.

Celebration of Teaching Call for Proposals and Participation

Please save the date for Celebration of Teaching on Thursday, May 7.  The TLC invites proposals for two Celebration of Teaching events:

• 40-minute hands-on workshops (up to 4 selected)
• Teaching Excellence Showcase (up to 25 selected)

The proposal deadline is Saturday, February 28, notification of acceptance is in early March.  The submission method is the 2026 Celebration of Teaching Proposal Form (Qualtrics).  Details about each event type can be found on the Celebration of Teaching blog post or on the submission form.  

RECAP Conference Call for Proposals

Please save the date for West Chester University's RECAP 2026 Conference on Thursday, May 14, 2026.  This year’s theme, Designing the Possible: Inclusive, Insight‑Driven, Immersive invites higher education professionals to share concrete practices that ensure belonging by design, leverage learning data responsibly, and thoughtfully engaging with immersive and AI-enhanced experiences through structured, evidence-based approaches.

We are currently accepting presentation proposals, due Friday, February 6, 2026. Visit the RECAP website for the Call for Proposals form and additional conference details.

Upcoming Events

Align Your Values, Reclaim Your Time Workshop

Join faculty members Tiffany Bennett and Brie Radis, who recently completed WCU’s pilot Faculty Success Fellowship co-sponsored by the Teaching and Learning Center, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, for an interactive workshop designed to help you move from overwhelmed to intentionality. Discover how aligning your daily practices with your core values can transform your academic and work experience. Learn practical strategies for creating a sustainable plan that honors your whole self, resists toxic productivity culture, and centers what truly matters in your goals, responsibilities, and service. This workshop is especially valuable for faculty navigating requirements of scholarship, teaching, and service; staff juggling various projects and relationships; and graduate students who must balance school, work, and other obligations. Leave with actionable tools to craft a personalized roadmap that supports your professional goals, personal wellbeing, and your vision for a more just academy.

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Location: Zoom

Register to attend. 

Teaching Circle: Creating Accessible Course Materials

Accessible course materials are fundamental to an inclusive learning experience. Participants will explore who benefits from digital accessibility and apply practical strategies for reviewing, remediating, and creating accessible documents, multimedia, and online content. Schedule All meetings are on Zoom. Meeting times may be adjusted based on participant availability after the first meeting.

Introductory Meeting Date: Thursday, February 12, 10:00 AM 
Location: Zoom

Learn more and register. 

Promotion Panel for Faculty Mentoring Committee

Thinking about going up for promotion? Interested in promotion (at any level)? Want some tips about the promotion process from recently-promoted colleagues? Join us for the Faculty Mentoring Committee's Promotion Panel.  It's open to all faculty, so tell your friends!

Date: Thursday, February 12, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Location: Zoom

All faculty are welcome! Register here.

Accessible Instructional Material Webinar Series

Join us for this webinar series designed to help you strengthen your accessibility practices and create instructional materials that meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards. Grounded in the seven core accessibility practices, this series includes sessions that build essential skills, offer strategies to streamline your workflow, and introduce advanced techniques, such as writing alt text for complex images or providing audio description. Each topic will be offered on multiple dates throughout the spring semester; complete the registration form to participate.

Open Dialogue for Inclusive Curricula: Information Literacy

In the face of the rapidly evolving information landscape, characterized by emerging AI technologies, social media, misinformation, censorship, and robust information access, information literacy skills and knowledge are needed now more than ever. WCU faculty and graduate students are invited to join us for a 60-minute interactive discussion, facilitated by Megan Donnelly, Information Literacy Librarian.

Date: Wednesday, February 25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

Learn more and register.  If you have any questions about this offering, please contact Jessica Drass.

Introduction to VoiceThread Workshop

VoiceThread is an interactive multimedia platform that allows users to create and share collaborative presentations and discussions that may incorporate images, documents, videos, and audio commentary. VoiceThread’s D2L Integration allows instructors to add VoiceThread Assignments to the Content section of their D2L Course Site that link to the Gradebook. This Spring, the Teaching and Learning Center will be hosting an Introduction to VoiceThread Workshop for WCU faculty interested in learning more about the tool.

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact Jessica Drass. Register for the Introduction to VoiceThread Workshop. 

Faculty Learning Communities

A Faculty Learning Community (FLC) provides faculty space to share ideas and strategies plus get support on a specified topic.  In the Spring semester there are three FLCs for faculty to join at any time: 

• Academic Freedom FLC serves as a support group and working group, as we share our experiences and concerns from inside and outside the classroom while developing concrete strategies and actions to take to better understand, nourish, and promote academic freedom within our university community. (Registration)
• Alternative Grading FLC is a group that promotes and shares experiences and details of alternative grading possibilities such as mastery grading, specifications grading, standards-based grading, and ungrading. (Registration)
• Teaching Diverse Communities FLC is designed specifically for instructors teaching courses that fulfill the Diverse Communities requirement. (Registration)

To learn more about each FLC and register to participate visit the TLC Professional Learning Communities webpage.

Micro Courses Provided by PASSHE and ACUE

For a second year, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) have partnered to provide access to the nationally recognized Certificate in Effective Online Teaching Practices (EOTP).  These evidence-based practices have been shown to increase student retention, strengthen belonging and achievement, close equity gaps.  PASSHE will have several Spring ACUE micro course offerings.

The EOTP pathway provides WCU faculty with an alternative option for DE certification or recertification. For DE certification, faculty must complete courses in the series along with the capstone module in the OFD program. For DE recertification, completion of courses in the series is sufficient. 

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Osborne.

Program Updates

Technology Roundup - Spring 2026

The Technology Roundup is a blog feature that is released each Fall and Spring semester to keep our community of educators informed on the latest available instructional technologies that are supported by the university. Check out the Spring 2026 edition of the Technology Roundup.

Faculty Mentoring Program Updates

Monthly Discussion: Scholarship

If you have not already discussed your scholarly interests and goals with your mentor/mentee, this month is an ideal time to do so. Consider how your scholarship can align with your teaching and service responsibilities, opportunities to expand your collaborative network at WCU or beyond, and barriers to scholarly productivity, along with strategies to address them. Numerous resources are available to support your goals, including the WCU Faculty Grant Opportunities and Scholarly Resources and the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, which offers the 14 Day Writing Challenge and so much more through WCU’s institutional membership.

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The Teaching and Learning Center is far more than just a newsletter! Our website hosts a variety of teaching resources and our full Event Calendar. To get in touch, feel free to send us an email, or schedule a consultation to speak live with one of our designers.