Topic List
Open Calls and Initiatives
Faculty Fusion 2026: Calling Interested Panelists & Moderators (Due Oct 26)
Faculty Fusion, an in-person set of three interactive panels covering hot topics to help you prepare for the new semester plus multiple opportunities to make new connections and network with your peers, will return to the Foundation on January 14, 2026. Are you interested in being a faculty panelist or moderator for one of our topics?
- Strategies for Teaching Speaking Emphasis Courses
- Why do we have to learn this? Emphasizing the Relevance of Your Course and Assignments to Enhance Student Motivation
- Faculty Care: How do you balance life with your work and work with your life?
Complete the call for interest form by Sunday, October 26, and a member of the TLC staff will reach out to learn more about your expertise and ideas. Just want to attend - registration is open.
CELT Podcast Club
We invite you to join members of the Committee for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) for a variation on our traditional semester book club. This semester we are trying out a different medium – Podcasts. Three times this semester, we will all listen to the same episodes and then meet to discuss. Episodes will be focused on ideas for assessments and instructional activities. Each episode will have two virtual discussion meeting options, pick the one that works best for you each month.
- Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 am - September 17 - October 22 - November 19 or
- Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:00 pm - September 18 - October 23 - November 20.
Register online and we will send you the month’s episode and a listening guide. If you have any questions, please contact podcast leaders Paul Sylvester psylvester@wcupa.edu and Christopher Roemmele croemmele@wcupa.edu. PS: Book club will be back in the spring.
Alternative Grading Faculty Learning Community
Do you implement or want to implement alternative grading strategies in your course? Are you looking for ideas, strategies, and support? Join our group to share experiences and details of the various alternative grading possibilities such as mastery grading, specifications grading, standards-based grading, and ungrading.
These varied approaches can be used in different contexts to ensure a course's assessment supports and aligns with student learning. Alternative grading approaches seek to transform the way we evaluate student work, shifting the emphasis from traditional measures of performance to fostering a mindset of learning which acknowledges that mistakes are an integral component of an educational journey.
Participating in the group will ensure exposure to resources and opportunities to promote alternative grading strategies with peers at various WCU and external venues. The group provides support and guidance for faculty at any stage in the alternative grading journey from beginner to experienced. You can join at any time.
Meetings are the second Friday of every month from 11:00 am to noon with both an in-person option in Anderson 125 or an online option via Zoom.
To join, please complete the registration form. For questions or additional information, please contact the TLC tlc@wcupa.edu.
Spring 2026 Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations Program
Are you interested in getting student feedback and perspectives on your teaching practices? Do you want to boost your teaching confidence or reignite your passion for teaching? If so, consider participating in the Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations Program during the Spring 2026 semester! This program pairs you with two WCU students who will provide frequent and varied feedback on one of your courses from their perspective. To learn more, visit our website, or review program information on our blog. Past participants can sign-up again. To apply, review the Student-Faculty Teaching Collaborations Call for Applications.
PETAL Faculty Fellow Position (Due Oct 10)
The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) is seeking a faculty member to join the PETAL Faculty Fellow team for a three-year appointment beginning Spring 2026 and concluding Spring 2028. The Faculty Fellow will co-facilitate the Program for Effective Teaching and Learning (PETAL), a 15-week faculty-led professional development program designed primarily for new faculty and focused on evidence-based teaching practices and equitable student outcomes.
Fellows receive a three-credit AWA each year and progress through increasing leadership responsibilities, from program support to mentoring incoming cohorts. We are seeking full-time faculty with a demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence and strong facilitation skills who can commit to Friday afternoon sessions during spring semesters. This role is a great opportunity to collaborate with faculty across campus to foster inclusive teaching practices and the success of all students.
Applications are due October 10, 2025. Find out if this role is right for you. Questions should be directed to tlc@wcupa.edu.
Upcoming Events
Decolonizing Courses Workshop
This is the first of a two-part workshop for faculty on decolonizing courses at West Chester University. Each session, one taking place in the fall and the other taking place in the spring, will focus on decolonizing a different aspect of our teaching. For the fall we’ll be discussing what it means to decolonize our syllabi, as well as methods for doing so. The fall workshop will be Wednesday, October 8, 3:00 - 4:30pm in SECC 106. Sign up today!
Please contact Dr. Joesph Len Miller jmiller4@wcupa.edu with any questions.
(Virtual) Join us for the Designing for Equity UDL Workshop!
Join the TLC staff on Zoom on Thursday, October 16 at 10:00am for a flexible format workshop to discuss the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to design equitable and inclusive classrooms. We aim 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? Register today to join our instructional designers and work on what matters most to you!
Boundaries and Conflict in the the Workplace and Classroom Workshop (Due Oct 15)
When: October 21, 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Where: In-Person, SECC Club 1871
Desserts, coffee and tea will be provided.
This hands-on workshop helps you navigate complex classroom dynamics and heated discussions with confidence. Space is limited, please register by October 15.
If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact the Teaching and Learning Center at tlc@wcupa.edu.
(Virtual) NEW: Hypothesis for Social Annotation Workshops
We are excited to announce that West Chester University now has licenses for a new social annotation tool called Hypothesis! This tool is integrated directly into D2L, allowing you to create active reading assignments where you and your students can add comments, questions, and highlights directly onto web pages, PDFs, and other online content. This fall, Hypothesis will be offering two online workshops, where you can learn more about this tool and how you may leverage it in your instruction:
- Introductory Hypothesis Workshop: Activating Annotation Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 2:00pm to 3:00pm ET
- Hypothesis Workshop: Social Annotation for Digital Reading in the Age of AI Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 11:00am to 12:00pm ET
Visit the TLC’s Blog for workshop descriptions and registration details. Can’t make it to a workshop, but still interested in learning more? Let us know!
Program Updates
Technology Roundup - Fall 2025
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 Fall 2025 edition of the Technology Roundup.
ODLI On Air is Awesome!
In honor of the recent international podcast day (Sept 30) check out some of our newest episodes:
- Guidelines for Working Where Your Child Studies with Dr. Kristen Crossney and Natalie Crossney
- Mixing Mindfulness & Self Efficacy with Dr. Norman & Dr. Bennett
Subscribe to ODLI on Air on your favorite podcast app and check out some of our 60+ episodes.
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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.