Programming

Inspired by Ernest Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered (1990), this program will guide participants through the process of developing and publishing a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project. 

What is SoTL?
SoTL is a multidisciplinary field that aims to enhance our understanding of and improve student learning in higher education.  SoTL inquiries take place in the classroom (F2F or virtual), in the lab, during office hours, in study groups, in the library, and in the many other contexts that make up students’ experiences of learning.  

SoTL projects involve collecting and analyzing evidence, artifacts, and/or data about students' learning experiences, and then going public with what you learn, typically through publication and presentation.

Program Structure & Content
Scholarship Reimagined is a fully virtual program made up of four modules spread out over the semester. Each module includes the following:

• short asynchronous components in Canvas:  brief readings followed by one very short written assignment

• a one-hour synchronous workshop in Zoom 

Fall 2026 Dates

• Module 1 will be available on Aug 24.

• The Zoom workshops are noon to 1pm on these Fridays: Sept 11, Oct 9, Nov 6, and Dec 4.

Module content will draw from key SoTL texts, as well as Nancy Chick's books The SoTL Guide: (Re)Orienting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2025) and SoTL in Action: Illuminating Critical Moments of Practice (2018).  Participants will receive a copy of SoTL in Action.

How to Apply

You'll be asked to identify an area of interest you might explore in the SoTL project you develop through the program.  (Ideas evolve, but do a little pre-thinking, so I have a general sense of participant interests.)  Apply by completing this form no later than Sept 1.

Program Completion

Participants who complete the program will have a detailed plan for implementing their SoTL project and plenty of resources and support for presenting and publishing their work when they're ready.  

Those who complete all assignments, attend each workshop, and submit their project plan will receive a $400 stipend. 

The new Junior Faculty Academy (JFA) is a virtual program that supports new full-time faculty during their first two years at TWU.  The program will introduce participants to the University’s mission, values, and culture; provide insight into institutional expectations and available resources; and facilitate reflection and preparation for a successful start at TWU.  The program is facilitated by Nancy Chick (Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship) and Karen Dunlap (Faculty Liaison, Professor Emeritus Curriculum and Instruction).

Schedule

JFA's asynchronous modules will be on a Canvas site.  Synchronous gatherings include the following:

• Orientation will be held in person on the Denton campus during Welcome Week (the afternoon of August 19).  

• The regular meetings will be held on Zoom from noon to 1pm on the following Fridays: Sept 25 and Nov 13 (Fall) and Feb 12 and April 16 (Spring).

Promotion in Motion is a virtual program that provides time, space, support, and structure to help faculty 

• • understand their specific processes and criteria, 

  • gather, reflect on, and prepare their materials, and

  • ask questions and support each other in a non-evaluative environment.  

Promotion in Motion offers different cohorts scheduled for faculty while they are preparing their materials for major evaluations.  Choose your appropriate cohort below:

3rd-Year Evaluation by PRC

Join this Promotion in Motion cohort if you are a faculty member (tenure-track, clinical faculty, or lecturer) preparing for the February 10, 2027, deadline for third-year materials to be reviewed by your Peer Review Committee.  The 2026 cohort will meet on Zoom on the following Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm: Sept 24, Oct 15, Nov 12, and Jan 21.  Register here, and mark your calendars now! 

Lecturers & Clinical Faculty Promotion 

Join this Promotion in Motion cohort if you are a lecturer and clinical faculty member applying for promotion by the September 15, 2026, deadline.  The 2026 cohort will meet on Zoom on the following Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm: July 16, July 30, August 13, and September 3. 

Tenure & Promotion

Join this Promotion in Motion cohort if you are a tenure-track faculty member applying for tenure and promotion by the July 27, 2027, deadline.  The 2027 cohort will meet on Zoom on the following Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm: March 18, April 15, May 13, June 3, and July 8.  Registration will open in early February 2027.

Promotion in Motion is facilitated by Nancy Chick (Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship) and Karen Dunlap (Faculty Liaison, Professor Emeritus Curriculum and Instruction). 

Join a "slow read" faculty book group to read and discuss timely topics related to teaching, scholarship, and higher education.  These "slow reads" are intended to fit into your busy schedules:  we'll take our time, and maybe even (depending on the book) divide the book's sections among participants, who'll then summarize their sections for others. 

Books (and light refreshments for in-person attendance) will be provided.

What should our next book be?

In Fall 2025, we read At the Intersection: Understanding and Supporting First-Generation Students, edited by Robert Longwell-Grice and Hope Longwell-Grice.  What should we read next?  Email nchick@twu.edu with recommendations!