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 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 spring 2026 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 (noon to 1pm on Feb 6, March 6, April 3, & April 24)

Module content will draw from key SoTL texts, as well as my upcoming book 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 December 5.

Program Completion

Participants who complete the program will have a detailed plan for implementing their SoTL project.  Those who complete all assignments, attend each workshop, and submit their project plan will receive a $400 stipend. 

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.

Reach out to Nancy Chick if you'd like to propose a book group to facilitate yourself.

Fall 2025-Spring 2026 Slow Read Book Group

Let's read selections from At the Intersection: Understanding and Supporting First-Generation Students, edited by Robert Longwell-Grice and Hope Longwell-Grice. It's an edited collection with 18 chapters (plus an Introduction and Epilogue), and not all chapters will interest everyone, so participants will read a few chapters that interest them and volunteer to write a one-page summary about one chapter (maybe two?) to share with the group, so everyone can learn more from the book without having to read the whole thing.

How does it work?

1. Register for the group by November 15 by completing this form.  (Registration is now closed.)

2. On November  16, we'll order the books and invite participants to sign up for a chapter (or two) they'll summarize for the group by January 12.  (We anticipate receiving the books fairly quickly, and we'll distribute them promptly. In the meantime, here's a link to the table of contents.)

3. Read the chapter(s) you've volunteered to summarize for the group, and a few others that interest you.  Write your one-page summary using this template [coming soon].

4. No later than January 12, send your one-page written summary to Nancy Chick.

5. On January 13, Nancy will compile and share the summaries with all participants.

6. Read the chapter summaries--or as many as you can.

7. We'll gather on [early Feb date and time TBA] to discuss the book.  

   • For those who are able, please join us in person.  We really enjoy in-person conversations, and we'll provide refreshments.  

   • For those who aren't able, a Zoom link will be provided for you to participate.

New Faculty Academy (NFA) is a year-long program designed to provide new full-time faculty with regular professional development activities designed to help them thrive in their new role.  NFA will introduce them to the University’s mission, values, and culture; provide insight into institutional expectations and available resources; and facilitate reflection and preparation for a successful first year--and beyond.

Facilitated by Nancy Chick (Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship) and Lynda Murphy (Executive Director of Digital Learning), NFA will begin during Welcome Week (Wed, Aug 20, 11:30-5) and then continue monthly on the following Fridays from noon to 1:  Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 14, Jan 16, Feb 13, Mar 20, Apr 10, and May 1.  

All new faculty who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion and a personalized letter to their relevant Academic Component Administrators (Chair, Director, Dean). 

The Third-Year Evaluation faculty learning community (3YE FLC) is designed to support third-year tenure-track, clinical, and lecturer faculty who are preparing materials for review by their Peer Review Committees.  The FLC will provide time, space, and community for understanding the process and preparing for this milestone evaluation year.  Members of the FLC will review their specific processes and criteria and then gather, reflect on, and compile their materials.  

Facilitated by Karen Dunlap (Faculty Liaison, Professor Emeritus Curriculum and Instruction) and Nancy Chick (Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship), this FLC invites participants to join in Stoddard 308 (until we move to our new space in MCL) .*

Materials for this evaluation cycle are due on February 10, so to start early and make regular progress, we will meet on the following Fridays from 10-11am:

• September 12 

• October 10 

• November 14

• January 16 

 * Houston and Dallas participants will receive a Zoom link after they register.

  ✍🏼   Join the 3YE FLC by completing this brief form.  [We are no longer taking applications.] ✍🏼  

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

MC2  is designed to help mid-career faculty thrive by developing meaningful goals, plans, and relationships, not simply to help Associate Professors achieve Professor—unless this is their goal.  MC2  stands for mid-career meaning and connection--or milestones and celebration, or momentum and change, or mapping and charting.  Indeed, there's no single pathway at mid-career, so MC2 also stands for mid-career's multiple crossroads.  

Facilitated by Nancy Chick and Karen Dunlap, this virtual program is made up of five sessions. (See the exact schedule below.) 

Why Mid-Career Faculty?   

Research on higher education faculty reveals a well-documented “mid-career malaise,” the phenomenon of tenured associate professors — especially those in rank for more than six years — experiencing low satisfaction resulting from increased service obligations (some of which are “hidden"), the relative lack of support for research or creative work and other forms of professional growth, the disconnect between professional goals and a greater sense of purpose, increased expectations for leadership without leadership development, and unclear expectations for promotion to full professor (Mathews 2014; Baker & Manning 2021).

What's the MC2 Schedule?

MC2  is scheduled for the following Tuesdays from 2:30-3:50, exclusively on Zoom:  Jan 13, Jan 27, Feb 10, March 3, and March 24.  Each session builds on the previous ones, so participants are expected to attend all five.  Additionally, MC2  focuses on participants' reflection, interaction, and mutual trust, so sessions will not be recorded.  (Please make sure they fit into your calendars before applying.)

Eligibility

Full-time faculty who are more than six years after tenure at TWU or have a similar duration of experience at TWU (e.g., at least 12 years as clinical faculty and senior lecturers) and are more than 10 years from retirement are invited to apply. 

Applications

Please apply by completing this form no later than November 15. Deadline extended to Dec 5.

Program Completion

Participants who attend all five sessions will receive a $400 stipend.

MC2 is based on the program described in Facilitating Mid-Career Faculty Programs: A Guide for Supporting Purposeful Career Development (Boyd and Chick 2025).