Gen Ed Professional Development

This page includes recordings of past workshops, upcoming workshops, and other useful resources for faculty designing or redesigning courses for the new General Education Program.

May 2024 WSU Gen Ed Conference: May 20, 21, and 22

Have you designed / redesigned a course for the new Gen Ed? Would you like to? Want to hang out with your colleagues and think about teaching?

Our May Gen Ed Conference will be held on campus on May 20, 21, and 22. To help us with planning (especially planning food), please use this link to register. Thanks to funding from the Davis Educational Foundation, there are stipends available for many of the workshops (these will be updated on the schedule), as well as for new and redesigned courses for our new Gen Ed. We will have Zoom options available for people who aren't able to attend in person.

Not teaching in the new Gen Ed? You are still very welcome! Staff are also welcome to attend conference sessions--please alert your supervisor of your interest in attending.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who can attend? We welcome everyone, but especially faculty, including faculty who are NOT working on a Gen Ed course. To work on a Construction Crew you must be a full-time faculty member; part-time faculty can also work on a construction crew with permission of their chair. Staff are welcome to attend conference sessions--please alert your supervisor of your interest in attending.

Can I attend if I’m not working on a course for the new Gen Ed? Yes! Unfortunately stipends are only for people designing or redesigning courses for the new Gen Ed, but you are welcome to participate in any of the workshops.

Can I participate in more than one construction crew? Yes! If you notice that more than one construction crew event is happening at a time, just select one to attend, but you can still be part of the other.

Will there be future opportunities to work on building out courses for the new Gen Ed? Yes. We plan to run construction crews again during the during the summer. But remember, you do not have to participate in a construction crew to put something through governance.

If more than one of us teaches a course, can we work on it as a group? Absolutely, that makes sense. Or you can nominate one person to do the work for the group. Stipends are adjusted based on the number of people working on a class.

How do I get a stipend? If you are participating in a workshop that offers a stipend, submit your deliverable (usually a new or redesigned assignment) for a Gen Ed course by the deadline on the working schedule. The stipends for designing or redesigning a course are paid when you submit a course title, description, Gen Ed course inclusion form, and syllabus to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu.

Schedule:

Monday, May 20

(Zoom links will be provided the morning of the session)

9:00-10:00 a.m.: Collaborative assignments and projects with Vanessa Diana, Jennifer DiGrazia, Chrissi von Renesse

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session description: Collaborative learning, a High Impact Practice, can take many forms. Panelists will share examples of collaborative assignments and projects that have worked well in their classes.

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable must indicate the Gen Ed class for which it is created. Deliverable: Think about one class you have developed or are developing for the new Gen Ed model. Describe a classroom structure, assignment, or an activity you developed/revised that incorporates aspects of collaborative learning that emerged for you from this workshop.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

9:00-10:00 a.m.: First Year Journey Inventory with Alina Gross and Beverly Army Williams

Location: Scanlon 101C

Session Description: Gen Ed Program Area Chair Alina Gross will share FYJ common content materials and lead conversation about what additional materials FYJ faculty suggest.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

10:15-11:15 a.m.: Student PechaKucha Presentations on YouTube: Collaboration Through Shared Digital Portfolios with Michael Filas

Location: Scanlon 101B

Session Description: This workshop presents methodology for students to produce 6 minute, forty second long slide deck presentations on assigned topics that support course focuses. The PechaKucha format is 20 slides, twenty seconds long each (with some limited variation for longer slides or media inclusion). This presentation format keeps things brisk and tight, and teaches digital literacy through recording and posting on YouTube, creating digital portfolio materials. YouTube links are posted on Plato for research/citation use by classmates as secondary materials in their research papers, thus partially flipping the classroom because these recorded lectures provide critical course content, student generated instead of professor lecture. It also generates student-produced collaborative media since they are required to reference another student’s PechaKucha in their midterm and final papers. This workshop will cover the PechaKucha assignment specifics and how to integrate it into a course schedule so that it becomes a distributed part of course activities.

Participants should bring a detailed schedule from the course in which they might be implementing this approach. Part of the session will be dedicated to identifying topics and breaking them down to a potential week-by-week schedule.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

10:15-11:15 a.m.: Mindfulness on Campus: A Focus on Educators with Mao-Lun Weng, Arne Christensen, Katie Weglarz, Colleen Mollica

Location: Scanlon 101C

Session Description: In this workshop, we will introduce evidence-based mindfulness practices that are specifically tailored for college students and educators. Participants will learn the benefits of mindfulness for stress reduction, foster self-compassion, build well-being, and promote resilience, and tips for incorporating mindfulness in their teaching. The workshop will begin a 40-minutes mindfulness practical skill session led by Colleen Molica, a certified mindfulness instructor on campus, followed by a panel discussion among faculty members who have participated a five-week mindfulness program, and conclude with an overview of the mindfulness-focused, NSF-funded scholarship program at WSU, “A roadmap to success in STEM: Mental wellbeing, Academic, Professional development (M.A.P.) support”.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

11:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.: SCORE 101 Where are we now, and where is General Education at WSU Going? with Megan Kennedy, Lynn Shelley, Beverly Army Williams, and Alina Gross

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session Description: This session will provide an update about the new Gen Ed launch in Fall 24 as well as the future of Gen Ed at WSU. There will be ample time for questions and discussions.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

12:15-1:15 p.m.: Lunch--sponsored by the President's Office

1:15-2:45 p.m.: Equity in STEM Workshop with Chrissi Von Renesse, Katie Weglarz, Subramanian Vaitheeswaran, Mao-Lun Weng

Location: Loughman Living Room

Description: In this workshop, you will learn about and engage with practical strategies for STEM classrooms that make the space and learning more equitable. There will be time for you to think about how to implement these strategies within your own teaching and discuss ideas with your colleagues. This work emerged out of a WAC Faculty Reading Group on Equity in STEM. We will be facilitating the workshop from the perspective of explorers, not experts, since we are still learning how to do this as well.

Please listen to this podcast before the session.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

1:15-2:45 p.m.: Exploring Complex Issues Writing / Speaking Assignment Exchange with Chalet Seidel

Location: Scanlon 101C

Description: This facilitated assignment exchange is for anyone teaching an Exploring Complex Issues Course who would like feedback on an assignment or is looking for assignment ideas. Some writing/speaking assignments using social media will be shared, as well as resources for creating effective assignment descriptions, breaking writing assignments down into manageable chunks, and designing your assignment with assessment in mind. Participants will leave with stronger writing assignments and lots of new ideas.

Please bring three hard copies of a writing/speaking assignment you have created or are working on for your Exploring Complex Issues class.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

3:00-4:00 p.m. Strategies for Leading Dynamic Discussions with Erica Kelliher, Princy Mennella, and Rachel Katler

Location: Scanlon 101B

Session Description: This session is designed to help faculty members consider their goals for in-class discussions and develop ways to successfully accomplish these goals in their classes. Each discipline uses different methods to facilitate class discussion, but there are some overarching ways to stimulate thoughtful conversations and participation among students. Participants in this session will discuss strategies to improve the class discussions, including increasing student participation, wrestling with difficult topics, working together in groups, and demonstrating understanding of the materials, among other goals.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

3:00-4:00 p.m.: Make a Road Map for an Exploring Writing in the Major Course with Chalet Seidel

Location: Scanlon 101C

Session Description:This workshop is for folks in departments that do not already have a "writing in the major" course. We'll look at examples of disciplinary writing courses as well as learn about ENGL 204 so you can help your department decide which option would best develop your students' disciplinary writing skills. We'll also begin defining what "good" writing looks like in your discipline and identify the genres most important for your students' post-graduation success. You'll leave with resources you can share with your department, a better sense of what a disciplinary writing course might look like, and a starting place to begin exploring writing in your major.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

4:00-5:15 p.m. Teaching and Scholarship Showcase 2024 sponsored by the Faculty Center

Research Awardees: Dr. Miriam Tager, Dr. Roderico Acevedo, and Dr. Anthony Furnelli

Teaching Awardees: Dr. Christina Beaubien and Dr. Ashley R. Evanoski-Cole

Location: Scanlon 101C

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

5:15: Social Hour on the DC Patio sponsored by the Faculty Center

Join colleagues to celebrate the semester's end and all the good work you have done this academic year!

Tuesday, May 21

9:00-10:30 a.m.: Integrating Reflective Discovery and Analysis of Information into General Education Courses: Harnessing the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy with Corinne Ebbs and Anna Boutin-Cooper

Location: Scanlon 101C

Session Description: This session will provide an opportunity to share with colleagues course-related experiences of student inquiry, discovery, and critical analysis of information resources. Applying the ACRL Framework, participants will develop and be able to integrate progressive activities into course work.

Participants are requested to bring laptops or tablets to the session.

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable must indicate the Gen Ed class for which it is created. Deliverable: a revised or newly designed classroom activity or assignment that integrates progressive Information Literacy (IL) activities through the lense of the ACRL IL Framework.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

9:00-10:30 a.m.: From the Syllabus and Beyond: Best Practices for Inclusive Teaching with Brian Chen and Princy Mennella

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session Description: While many variables can influence student belonging, one contributing factor is the atmosphere and organization of the course, over which instructors have nearly full control. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to ways in which they can improve equity and inclusivity in their teaching, leading to a strong sense of student belonging. The workshop will begin with the construction of a course syllabus and will progress into the delivery of the course. We will offer participants a few equity-minded and inclusive strategies for their syllabi, in their classrooms as well as outside their courses, to enhance student inclusion and belonging.

Please bring a phone, tablet, or laptop to use for online polling--we'll use the app Poll Everywhere.

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable must indicate the Gen Ed class for which it is created. Deliverable: (1) modify and submit a course syllabus incorporating equity-minded strategies offered in this workshop; and (2) select two pedagogical strategies discussed in the workshop provide a description of how each will be incorporated into your course and submit them.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

10:45-11:45 a.m.: Building Resilience in Our Students with Brian Selgrade

Location: Scanlon 101C

Session Description: This workshop will discuss ways we can build resilience in our students to help them persevere through challenges in class and beyond. We will discuss growth mindset, stress management and other tools for building resilience. The workshop will include both lesson ideas and assignments and draw on my experience using growth mindset interventions with my kinesiology students and the NIH Resilient Scientist lesson series. This workshop is most applicable to First Year Journey but would be useful for teaching other courses as well.

Participants should bring a smartphone or tablet or laptop.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

10:45-11:45 a.m.: Wellbeing Sample Class: Relaxation Techniques with Alison Kepplinger

Location:Scanlon 101B

Session Description: Participants can experience a mini-Relaxation Techniques class and related self-reflection exercise. Includes discussion of outcomes and assessments for a Wellbeing course and incorporation of active learning.

Relaxation Techniques Course Description: "This class offers students several techniques to learn how to regulate their overall nervous system. In this course, students will learn to self-soothe, improve stress management, increase flow states, reduce anxiety, and uncover thought distortions. Students will experience first-hand techniques such as autogenic training, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, emotional freedom technique, visualizations, and energy medicine. The class will inspire students to experiment with the many health benefits of relaxation on wellness, focus, sleep, and memory."

Zoom link:https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

11:45-1: Lunch from the Bistro, sponsored by SCORE

1:15-2:45 p.m.: It's Not Summary!: Ways to Encourage Reflective Writing in the Classroom with Sarah Heim

Location: Scanlon 101B

Session Description: This workshop will focus on helping students learn to write meaningful reflection. “Meaningful” does not imply high-stakes writing; rather these reflective practices can be low-stakes opportunities for students to bolster confidence and make deeper connections with course material. Reflective writing allows students to consider how their experiences (as well as other coursework) intersect with the content they are learning in class; it allows them to recognize and address discomfort at ideas that challenge past ways of thinking; and it encourages them to be more mindful in their work. In this workshop, we will discuss the importance of reflective writing in both the academic and professional setting, as well as concrete ways that reflection can be incorporated into course curriculum. Most first-year students arrive on campus ready to summarize and write about content, but they are less comfortable engaging with ideas from a place of curiosity and openness. This workshop will introduce concrete ways to encourage reflective writing such as journals/discussions, labor logs, in-class assignments, and post-project work.

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable must indicate the Gen Ed class for which it is created. Deliverable: Create one assignment using labor based grading with reflection, or a traditionally graded assignment with a reflective element at the end (which is part of the assignment grade).

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

3:00-4:00 p.m.: ePortfolios

Presenters: Heidi Bohler (Sports Medicine & Human Performance), David Shapleigh (Art), Jess Stephens (Biology), Katie Weglarz (Biology)

Location Scanlon 101C

Session Description:This session will provide you with the opportunity to hear from colleagues across disciplines who have used ePortfolios in their classes and major studies. ePortfolios, or digital portfolios, are considered a high-impact practice by AAC&U. ePortfolios allow students to digitally curate their work and provide an individual representation of their learning outcomes and the process they engaged in to achieve those outcomes. Research suggests that effective utilization of ePortfolios can impact student learning and improve retention and graduation rates. Our panelists will share their experiences - the why, what, and how as well as the challenges. We hope this session will kick-off a broader campus conversation around the value of ePortfolios for our students.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

3:00-4:00 p.m.: Bringing Accord to Discord with Nicholas Aieta and Nicholas Diaz '24

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session Description: Don't know the difference between a role, a chat, and a server? Not sure what this little log with elephant ears and a smile is all about? Come visit with the two Nicks for an introduction and test play session on Discord that addresses the platform's potential for fostering community.

Please download the Discord app on either a laptop, tablet, or phone prior to the session.

Participants may want to read the following articles prior to the session: "My Students Started a Discord Server. Now What?" and "Taking the University Community Online with Discord".

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable must indicate the Gen Ed class for which it is created. Deliverable: Create a server for your Gen Ed course and organize it in categories that might be beneficial in the context of the course. For example, the server is the “big shell,” but within, you might create one channel devoted to the FYJ Ely Library experience, etc. Submit a screenshot of your server.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

4:15-5:15 p.m. Pickleball 101 with Heidi Bohler

Location: Woodward Field House

Session Description: Learn basic doubles pickleball, practice your game play, have fun with your colleagues and get some exercise. No experience or equipment required! Wear your sneakers and something you feel comfortable moving in.

Wednesday, May 22

(Zoom links will be provided the morning of the session)

9:00-9:30 a.m.: Research with Human Participants: The Basics of WSU’s IRB with Lynn Shelley and Alina Gross

Location: Scanlon 101B

Session Description: In accordance with FDA regulations, WSU’s IRB is responsible for reviewing all research protocols with human participants and assures that appropriate steps are taken to protect the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in the research as described in the Code of Federal Regulations (45CFR46) and the Belmont Report. But what counts as research? Does the IRB have to review in-class research? What about student research, such as an independent study or honors thesis have to be reviewed? What if a professor collected data during a class, and it is really interesting and they now want to turn it into a research project? This session will answer all your questions about WSU’s IRB, and will even answer questions you did not know you had.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

9:00-9:45 a.m.: First Year Journey Construction Crew Meet Up and Assignment Swap with Beverly Army Williams

Location:Scanlon 101C

Session Description:This session is for First Year Journey Construction Crew Members. Share assignments, concerns, and ideas with each other.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/92314335400

9:30-11:00 a.m.: Integrating Easy Mindfulness Practices into Your Classroom with Hillary Sackett-Taylor

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session Description: During her(Spring 2021) sabbatical, Hillary Sackett-Taylor researched pathways for integrating mindfulness practices into the college classroom. Putting her research into practice, she completed her 200-hour Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training through Breathe4Change (an organization of educators training other educators) and also became certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through UMass Memorial Health Center. She will demonstrate eight specific mindfulness practices that can easily be integrated into any classroom, and adapted for any educational context. This workshop will be an interactive classroom simulation. Participants will leave feeling more calm, connected, and grounded in their ability to not only facilitate these practices for students, but also live them every day!

Participants can find electronic copies of workshop materials here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ND0IynTRDJ7qoN9ZJMLc6zVkBcxzjzah?usp=sharing

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable must indicate the Gen Ed class for which it is created.

Deliverable: A lesson plan for one class period, integrating at least one mindfulness practice covered in the workshop, utilizing the five-part flow worksheet provided.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/93272058681?pwd=cklRYS9pa2RldytNR2VNc09VUmhTUT09

10:00-11:30 a.m.: First Year Journey Assessment with Alina Gross, Beverly Army Williams

Location: Scanlon 101C

Session Description: Learn about SCORE's assessment plan and our First Year Journey assessment pilot grant. If you're a FYJ construction crew member interested in assessment, this is the place for you!

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/92823396329

10:00-11:30 a.m.: Analysis, Practice, and Inquiry Assessment with Lynn Shelley and Megan Kennedy

Location: Scanlon 101B

Session Description: Are you teaching in the Analysis, Practice, and Inquiry column? It's not too early to be thinking about assessment. Come learn about SCORE's assessment plan and support available for Assessment Ambassadors.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Seeking New Gen Ed Courses in Honors with Hillary Sackett-Taylor

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session Description: The Honors Program is seeking proposals for Honors courses in the new General Education for Spring 2025 and beyond! Honors Program Director, Hillary Sackett-Taylor, will review the process of designing (or redesigning) a course for the new Gen Ed as an Honors section. She will also discuss the APR model which provides faculty with compensation for developing, teaching, and participating in the assessment of a course that meets the requirements of the Honors Program at Westfield State University and embodies the distinguishing characteristics of Honors education, as outlined by the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Participants should review this site prior to the session.

A $75 stipend will be paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by June 28. Deliverable: Proposal for new Gen Ed Course in Honors: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FLyq2dKXWY-OO60AdaCtwi5bfxCES4uyVLyOjGN8vz8/edit Please submit a screenshot of your proposal submission form final page.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/93272058681?pwd=cklRYS9pa2RldytNR2VNc09VUmhTUT09

12-1:15: Lunch sponsored by the President and Cabinet as part of Parliament Day; there will be two food trucks and music. Please pre-register using this link (note: pre-registration has closed)

1:30-2:30 SOTL presentations and dessert sponsored by the Faculty Center

Dr. Andrew Habana Hafner, Education department

Title: A critical linguistics and pedagogy lens on ‘equity’ in the education of immigrant, refugee, and second language learners: a 10-year theory-practice journey

Dr. Juliet Lee, Education department

Title: Developing practice-based classroom opportunities utilizing theories of race, power, oppression, and intersectionality in a new Education major course.

Dr. Chalet Seidel, English department

Title: A multi-part study on how instructors across the disciplines can support student writers with executive function challenges.

Location: Loughman Living Room

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/97644757494

2:45-4:00 p.m.: Hard Reset: Helping Students Thrive in Our Classrooms with Frank Giuliano and Beverly Army Williams

Location: Loughman Living Room

Session Description: "Have you noticed higher absenteeism among your students? Difficulty focusing on course material? Distraction? Lack of engagement? Late work as the norm? How do we create a “hard reset” among students? Let’s brainstorm together to generate ideas to motivate students to engage more fully with their college classroom experiences.

Zoom: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/99370407998

January 2024 Winter WSU Incubators Mini Conference

Are you planning to design / redesign a course for the new Gen Ed? Need a little motivation to work on your course during winter break? Want to hang out with your colleagues and think about teaching?

Our Winter WSU Incubators Mini Conference will be held on Zoom January 4, 5, and 8. Thanks to funding from the Davis Educational Foundation, there are stipends available for many of the workshops (noted on schedule), as well as for new and redesigned courses for our new Gen Ed.

Please register for the conference at this link. You can register up until the last second, and are still welcome to attend if you forget to register, but earlier registration helps us to plan. Check out our working schedule here. Zoom links will be sent to registered participants each morning of the Mini Conference and will be available on the working schedule and here on the Gen Ed Reform website.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will there be future opportunities to work on building out courses for the new gen ed? Yes. We plan to run construction crews again during the spring semester and possibly during the summer. But remember, you do not have to participate in a construction crew to put something through governance.

How do I get a stipend? If you are participating in a workshop that offers a stipend, submit your deliverable (usually a new or redesigned assignment) for a Gen Ed course by the deadline on the working schedule. The stipends for designing or redesigning a course are paid when you submit a course title, description, worksheet, and syllabus to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu.

Schedule:

Thursday, January 4

(Zoom links will be provided the morning of the session)

9:30-10:00: Exploring Complex Issues Incubator: crafting a title and course description with Beverly Army Williams. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052

10:00-11:00 (Please note time change): First Year Journey: Have you submitted a FYJ course? Join with other FYJ faculty to launch our semester-long construction crew collaborating on how to integrate the common content into your course. Drop in as you're able to join! Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

10:00-11:30: Exploring Complex Issues Incubator: Information Literacy with Librarians Corinne Ebbs and Anna Boutin-Cooper. This session will provide an opportunity to share course-related experiences of student inquiry, discovery, and critical analysis of information, with colleagues. We will introduce the ACRL Information Literacy Framework through which participants can develop and integrate progressive IL activities into course work.

Anyone attending this workshop who creates a deliverable for a Gen Ed course and submits it to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24 will be paid a $75 stipend. The deliverable for this workshop will be a revised or newly designed classroom activity or assignment that integrates progressive IL activities through the lens of the ACRL Framework. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/96408652141

11:00 -11:30 First Year Journey: FYJ: Fill out your FYJ Pilot Request and Course Inclusion Forms with Beverly Army Williams. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

12:00-12:30: Perspectives Incubator: Developing an Honors Section of Your Gen Ed Course with Vanessa Diana. Develop an Honors section of your Gen Ed course and earn additional credit! Come to this workshop to learn about the new process for proposing Honors sections of Gen Ed courses, drawing on the pillars of the WSU Honors Program and the defnition of Honors Education outlined by the National Collegiate Honors Council. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/92881165460

12:00-1:30: Wellbeing: How do you navigate designing/redesigning a 1.5 credit course, maintaining the course’s integrity? This session will give you time to brainstorm ideas, titles, and course descriptions while talking with colleagues about the difference between 1.5 credit and 3 credit courses. Facilitated by Melissa Roti. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/92146588116

1:00-2:00: Discussion Around Academic Integrity with Karsten Theis. What is our role in modeling and cultivating academic integrity (honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage)? How do we feel about accusing our students of academic misconduct, potentially leading to sanctions? How can potential updates to WSU policies and procedures support our efforts and help strengthen the value of WSU degrees?

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94796992528

Anyone attending this workshop who creates a deliverable and submits it to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24 will be paid a $75 stipend. Deliverable may be any one of the following:

Academic Integrity Case Study (based on your own experience at Westfield)
~15-minute teaching unit for the first week of classes on how Academic Integrity is relevant for your course (new or time-tested)
Propose a change to the policy, with rationale (e.g. informal resolution, new categories of misconduct)

2:00-3:00: SCORE update with Lynn Shelley (SCORE co-chair) and Beverly Army Williams (ED of General Education). Learn about the latest updates to SCORE's work. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

Friday, January 5

(Zoom links will be provided the morning of the session)

9:30-10:00: Exploring Complex Issues Incubator: Developing an Honors Section of Your Gen Ed Course with Vanessa Diana. Develop an Honors section of your Gen Ed course and earn additional credit! Come to this workshop to learn about the new process for proposing Honors sections of Gen Ed courses, drawing on the pillars of the WSU Honors Program and the definition of Honors Education outlined by the National Collegiate Honors Council. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/92881165460

10:00-11:30: Exploring Complex Issues Incubator: Designing Writing Infused Courses with Catherine Savini $75 stipend paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24. Deliverable: 1. create or revise a scaffolded writing assignment, a writing-related lesson plan, and/or a peer review plan; 2. either annotate the materials or write a letter to demonstrate how they reflect the writing-infused practice outcome.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/99435902216

12:00-1:30: Perspectives Incubator: Inclusive Critical Pedagogy Panel with Chrissi von Rennesse, Katie Weglarz, and Zahra Caldwell. Panelists will respond to the questions "What has your approach to inclusive pedagogy been?" and "What are concrete ways you've adjusted your courses?"

Anyone attending this workshop who creates a deliverable for a Gen Ed course and submits it to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24 will be paid a $75 stipend. The deliverable for this workshop will be to write a letter that explains one new strategy/activity that you plan to try out and why.

Zoom link :https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/238172090

2:00-3:00: AI Play Time. Curious about AI? Join this session for a chance to explore AI and see what it's all about. Facilitated by Catherine Savini.

Anyone attending this workshop who creates a deliverable for a Gen Ed course and submits it to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24 will be paid a $75 stipend. The deliverable for this workshop will be to produce an activity that can be used in your Gen Ed class that makes use of AI.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/96096089704

2:00-3:00: Active Learning Idea Swap: Come share your active learning strategies and learn from your colleagues! What have tried? What has worked? What roadblocks have you faced and overcome (or not)? Facilitated by Frank Guiliano. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/96522710317

Monday, January 8

(Zoom links will be provided the morning of the session)

9:30-11:00: Exploring Complex Issues Incubator: Designing Speaking Infused Courses with Chalet Seidel. The practice outcome for writing or speaking infused courses calls for providing students with regular practice, strengths-based feedback, and opportunities for revision. Many of the same strategies that support student writing development can be adapted to create rich, meaningful speaking assignments. In this hands-on workshop we will discuss strategies for creating, scaffolding, and assessing speaking assignments.

$75 stipend paid on submission of deliverable to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu. Deliverable: The assignment prompt for a formal speaking assignment. The prompt should include a schedule of mini-deadlines that shows points where students will receive peer or professor feedback on a section or complete draft and a rubric for assessing the final product.

Zoom link:https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/93220842690

11:00-11:30: Exploring Complex Issues Incubator: Syllabus exchange peer review facilitated by Beverly Army Williams. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

12:00-1:30: Perspectives Incubator: Universal Design for Learning with Lyndsey Nunes. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of three research-based principles - representation, action/expression, and engagement - for curriculum development that guide the design of learning environments with a deep understanding and appreciation for individual variability. Participants will be provided with an overview of UDL specifically in higher education, tools, and hands-on activities to explore how their curricula, methods, materials, and assessments can be redesigned through a UDL framework with a focus on accessibility.

Anyone attending this workshop who creates a deliverable for a Gen Ed course and submits it to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24 will be paid a $75 stipend. The deliverable for this workshop will be to provide a completed UDL planning guide worksheet (will be provided) for an assignment or in class activity.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83020739384

1:30-2:00: Perspectives Incubator: Syllabus exchange peer review facilitated by Beverly Army Williams. Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/94412217808

2:00-3:00: AI Guided Play time: Curious about AI? Join this session for a chance to explore AI and see what it's all about. In this friendly environment, come check out the many ways AI platforms like ChatGPT or Google's Bard can help you and your students both in and out of the classroom. Facilitated by Alex Daniel.

Anyone attending this workshop who creates a deliverable for a Gen Ed course and submits it to GenEdReform@westfield.ma.edu by 2/2/24 will be paid a $75 stipend. The deliverable for this workshop will be to produce an activity that can be used in your Gen Ed class that makes use of AI.

Zoom link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/91812111717