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November 2023 Tuesday Tips
7th November 2023
At some point, many of us find ourselves in roles that cross boundaries between typical faculty work and leadership. This can take many forms from working in the Senate, serving as Department Chair, or perhaps leading a special initiative. In higher education we do not do an especially good job preparing people for leadership. We often fall into the trap of assuming someone will be good at organizing people and projects because they are a good researcher or teacher.
We are working on some leadership oriented professional development in Faculty Development for the Spring. In the meantime, we wanted to share two boundary-crossing resources you might find useful as you develop in leadership and in the classroom.
First, Dr. Jamie Gunderson from the School of Education hosts our Rise, Teach, Learn podcast. We were recently able to sit down with President Perez to discuss teaching and learning. Give the most recent episode a listen to learn about how highs and lows in classroom instruction inform the vision of President Perez.
Second, I continue to be impressed by the variety of professional development opportunities within NCFDD. This archived webinar covers managing dual roles(opens in new window) as a teacher and administrator and would be a useful investment of time for those currently in, or considering a leadership opportunity. It is one of hundreds of outstanding resources available after you sign up for NCFDD. Just as a reminder we have a membership this year so it is free to you.
Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
14th November 2023
The tip this week is brought to you by International Education and Global Engagement (IEGE), as part of International Education Week 2023.
Chico State joins higher education institutions around the world in honoring and celebrating International Education Week from November 13 - 17, 2023. IEGE is hosting a series of activities this week for faculty, staff, and students to engage in global learning and cultural events. We ask that you encourage your students to attend, and explore international research and teaching opportunities for yourself.
Faculty often report that teaching and conducting research abroad, or incorporating Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) opportunities into the classroom, can be life-changing, tapping into resources and developing pedagogy that incorporates global learning and engagement, a strategic priority of the University. Through these opportunities, faculty can also empathize with the experience of international students, staff and faculty at Chico State, as the instructor is immersed in different languages and cultures and learns to navigate a new educational system and environment.
Global engagement opportunities and resources available to Chico State faculty:
- Attend our Global Opportunities for Chico State Faculty virtual session on Thursday, November 16 from 10:00-11:00 am on Zoom(opens in new window). Learn from campus and affiliates about opportunities to teach, conduct research, and collaborate globally through a variety of opportunities, including Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL),(opens in new window) leading faculty-led study abroad programs, applying for Fulbright or German Academic Exchange Service grants, or teaching abroad with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)(opens in new window).
- Apply to become a Resident Director on a CSU International Program(opens in new window) in Italy for a year, deadline to apply is December 31, 2023. Contact Chico State ACIP Rep, Dr. Fay Mitchell-Brown, with questions: fmitchellbrown@csuchico.edu(opens in new window).
- Check out Fulbright Grant programs for US Scholars(opens in new window), or how to host visiting scholars and scholars in residence(opens in new window). Likewise, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program(opens in new window) offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines for graduating college seniors, graduate students, and early-career professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. If you have any questions, our campus faculty liaison is Dr. Matthew Stone and he’s available for support: mjstone@csuchico.edu(opens in new window).
- Take students abroad through Faculty-Led Study Abroad. Check out Carli Ross’ adapted physical education internship program(opens in new window) in Northern Italy as one great example.
- Join the International Faculty and Staff Association. Open to all international faculty and staff and allies, the IFSA celebrates the collective broad-based experience and representation across all cultures, languages, beliefs and disciplinary backgrounds.
- Invite a Study Abroad and Exchange advisor or alumnus into your class(es) to present on program and study abroad scholarship options, specifically tailored to your department or student interests, by completing this classroom presentation request form(opens in new window).
- Encourage your students to visit the campus English as a Second Language (ESL) Support Services (ESLS), which offers free tutoring services for non-native speakers of English who want to improve their English proficiency.
- Consider hosting a visiting international scholar in your academic department. These short-term J-1 scholars enrich the campus in many ways including teaching courses, collaborating with Chico State faculty on research projects, and sharing their academic expertise with our faculty and students.
Need more information? Contact Dr. Jennifer Gruber, jlgruber@csuchico.edu(opens in new window), AVP, International Education and Global Engagement.
Our NCFDD recommendation this week is tied to the tip from AVP Gruber. NCFDD regularly hosts experts to discuss programming and makes the archives available. Interested in more information about the Fulbright program? Check out this webinar(opens in new window) on the topic. You have to sign up for NCFDD (which you have free access to for this year) and once you do, you will have access to an incredible catalog of useful resources for your classroom and professional development.
Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
28th November 2023
Tuesday Teaching Tip: The Many Benefits of Community- and Civically-Engaged Pedagogy
Sent on behalf of Dr. Amy Magnus, Director of Civic Engagement, and Annie Layon, Civic Engagement Student Assistant
We start the Tuesday Tip today with a student’s voice. Annie Layon, a graduating senior, shares her experience with and desire for more community- and civically-engaged pedagogy at Chico State:
Hi there! I’m Annie Layon and I’m a Women’s Studies and Psychology student at Chico State - I’m excited to be graduating this semester! As an avid environmentalist, feminist, and activist, I've always been extremely passionate about environmentalism and sustainability. Yet, I’m leaving Chico State asking myself: How could my courses from all kinds of disciplines have been more intentional about helping me take what I learned in the classroom out into the world? In my 4.5 years at Chico State, civic and community engagement wasn’t a top priority in the course curriculum. However, I would have deeply appreciated the opportunity to actively connect what I learned in my classes to the world around me through community-engaged projects, civically-engaged pedagogy, and intentional opportunities to use my education to support my community. So, I encourage faculty to stay curious, ask questions, and consider incorporating community- and civically-engaged pedagogy into their courses!
The Benefits of Community- and Civically-Engaged Pedagogy
Community- and civically-engaged pedagogy marry the dissemination of academic knowledge, mutually beneficial collaborations between communities and students, and students’ application of their knowledge in a community. Courses that embed community- and civically-engaged learning as a high impact practice (HIP) prioritize both knowledge and action, helping students wield the skills and expertise they are developing to support their communities in helpful ways. At Chico State, we value the use of high impact practices (HIPs) as a key path to student success. Two stellar examples of this work on campus are the Town Hall Meeting and Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems.
HIPs continually demonstrate their positive impact on student retention and motivation, students’ sense of belonging and community, and their inclination toward civic responsibility. Trudeau and Kruse (2014: 25-26) articulate some of the key impacts of these approaches to teaching, highlighting their transformative potential:
“…students who participate in civic engagement are highly motivated and engaged in their learning. For some students, these experiences become formative moments in which they understand with greater clarity what they want to pursue in their working life or the kind of citizen they want to be… another important reason is that the learning which the students experience through civic engagement is personally – and socially – relevant, long-lasting, and sometimes transformative, and is thus more substantive than a lecture-discussion approach to learning.”
Taking the First Step: Support, Resources, and Future Programming
You might be thinking: “...this sounds awesome, but how will I find the time, resources, or capacity to add one more thing to my already-busy schedule?” The Office of Civic Engagement is here to help and support you! Incorporating engaged teaching and learning into your teaching routine is an approach that should be implemented slowly, carefully, thoughtfully, and with special care taken to ensure it is done ethically and in collaboration with communities. The Office of Civic Engagement, in collaboration with Faculty Development, is excited to share that we are in the process of developing new engaged teaching and learning programming that will be available to faculty starting in the 2024-2025 academic year. We will promote these programs and put out a call for applications in the upcoming spring semester, but feel free to reach out now with your ideas or questions!
Want to learn more? Check out these resources:
Alcantar, C. M. (2023). Civic engagement of Latinx students: The role of higher education institutions in serving the public good. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 22(3), 255-275.
Trudeau, D., & Kruse, T. P. (2014). Creating significant learning experiences through civic engagement: Practical strategies for community-engaged pedagogy. Journal of Public Scholarship in Higher Education, 4, 12-30.
Visit Collaboratory(opens in new window) to see more examples of community-based research, community- and civically-engaged pedagogy, and more!
Questions?
Please reach out to Amy Magnus in the Office of Civic Engagement (ammagnus@csuchico.edu)
Our NCFDD recommendation this week is connected to civic work in the classroom: the concept of public scholarship. Writing for public audiences can be challenging after a life of academic orientation. Check out this webinar(opens in new window) on the topic. You have to sign up for NCFDD (which you have free access to for this year) and once you do, you will have access to an incredible catalog of useful resources for your classroom and professional development.
Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences