Faculty Learning Communities

We offer Faculty Learning Communities each year in the Faculty Center. FLCs provide a unique opportunity for faculty to engage in an important project, learn something new, and connect with colleagues.

Spring 2025

Linguistic Justice Faculty Learning Community

Creating Opportunities for Inclusive Linguistic Expression in Course Pedagogy

Overview:

Dates: Thursdays during u-hour (March 13th - April 24, 2025, no meeting April 3 for Spring Break)

Modality: Virtual Synchronous

Time Commitment: 6 hours for attending sessions and 6 hours for curriculum redesign homework activities

Facilitator: Shellye Sledge, LCSW – PhD, LCSW, CEAP – Assistant Professor (��)

Applications due by March 3, 2025

Student engagement is a critical aspect of teaching. At the core is the ability to communicate with students from a variety of backgrounds. Inclusive language is an art and a skill that can enhance the active learning experience. Using the linguistic framework developed by educator Dr. April Baker-Bell, this faculty learning community will guide faculty explorations for how we approach and cultivate linguistic expression through targeted exercises and prompts for designing/re-designing your courses. Linguistic expression in the classroom applies to all disciplines as it reflects how we and our students show up and converse with one another. Participants completing the learning community will develop an appreciation for linguistic informed justice from a cultural strength's perspective in an interactive/experiential format.

Session Details: Weekly interactive workshops with hands-on exercises that include the use of thought-provoking explorations and pedagogical strategies that enhance your ability to authentically engage with ��’s diverse student population. The faculty learning community will work individually and collaboratively to identify avenues for incorporating linguistic expression into their course(s) by participating in the following sessions that will guide discussions and hands-on exercises.

Session 1: Introduction to Linguistic Justice | Philosophy on Language Learning
Session 2: Exploring the Teaching Process
Session 3: Reflecting on Course Goals
Session 4: Reflecting on Writing/ Language Policies
Session 5: Reflecting on Writing as a Linguistic Justice Tool
Session 6: Reflecting on Reading Materials | Linguistic Freedom | Conclusion

Format: Virtual, six meeting dates during u-hour (12:00-1:00 PM) on Thursdays from March 13, March 20, March 27, April 10, April 17, and April 24. 6 hours contact time for workshops and 6 hours estimated of curriculum redesign work.

Seats open to up to 18 eligible faculty (applications required).

$500 Training Stipend for completing and attending fully all 6 sessions in real time and submitting all required curriculum redesign activities.

How will faculty be selected?

Application clearly articulates interest in curriculum redesign work to improve student engagement and cultivate sense of belonging and inclusion for students in the classroom.

Diverse representation of ranks, disciplines, and colleges

Space will be limited to 18 eligible faculty participants.

Open to tenure track faculty and lecturer faculty with one-year or three-year contracts

Priority will be given to eligible faculty working towards tenure and/or promotion

Only Unit 3 faculty members who will be on contract with an existing Unit 3 appointment during the entire time frame of the training or professional development opportunity are eligible to be considered for a training stipend. Faculty may not request or accept professional development and/or training under this program unless they are on active pay status as a faculty bargaining unit employee. Summer stipends can only be offered to faculty who will be employed the preceding spring and subsequent fall semesters.

If you hold concurrent campus employment in a category other than Unit 3 (faculty) please contact the Faculty Center to confirm eligibility for this paid training opportunity.

Faculty are limited to a maximum of $10,000 in stipends for faculty training and professional development per fiscal year. Faculty cannot accept an offer for a stipend that will cause them to exceed this $10,000 annual limit.

All faculty members accepting a stipend must fulfill all of the stated terms and expectations that constitute completion of the training or development activity to receive the stipend.

AY 2024/25 Opportunities for Cohorted Faculty Professional Development!

Teaching & Learning Spotlight on Student Engagement

Application due by 5:00 PM September 16, 2024:

A cohorted learning pathway where faculty will spend time learning about classroom equity, high impact practices, and building dynamic classroom content that responds to the needs of current students. This series is highly interactive and includes curriculum redesign activities to complete after each session.

Student Engagement Certificate Program

Format: Fully In-Person, four meeting dates across the 2024/25 academic year (2 in Fall and 2 in Spring), 90-minute sessions with post-event assignments for curriculum redesign work, 6 hours contact time for workshops and 6 hours estimated of curriculum redesign work.

Seats open to up to 12 eligible faculty (applications required).
$500 Training Stipend for completing and attending fully all 4 sessions and submitting all required curriculum redesign activities. Sessions can only be attended in-person.

The “Student Engagement” certificate program at the Faculty Center focuses on a range of ways to develop and hone active and inclusive classroom practices that meet the needs of current and anticipated �� undergraduate students. The four workshops include:

Workshop #1: "Creating Inclusive Classroom Communities: A Path to Belonging"

Friday September 27, 2024
12:30-2:00
In-person, KEL 2413

In today's diverse learning environments, fostering a sense of belonging and cultivating an inclusive classroom culture is vital for student success. Learn practical strategies to co-create classroom community agreements with your students and empower students to feel valued, respected, and able to thrive academically.

After this workshop you will be able to:

• Develop collaborative community agreements with your students that establish shared expectations and values for learning.

• Incorporate students' voices and perspectives in class content

Maintain student feedback loops for personalized learning
Identify ways for students to share their lived experiences in relation to classroom curriculum

Through interactive activities and case studies, you will develop a comprehensive toolkit for cultivating a sense of belonging and creating a supportive classroom community.

Workshop #2: “Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Equity Strategies for University Teaching”

Friday October 18, 2024
12:30-2:00
In-person, KEL 2413

This thought-provoking workshop will equip you with strategies to identify and address barriers to equity in your classroom, helping you to create experiences where every student has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Explore the multifaceted nature of equity and its impact on student engagement, achievement, and overall well-being. Gain insights into recognizing and mitigating implicit biases, stereotypes, and microaggressions that can hinder equitable learning experiences.

Discover practical approaches to designing inclusive curricula, instructional materials, and assessment methods that encourage students to engage in the learning process.

During this active workshop, you will participate in sample classroom exercises that bring together principles of performance pedagogy, decolonizing practices, and asset-based equity approaches.

Workshop #3: "Energizing Your Classroom: Unleashing the Power of Active Learning"

Friday February 21, 2025
12:30-2:00
In-person, KEL 2413

In an era where passive learning is becoming increasingly obsolete, embracing active learning strategies is crucial for fostering a dynamic and engaging classroom environment. This hands-on workshop will provide you with a comprehensive toolkit of techniques for active learning.

Explore strategies such as problem-based learning, case studies, role-playing, and collaborative projects that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Learn how to design interactive lectures and immersive activities that capture students' attention and stimulate their intellectual curiosity. Includes considerations of how technology and multimedia resources can sustain engaging and multisensory learning experiences.

Workshop #4: "Bridging Generational Divides: Teaching for Gen Z and Beyond"

Friday March 21, 2025
12:30-2:00
In-person, KEL 2413

This workshop will provide you with the knowledge and skills to effectively engage Gen Z students while preparing for the arrival of Gen Alpha.

Explore the defining characteristics, values, and learning preferences of Gen Z, a cohort deeply influenced by technology, social media, and the global interconnectedness of our world. Discover strategies for keeping students focused, fostering digital literacy, and nurturing their desire for authenticity and social impact. You’ll also consider the curricular shifts expected in 2030 with the arrival of Gen Alpha students, the first generation born entirely in the 21st century and whose formative education was the most deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this culminating workshop to our student engagement series, you will have multiple opportunities to apply and adapt the concepts you learned in the earlier sessions and how to frame your classroom learning goals and activities within rhetorical frameworks that respond to the cultural frameworks and needs of �� students and first-generation college students more broadly.

How will faculty be selected?

Application clearly articulates interest in curriculum redesign work to improve student engagement, including development of career readiness curriculum, incorporating active learning/high impact practices, and centering classroom equity.
Diverse representation of ranks, disciplines, and colleges
Space will be limited to 12 eligible faculty participants.

Open to tenure track faculty and lecturer faculty with one-year or three-year contracts
Priority will be given to eligible faculty who have not participated in a paid Faculty Center

training program or event in the last calendar year

If you hold concurrent campus employment in a category other than Unit 3 (faculty) please contact the Faculty Center to confirm eligibility for this paid training opportunity.

All faculty members accepting a stipend must fulfill all of the stated terms and expectations that constitute completion of the training or development activity to receive the stipend.

Teaching & Learning Spotlight on Future of Teaching

A cohorted learning pathway where faculty will spend time learning about issues affecting the future of higher education with a special focus on the impact of generative AI and how public debates about the “value” of a college degree have positioned faculty to respond in new ways to promote career readiness in their classroom. This series concludes with a highly interactive praxis workshop that focuses on curriculum redesign; online sessions will have required follow-up activities to help prepare participants for the culminating praxis workshop.

Format: Hybrid: 5 online sessions of 45 minutes with one culminating in-person praxis workshop that is 2 hours. 5.75-6 hours total contact time.

Seats open to up to 18 eligible faculty (applications required).

$500 Training Stipend for completing and attending fully the 5 online sessions and the in-person praxis workshop with deliverables.

The “Future of Teaching” certificate program requires faculty to attend three online learning sessions from the AI track and two online learning sessions from the Curriculum to Careers track. Online sessions meet 45 minutes synchronously during u-hour on specificied dates (see full details below)

The track concludes with an in-person two-hour praxis workshop with guided activities for faculty to apply their learning from the online sessions into classroom materials such as revamped assignments, new class activity development, improved syllabi, etc.

The session details are as follows:

Curriculum to Careers sessions:

"Translating Academic Skills for Career Success"

- Thurs Oct 3, 2024
- Online 12:00-12:45

Academic programs equip students with knowledge and abilities, but effectively communicating these skills to potential employers can be a challenge. In this session, you will learn strategies to help students articulate their academic achievements using language that resonates with employers. Discover how to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world, empowering your students to confidently market themselves and secure rewarding career opportunities.

“Motivating Students with Real-World Assignments”
- Tues Nov 5, 2024
- Online 12:00-12:45

Career readiness begins in the classroom, however, the connection between classroom work and real-world applications is not always clear to students. This session focuses on using assignments that have real-world aspects to better prepare students for a range of careers interests. Making the relevance of your course content tangible beyond academia, you will not only boost student motivation but also cultivate the essential skills and mindset they need to thrive in their future careers. Discover practical ways to infuse your coursework with real-world contexts, unlocking the power of experiential learning. Considers service learning and internship options unique to the �� campus.

AI session descriptions

"Designing AI-Empowered Assignments for an Inclusive Classroom"
- Tues Nov 19, 2024
- Online 12:00-12:45

This session considers how to thoughtfully leverage AI use in classroom assignments that cater to diverse student needs and skills and create authentic opportunities for students to enhance their learning with AI tools. Discover practical strategies to incorporate AI in crafting assignments that go beyond using AI as a “gimmick” and instead give students opportunities to try out tools that increasingly are used in the workplace while centering the importance of the human-user's knowledge and skills for successful results.

"Enhancing Student Learning with AI-Driven Feedback"
- Tues Feb 11, 2025
- Online 12:00-12:45

Explore how AI can be leveraged to provide students with personalized feedback, empowering them to take ownership of their learning journey and embrace learning as an ongoing process. Discover innovative AI techniques for analyzing student work, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and offering tailored recommendations. Learn how to integrate AI-powered feedback seamlessly into your existing assessment methods, enabling you to provide timely, actionable insights to your students.

"Rethinking Assessment in the Age of AI"
- Thurs March 6, 2025
- Online 12:00-12:45

As AI becomes an integral part of the learning experience (starting before students even begin their college courses), faculty must adapt their assessment strategies to ensure accurate evaluation of student progress. This session will explore how to redesign assessments and rubrics in a world where AI has changed our relationship with traditional take home assignments and projects (i.e., essays) as markers of student work. Explore strategies to evaluate not only content mastery but also the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills that are essential in an AI-driven world.

In-person Culminating Workshop
- KEL 2413
- Friday April 25, 2025, 12:00-2:00

Ties together the content from across the five sessions and provides guided exercises for curriculum and syllabus redesign.

How will faculty be selected?

Application clearly articulates interest in curriculum redesign work to think about how to intentionally include career readiness in your classroom content and willingness to develop assignments that can be generative-AI supported as opposed to generative-AI restricted

Open to tenure track faculty and lecturer faculty with one-year or three-year contracts

Priority will be given to eligible faculty who have not participated in a paid Faculty Center training program or event in the last calendar year

Diverse representation of ranks, disciplines, and colleges

Space will be limited to 18 eligible faculty participants.

If you hold concurrent campus employment in a category other than Unit 3 (faculty) please contact the Faculty Center to confirm eligibility for this paid training opportunity.

All faculty members accepting a stipend must fulfill all of the stated terms and expectations that constitute completion of the training or development activity to receive the stipend.

Quality Online Learning and Teaching Faculty Learning Community (QLT FLC)

Leader: Dr. Karno Ng

Overview

Overview

There are two tracks for the QLT FLC. Faculty members who have completed the 3-week nd earned the certificate will be on Track 2. Those who haven’t completed the course and earned the certificate will be on Track 1.

Meetings and Tasks Overview at a Glance:

Fall 2024
QLT FLC—Intro to Teaching Online with QLT
Date & Time	Event/ Task	Track 1	Track 2
9/20/2024 (Fri) Noon to 1 p.m.	Workshop #1: Introduction to QLT FLC IN PERSON at the Faculty Center	X	X
9/30/2024 (Mon.) 8 a.m.	Starts of the 3-week asynchronous	X
10/4/2024 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Synchronous online weekly Q&A Session #1 during the 3-week Intro course	X
10/11/2024 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Synchronous online weekly Q&A Session #2 during the 3-week Intro course	X
10/18/2024 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Synchronous online weekly Q&A Session #3 during the 3-week Intro course	X
11/8/2024 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Workshop #2: Course Development with Generative AI Synchronous online	X	X
10/20/2024 (Sun) 11:55 p.m.	Completion of 3-week asynchronous	X
12/6/2024 (Fri.)	Complete Core 24 in the Self-assessment	X	X
Spring 2024	QLT FLC – Implementation & Showcase
2/14/2025 (Fri.)	Complete all components of the Self-Assessment	X	X
3/14/2025 (Fri.)	Complete Peer Review	X	X
3/21/2025 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Workshop # 3: Implement feedback from internal peer review Synchronous online	X	X
Date & Time	Event/ Tasks	Track 1	Track 2
3/28/2025 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Workshop # 4: Implement feedback from internal peer review Synchronous online	X	X
4/11/2025 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Workshop # 5: Innovative Student Engagement with Generative AI Synchronous online	X	X
4/18/2025 (Fri.) Noon to 1 p.m.	Workshop # 6: Implement feedback from internal peer review Synchronous online	X	X
4/25/2025 (Fri.)	Complete internal certificate requirement (24 core & 85% overall)	X	X
5/2/2025	Faculty Center Expo Showcase Event – share and celebrate accomplishments with the wider �� faculty community at the campus’s signature Teaching & Learning symposium.	X	X
	Requirement for Attendance of Workshops	Must attend 5 out of 6 workshops	Must attend 3 out of 6 workshops
	Requirement for Attendance of Q& A Session	Must attend 1 out of the 3 Q&A Session	none
	Training stipend (salary) for each faculty member who completes the above requirements	$1,000	$ 500

Open to faculty of all ranks and colleges with Unit 3 appointments in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025; if you hold concurrent campus employment in a category other than Unit 3 (faculty) please contact the Faculty Center to confirm eligibility for this paid training opportunity.
Earn a Faculty Center Certificate suitable for WPAF
Deadline to apply: Sept 3, 2024

Description

Quality online and hybrid courses are vital to student success. They increase student engagement and lower course DFW rates and can close student achievement equity gaps. Thus, it is essential to ensure that online and hybrid courses have reached a commonly accepted standard prior to their delivery. The Quality Learning and Teaching rubric is an evaluation tool developed by the CSU Chancellor’s office to ensure the quality of online and hybrid courses. This FLC offers the opportunity for faculty to conduct self or peer reviews of online or hybrid courses with the QLT rubric. The goal of these reviews is to provide best practices and support towards designing and delivering courses that result in quality learning experiences for students.

This FLC is committed to preparing faculty who are interested in completing the informal campus review process while offering a holistic approach to teaching online and hybrid courses. Not only will you complete the locally-administered QLT certification process, by the end of this FLC you will be able to:

(1) set up your online or hybrid course in a way that provides support to students,

(2) develop assessments that effectively measure your course objectives and,

(3) effectively provide feedback to students.

Specifically, the FLC will focus on:

Applying best practices for designing and delivering online and hybrid courses using the QLT rubric.
Developing online and hybrid-specific strategies to increase student engagement and get the most out of your online or hybrid courses.
Fostering a community of faculty who will share ideas and current examples of what they are doing in their online and hybrid courses to increase student success.

Expectation and compensation

Meetings: The FLC meets on Fridays from 12:00 to 1:00 pm at the Faculty Center or online (indicated by *) for a total of six workshops with a total of 6 hours of meeting time [9/20 (in person), 11/8 *, 3/21*, 3/28*, 4/11+*, 4/18*, 4/25*].

Note: Faculty on Track 1 must attend at least 5 out of the 6 workshops. Faculty on Track 2 must attend at least 3 (out of 6 workshops).

Training Course, QLT Course Certification, Presentation at the Faculty Center Teaching and Learning Expo9/30/2023—9/213024: Complete a 3-weeks asynchronized online training course (time required: 15-20 hours): “Intro to Teaching Online with QLT”
Weekly synchronized Q&A online sessions (for the 3-weeks “Intro to Teaching Online with QLT” course) will be held from noon to 1 p.m. (on 10/4, 10/11 & 10/18) during the duration of this 3-weeks training course. Note: Faculty on Track 1 must attend at least one out of the 3 Q&A sessions. Faculty on Track 2 do not need to attend any of the weekly Q&A online sessions
Obtain QLT Course Certification by 4/25/2025. (see details components in the overview section)
Participate at the Faculty Center Teaching & Learning Expo on May 2, 2025 via the Quality Online Teaching Poster Showcase session.

Faculty who successfully participate in Track 1 will receive $1000 training stipend (salary) if they fulfill the expectations as listed above.

Faculty who successfully participate in Track 2 will receive $ 500 training stipend (salary) if they fulfill the expectation as listed above.

All faculty who complete this FLC will also receive a Faculty Center Certificate confirming completion of this program suitable for inclusion in a WPAF and in addition to their local QLT Certificate.

Who should apply?

Faculty of all ranks from all colleges with Unit 3 appointments in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 are welcome to apply! If you hold concurrent campus employment in a category other than Unit 3 (faculty) please contact the Faculty Center to confirm eligibility for this paid training opportunity.

For questions about the Faculty Learning Community or application, please contact Karno Ng, Faculty Fellow for QLT at kng@csusm.edu

How will faculty be selected?

Taught an online or hybrid course at least once in the semester before Fall 2024. The course you QLT certify must have been fully taught by you in a previous semester in an online or hybrid format.
Faculty members must be the primary instructor who designs the course content for the courses they are seeking QLT certificate for.
Stated interest in gaining knowledge in effective evaluation and implementation of online and hybrid best practices and getting their online courses to be QLT certified.
Diverse representation of ranks, disciplines, and colleges
Space will be limited to 10 faculty participants.

If you hold concurrent campus employment in a category other than Unit 3 (faculty) please contact the Faculty Center to confirm eligibility for this paid training opportunity.

All faculty members accepting a stipend must fulfill all of the stated terms and expectations that constitute completion of the training or development activity to receive the stipend.

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