Dear Colleagues,
We hope your first week of teaching has been rewarding and that you are taking steps toward greater comfort and confidence in the new modes of engagement.
I want to pass along a few updates from the Faculty Hub regarding upcoming offerings, opportunities to consult with Faculty Hub Associates and the Inclusive Pedagogy (IP) Cohort.
Upcoming Offerings
> Morning Blend
Throughout the Fall 2020 semester, the Faculty Hub will be hosting a new program, the Morning Blend. These online get-togethers will provide a quick helpful tip (5-10 minutes), a takeaway document (tip sheet) for later reference, and general discussion about the designated topic or other questions. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join us on the dates below. Come for the tip and discussion or just the tip if you cannot stay the whole time. We have scheduled 45 minutes but will keep our presentations efficient and provide a useful takeaway. All Morning Blend meetings will use the following Zoom URL, no registration required: https://urichmond.zoom.us/j/92842075108?pwd=blFvSjR3Z043NlM0QXZXV1VBb0lRUT09
Have an idea or request for a future Morning Blend session? We want to hear from you! Send topic ideas to facultyhub@richmond.edu.
| Topic | Monday Sessions | Thursday Sessions |
| Strategies for Virtual Office Hours | September 14
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
September 17
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
| Blended Classroom Discussions, Revisited | September 21
9 a.m.– 9:45 a.m. |
September 24
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
| Adapting Media Projects for Remote and Blended Teaching | September 28
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
October 1
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
| Strategies for Gathering Midterm Student Feedback | October 5
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
October 8
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
> Faculty Hub Office Hours
Do you need better ways to engage your remote students? Are you seeking some feedback on managing a blended classroom while using new technology? Have you had some success in engaging your remote learners and would you like to share your approaches with other faculty?
Attend one of our office hour sessions next week! In these two sessions, we will share strategies and resources to help instructors engage all students – both remote and in-person – in their lectures, learning activities, and class discussions. We have had some of our own challenges in teaching this week and we know that through group discussion, we can generate ways to improve the teaching and learning experience.
Join us on Monday, August 31 from 2-3:15 p.m. or Wednesday, September 2 from 11-12:15 p.m. to ask questions, share ideas, and learn from one another. All office hour sessions will use the following Zoom URL, no registration required: https://urichmond.zoom.us/j/92842075108?pwd=blFvSjR3Z043NlM0QXZXV1VBb0lRUT09.
The remaining dates, times, topics, and Zoom link can be found here, as well as information on scheduling individual consultations with Faculty Hub staff:
https://richmond.box.com/s/qnnmbo3vsbn3nsi4uw941euzklodput9
> Faculty Hub Associates
Welcome to our Faculty Hub Associates, Dr. Kristine Grayson, Dr. Libby Gruner, and Dr. Kristine Nolin. They have joined us this academic year to work on various faculty development projects and will also be holding office hours to assist faculty on certain topics. Their availability and specialty areas are listed below. Please reach out if you would like to consult with them.
Dr. Kristine Grayson, Associate Professor of Biology
Email: kgrayson@richmond.edu
Office hours for faculty (starting September 2): Wednesday, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., Friday, 1 p.m. – 2p.m. or by appointment (email for Zoom link)
Consultations: data literacy, quantitative skills assessment, grants and publishing on science teaching practice
Dr. Libby Gruner, Professor of English
Email: egruner@richmond.edu
Office hours for faculty: By appointment (book here; Thursdays and Fridays are best. Zoom link will be sent when you book.)
Consultations: alternative forms of assessment, ungrading, portfolio grading, contract grading, inclusive pedagogy
Dr. Kristine Nolin, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Email: knolin@richmond.edu
Office hours for faculty: Monday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., by appointment (email to arrange an appointment)
Consultations: data literacy
> Inclusive Pedagogy (IP) Cohort
Faculty selected last spring for the IP Cohort will begin meeting in September. This year, the program is co-facilitated by Dr. Kylie Korsnack, Educational Developer in the Faculty Hub, and Dr. Holly Blake, Director of the WILL* program and Associate Dean for Outreach Education and Development, Westhampton College. The IP Cohort is a program of the Provost’s Office to enhance the use of pedagogies that help develop an inclusive learning community and engage all learners.
Finally, I want to give a big shout-out to all of our partners in this educational mission to prepare for the new modes of teaching. Too many to name here, staff who worked on classroom setups, registration, cleaning protocols and current cleaning, signage, and others are all instrumental to our success this fall. While instructors are visible in the classroom or on Zoom, we cannot do this without the work of our partners. A special thanks to Information Services for their tireless and gracious help for all instructors—we are so thankful for their work.
Best wishes,
Linda
Linda M. Boland, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Director, Teaching and Scholarship Hub