Dates and Times to Connect and Learn 

November 5, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Blackboard is hosting a virtual Digital Teaching Symposium featuring faculty speakers from around the world. Registration is free, and presentation topics UR faculty might find useful include: 

  • The accessibility tool-kit: Strategies for ensuring accessibility for all learners 
  • Discussion boards: How to manage feedback using rubrics and break into groups 
  • “Teach the class with your own example.” Giving students a stake in the F2F class 
  • Using SafeAssign in Blackboard: Plagiarism prevention in one click 

November 12 @ 3 p.m.  In collaboration with the Provost’s Office and Jennifer Cable from our mindfulness community on campus, faculty and staff are invited to a virtual workshop on Mindful Leadership with Janice Marturano, author of Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership. The session is designed for those who have yet to explore mindfulness practices, as well as those who regularly practice. Registration is limited and includes a copy of Ms. Marturano’s book. Friday, November 12 from 3-4:30 p.m. Sign up for the workshop here.  

November 17 @ 3 p.m.  Please join us for “What Inclusive Instructors Do: A Focus on Students’ Sense of Belonging,” a discussion with Dr. Tracie Addy, author of What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching on Wednesday, November 17 from 3 – 4:15 p.m. on Zoom. Please register here.  

November 30 @ 12:12 p.m. Leadership During Personal Crisis: Research and Implications for Practice”  Come learn from Laura E. Knouse (Associate Professor of Psychology, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Faculty Director of the Richmond Scholars Program) and Gill Robinson Hickman (Professor Emerita, Jepson School of Leadership Studies) who will share their current scholarship on Tuesday, November 30. The talk will be from 12:12 to 12:30 p.m. with discussion to follow. A Zoom option is available; there will be pizza in the Faculty Hub for those joining in person. Please sign up for the Hub Talk here

Each week, on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, we host coffee break conversations on timely topics; see the Morning Blend program on our website for in-person and Zoom options. Upcoming topics include:  

  • Writing Strong Letters of Recommendation with Dana Kuchem 
  • Adapting Exams for Flexible Delivery
  • Academic Integrity and SafeAssign 
  • Reflecting on the Semester 

Tip sheets and videos of prior topics are available on our website and our consultants are happy to meet with you individually to discuss applying these or other ideas to your teaching and scholarship goals. 

 Services and Resources Available From the Faculty Hub 

It’s not too late to do a facilitated course assessment! For anonymous student feedback on a new assignment used this term or new teaching approaches you addedconsider a confidential, formative, facilitated course assessment from the Faculty Hub for quality feedback you can use. Contact us to learn more.  

Associate Professor Kristine Grayson has completed her role as a Faculty Hub Associate in our pilot program designed to support individual faculty development while also developing resources and knowledge to share with other faculty. To learn about Grayson’s experiences and access her resources on “Teaching Quantitative Data Literacy, please read her blog post here and contact Grayson or the Faculty Hub for more information. 

Resource Spotlight: Group Projects – Faculty using group projects in their courses may find helpful suggestions and resources in our “Group Work: Overview”and “Group Work: Assessment” tip sheets. 

Learning Communities in the Faculty Hub 

Digital Pedagogy Cohort members have been improving their skills with methods and increasing their familiarity with theories related to digital media assignments. If you are interested in diving deeper into digital pedagogy, consider joining the Faculty Hub’s spring term cohort focused on web publishing or reach out to one of our technology consultants to discuss your needs and interests.    

The Faculty Hub’s Alternative Assessments Working Group met on Friday, October 22 at 2 p.m. to discuss portfolio grading; specifications, contract, and labor-based grading; and ungrading. Future conversations will take place roughly monthly at the same time; contact Libby Gruner for more information or to join the group.