2021 Fall - Resources, Connections, and Relationships

Faculty Development Days Information

Our theme for the fall program is “Resources, Connections, and Relationships.” We do not need to tell you this, but the past year has been challenging and a bit isolating--for us and for our students. The theme highlights our desire to reconnect and strengthen our relationships, whether they are the relationships among faculty members, the connections between faculty and students, or the sense of community among students. The speakers and sessions are meant to provide resources to help us reflect on the past year’s disruptions and explore opportunities for renewal and growth.

We are very proud of the work of the entire Faculty Excellence Team, and especially the FET FDDs Subcommittee Members, Amy Chaaban (Co-Chair), Sharon Erickson, Emily Heller, Joe Kloke, Amy Powers (Co-Chair), Nora Silvia, and Monica Smogur. We are also appreciative of our excellent collaborations with the Joint Instructional Council and the Outcomes Advisory Council. We look forward to sharing in this learning experience with you all in August!

Dates

Location

Guest Speaker-Flower Darby

We are thrilled to announce that we have secured an inspiring guest speaker: Flower Darby, author of Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes. In her presentation, “Fostering Connections and Community in Online Classes,” she will offer practical suggestions and easy-to-implement practices to help students connect with their instructors, the course material, and their peers. Her presentation comes at an opportune time when we might be hesitant to make additional revisions to courses that have already undergone numerous changes. Her emphasis on small teaching encourages us to focus on strategies that are feasible and that will create a truly rewarding experience for students and faculty alike.

Program Features, Highlights, and Details (More to Follow)

We will be sending out the full conference program listing the days and times of each session in early August. In the meantime, we would like to highlight a few exciting features of the FDDs program:

On Wednesday, August 18th, Dr. Sobek will present her annual State of the College Address, and then Dr. Nyhammer will officially kick-off our programming with her opening remarks and Educational Affairs announcements. During this session we will also look forward to recognizing and celebrating our 2021 Outstanding Faculty Member.
We are happy to report that we will continue to offer time for faculty collaboration. On Wednesday, we will gather for our Division and Department/Program meetings, where full-time and adjunct faculty can spend time discussing plans for the upcoming academic year. Based on your positive feedback from January's FDDs, we will carve out time to collaborate on outcomes and assessment projects.
We look forward to presenting an expanded selection of concurrent sessions this fall. Many of your faculty colleagues have agreed to share their knowledge, expertise, and experiences in a variety of subjects related to teaching. We have also decided to create two “tracks” to run in the concurrent sessions: A “Resources” track, which will provide information on areas in the college that provide student support, and a “Technology” track, which will offer helpful instruction in Canvas, Zoom, and many forms of media to use in the classroom.

As you read through the conference schedule and attend the program in August, we ask that you consider sharing your experiences and expertise at future FDDs. Please be on the lookout for a “Call for Proposals” in early September for the January 2022 program!

Virtual Resource Fair Information

General Information

We have chosen "Resources, Connections, and Relationships" as our theme for the Fall Faculty Development Days in response to faculty suggestions on the last post-FDDs survey. The "Resources" piece refers specifically to student resources--programs, initiatives, and departments directly involved in providing support and promoting student success.

FDAE and FET would like to showcase your department at Faculty Development Days, August 18-20th. Please help us create a virtual page that celebrates your dedication to student success.

If your department is interested, please fill out the Virtual Resource Fair Interest Form below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at facultyDAE@waubonsee.edu

What will this look like?

We will create a "Virtual Resource Fair" page in the Faculty Development Days Canvas shell that lists the resources available to students. We can include links to your webpage, examples of materials that you would like faculty to be aware of, and documents. If you like, you are welcome to create a short video championing your department's contributions to student success. FDAE has even talked about using these videos as advertisements, playing them throughout FDDs.

Questions to consider for your presentation

What one (or two or three) pieces of information would you like faculty to know about your department and the support you provide to students?
Who should faculty contact if they have questions about your department?
Do you have any forms or materials that you would like faculty to use?
Would you like to create a video that champions your department’s resources?
Would you like to hold Zoom “Drop-In” or “Open House” meetings for faculty during FDD? We could arrange times for these types of meetings before or after the scheduled programming each day, if you like.

Virtual Resource Fair Interest Form