UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Center for Teaching and Learning

Call for Applications: Teaching Innovation Grant

Unlock innovation in your teaching! Calling all faculty at the University of Portland!

Elevate your teaching experience and promote student success through the Teaching Innovation Grant. Gain up to $500 per semester, a startup expense of $500, and the chance to experiment with new cutting-edge teaching methods. Apply now and be part of the change at the Center for Teaching and Learning!

Application materials can be found here: CTL Grant Application

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Terry Favero at favero@up.edu or x-7373.

Understanding UP’s New Students: Effective Teaching Approaches (Aug 23)

Who are UP’s new students and what are the most effective ways to teach them? 

Today’s students come from highly diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and are more technologically advanced and socially aware than ever before. They also, like most of the rest of society, may have mental health issues that can impact their learning. As a result, we need to find creative and supportive ways to help them achieve their goals. Each one of those areas offers an opportunity to connect and get to know students and to meet them where they are on their educational journey. In this workshop, we will find out more about who our incoming (and returning students are) and identify specific strategies to engage students and assist them in reaching their career goals. 

Wednesday, August 23, 1:30-2:30 p.m., DB 133. With Brenagh Sanford Shepard Academic Resource Center, Terry Favero, Center for Teaching and Learning.  

AI (ChatGPT) On Campus: Its impact on students, faculty, and programs (Aug 21)

All faculty and staff are welcome to join one of two discussions and learn about AI tools. We will host two parallel sessions and then combine groups to share essential elements of each discussion.  

Monday August 21.  

10:30-11:20 – Shiley 319: AI and Student Writing. Sarah Weiger and Josh Swidzinski will discuss the use of AI tools in writing intensive courses and will identify what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI. They will also discuss various student disclosure policies and standards around AI use in citation, originality and integrity.  

10:30-11:20 – Shiley 301: AI Tools for Faculty. Terry Favero and Jon Down will demonstrate and discuss the use of AI tools to support faculty work and student learning. 

11:30-12:30 – Shiley 301: Combined discussion and sharing of the most salient points from each session. 

Teaching Survey Says!

Dear UP faculty members, the Center for Teaching and Learning seeks your participation in the following survey. The purpose of the survey is to receive input on faculty development needs in order to prioritize offerings and programs over the next two years. Should you have an interest in leading programming, you will also be invited to share your gifts and talents. In less than 10 minutes you can help shape the programming of the center for the next two years.  

The survey can be found here. 

2023 Innovative Assignments and Activities Competition Winners

On behalf of the Center for Teaching and Learning, please join me in congratulating the winners of the 2023 Innovative Assignments and Activities competition. Their work highlights some of the most successful and creative assignments that support more effective teaching and learning across a wide range of disciplines. You will hear from the award winners during a session on faculty development day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Terry Favero, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at favero@up.edu or x-7373.

2023 Recipients: 

  • Lauren Berger, Psychological Sciences—Using VoiceThread to increase student engagement and motivation. 
  • Verena Hutter, International Languages and Cultures/German—Understanding history through the development of an avatar. 
  • Ryan Kenton, Biology—Nematode Children’s Book using Up-Goer Five, an online text editing tool to simplify complex concepts. 
  • Greg Pulver, Performing and Fine Arts—Understand the Plight of Indigenous Americans through the lens of an artist. 

Highlighting Innovative Assignments and Activities (submit by Apr. 1)

To celebrate our work in the classroom, the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) is undertaking a new initiative, “Innovative Assignments and Activities,” that will highlight some of the most effective and creative work designed by our faculty. Faculty can submit assignments for consideration, and all submitted work will be peer-reviewed by members of the CTL Advisory Board and UP teaching community. They will select the best work(s) to be featured during faculty development day and recipients will receive $250 and be presented on Faculty Development Day. 

The CTL invites applications in the following categories: 

  • Collaborative activities 
  • Community engagement 
  • Creative use of online tools 
  • Skills across the curriculum 
  • DEIJ-informed pedagogy 

Application materials can be found here. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at favero@up.edu or x-7373. 

Inaugural Cohort of Inclusive Teaching Scholars

The Center for Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of Inclusive Teaching Scholars. This diverse team of faculty will work to grow as inclusive teachers and serve as leaders for inclusive teaching techniques, ideas, and approaches across the campus. Each member will identify a project of interest to be completed over the course of the year with the intention of contributing to the knowledge of best and inclusive practices within our current campus environment. The program is expected to be run annually with a call for new scholars fall ‘23. The new scholars are: 

  • Claire Costin, Business Administration 
  • Deirdre Hon, Education 
  • Kala Mayer, Nursing and Health Innovations 
  • Jeff Kerssen-Griep, Communication and Media, CAS 
  • Katherine (Kate)Trumbo, Nursing and Health Innovations  
  • Gordon Williamson, Nursing and Health Innovations 

If you have any questions, please contact them or Terence (Terry) Favero of the Center for Teaching and Learning.  

Work Life Integration—Designing a Meaningful Career for Faculty and Staff

The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Faculty Welfare Committee invite all faculty and staff to participate in an interactive workshop on work-life integration on Wednesday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Franz 120. Faculty and staff are the most prized and creative assets of any higher education institution. Yet over the past three years public health, enrollment challenges, and faculty and staff transitions  have increased the strain on faculty and staff, impacting morale and job satisfaction. In this multi-part, interactive workshop faculty will discuss several case studies, conduct a personal and professional inventory, and outline steps to take to achieve short-and long-term goals towards planning for a more intentional and meaningful career.  

Seats are still available so please RSVP to Terry Favero (favero@up.edu) to save a space.

Center for Teaching and Learning Invites Applications for the Inclusive Teaching Scholars Program (Due Oct. 28)

All full-time faculty members are invited to apply for the Inclusive Teaching Scholars Program. This program seeks to identify and support at least one person from each academic unit for a total of 5 or 6 scholars who would function as a cohort. Individually, Scholars will undertake or enhance an inclusive pedagogical project in areas that may include: inclusive classroom strategies, assignments/activities/assessments that support diverse student perspectives and/or the development of or utilization of learning materials from underrepresented scholars. Collectively, they will support each other, our campus enterprise, and serve as the conduit between the CTL and each academic unit for all things under the inclusive teaching umbrella. Scholars will be compensated $1,000 for participation in the year long program. Applications are available here and are due October 28. Email favero@up.edu with questions or call Terry Favero, at x7373.