The Virtual Academic Conference (VAC) call for speakers deadline is quickly approaching (Presenter's brief here)! The second annual Virtual Academic Conference will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021 from 9am-12pm, CST via Zoom (information to join the conference will be sent at a later date). This year’s keynote will be presented by Dr. James Lang, and the conference tracks, “Creating Focus” and “Reaching Students Remotely”, center upon Dr. Lang’s work, Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It.

Submission Deadline = December 18, 2020

The Teaching Fellows Program allows faculty the time and resources to engage in (and experiment with) innovative teaching practices and to contribute to the development of learning across Park University. Three Teaching Fellows will be selected in spring 2021 to serve during the 2021-2022 academic year. All interested faculty (full-time, adjunct, distance, etc.) are invited to apply. Learn more HERE.

Submission Deadline = 5pm, CST on January 11, 2021

The Scholarship Fellows Program is designed exclusively to support pre-tenure faculty along their journey to tenure. In this year-long fellowship, the Fellow is provided with support, structure, resources, and mentoring to create and submit a scholarly manuscript at the conclusion of the year. Fellows share their progress and experience with the academic community at Park periodically throughout the fellowship year. Two Fellowships are available: 1) for a pre-tenure faculty who wishes to produce a manuscript on their disciplinary research and 2) for a pre-tenure faculty who wishes to produce a manuscript on teaching-related research within their discipline or applicable across disciplines (i.e., the scholarship of teaching and learning). Learn more HERE.

Submission Deadline = 5pm, CST on January 11, 2021

InSight articles focus broadly on Scholarly Teaching in the higher education environment. Faculty are encouraged to submit original manuscripts that showcase scholarly teaching processes or critically discuss the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) as a scholarship paradigm. While reports of scholarly teaching projects are welcome, InSight is also committed to continuing broader conversations about SoTL’s value as a tool for advancing student learning and demonstrating faculty commitment to teaching. Learn more HERE.

Submission Deadline = All submissions must be received by 4pm, CST on March 1, 2021 to be considered for inclusion in Volume 16. However, submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.

We invite submissions for InSight’s new section, InStruct, that focuses on practical teaching strategies accompanied by short essays associating the instructional material to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL). The purpose of InStruct is to showcase the innovation of all higher education faculty (full-time, adjunct, distance, online, undergraduate, graduate, etc.), and to provide a repository of research-based teaching and learning materials that could be used or adapted by instructors from a wide array of disciplines. The goal is to provide a space to celebrate and share pedagogical content that demonstrates the practical application of SOTL principles. Learn more HERE.

Submission Deadline = InStruct uses rolling submissions. Any InStruct article accepted prior to April 30^th each year will have the title, abstract, and link to the full online article included in that year’s volume of InSight. Those accepted after April 30^th, will be rolled over into the next year’s volume of InSight.

The Faculty Center for Innovation is pleased to announce Spark Tank! – an innovation grants challenge designed to create community and invigorate faculty teaching and learning at Park University. Teams of 3 (faculty/student/staff combinations) pitch their innovative teaching and learning ideas for a chance to win up to $5,000 prize to fund their project! Cross-disciplinary and cross-campus projects are encouraged. Learn more HERE.

Submission Deadline = 5pm, CST on January 31, 2021

Special Interest Group Reflect and Respond

Presented by Ann Culton

Date & Time = Jan. 13th (Wed.) from 12-12:30pm, CST

Offsite = https://park.zoom.us/j/93243495063

Teaching in a classroom can be challenging, no matter the modality. The layers of complexity intertwine as we attempt to help students learn new content in a welcoming and intriguing environment. The goal should be to have students experience transformative learning while moving them closer to their final goal - graduation. This SIG will focus on teaching strategies to retain students’ through comfort, connectedness, and engagement while eliminating mundane practices. Learn new ideas by watching a brief video, self-enroll in the “Retain without the Mundane” Canvas course for resources, and stay tuned for some interesting statistics, engaging conversation, and practical application.

Monthly Virtual Coffee House

Presented by FCI

Date & Time = Jan. 22nd (Fri.) from 11:30am-12pm, CST

Offsite = https://park.zoom.us/j/522928591?pwd=bnVjbWlQTUhOTGhXOHQ5UUI0MkExdz09

Feeling isolated? Miss connecting with your colleagues? Or just want to talk to someone other than your dog? All faculty are welcome to join us Friday, January 22^nd, from 11:30am-12pm, CST for an informal social gathering. Topics of discussion in our breakout chat rooms will vary each session and will develop based upon your interests. Bring your own beverage of choice and join us for some brief social exchange. Hope to see you there!

Special Interest Group Reflect and Respond

Presented by Lacey Finley
Date & Time = Jan. 27th (Wed.) from 12-12:30pm, CST
Offsite = Link coming soon!

Receivers of messages construct their attitudes towards others based on nonverbal communication more than actual words spoken (Mehrabian, 1971). How do we build influence and drive exceptional communication when only a small percentage of our overall communication messages are conveyed with the words we use? Is it time to press the rest button on how we engage with students and peers?

Self and intrapersonal awareness is the cornerstone to exceptional communication and influence. This Special Interest Group will encourage participants to discover their strengths, gain connection with people, handle conflict productively, communicate with influence and congeniality and spark enthusiasm! Learn new ideas by watching a brief video (coming soon!), self-enroll in the "How to Win Students and Influence Faculty" Canvas course, and join us as we share best practices for communicating.

Roundtable Discussions

Presented by Devina Beatty
Date & Time = Jan. 27th (Wed.) from 7:30-8:30pm, CST
Offsite = https://park.zoom.us/j/96980320814

Would you like to refresh your teaching and start the new year and the new term with confidence? Would you like to connect with fellow instructors and unpack ideas about teaching and learning? If so, then we invite you (and all Park instructors) to join us for the first Teaching Essentials Roundtable Discussion for “Planning Class Sessions”.

Devina Beatty, from the Cherry Point campus center in North Carolina, will facilitate the open discussion to unpack and discuss lessons learned and strategies for improved teaching. The featured topic of discussion on “Planning Class Sessions” will draw from the Module 1 of the Teaching Essentials program - a self-paced, fully online, certification program that is available for free to all Park instructors.

(Note. Please complete Module 1 of the Teaching Essentials Certification before this session in order to actively participate in the discussion – approximately 15 min. to complete)