Announcements and News
Funding for new Black Studies courses
We are pleased to announce that due to the generous support of the Mellon Foundation
— for a three-year grant: Africana Studies and the Humanities at Skidmore: Transnational
Explorations in Social Justice — we are able to offer stipends of $1,000 to faculty
who successfully create courses cross-listed with the Black Studies Program (BST). Note
that in order to be compensated, you need to submit a Guidelines Form to the BST Advisory Board by Nov. 1, 2024, as well as a proposal to Curriculum Committee
(CC) by Dec. 15, 2024. Stipends cannot be distributed for courses already counting
toward the Black studies minor; however, they could include existing courses with significant
revisions. For additional support in developing a course for BST, consider joining
one of the Racial Justice Learning Communities offered each semester and piloting the course for the Racial Justice Teaching Challenge.
For additional information, please contact the co-PIs, Professor and Director of Black
Studies Winston Grady-Willis and Professor of American Studies and CLTL Director Beck
Krefting.
Universal Design Training Opportunity: Applying Universal Design for Learning Principles
to Your Course
Supported by a grant from the New York State Education Department, CLTL and Student Academic Services are collaborating to support a limited number of faculty interested in Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) training. In May 2024, the SUNY Center for Professional
Development is offering a training opportunity.
The six-week asynchronous course runs from May 14 to June 24 and will introduce learners
to UDL, the benefits of accessible content, and how it promotes student success. Learners
will see how UDL offers insight for more effective teaching and learning. In addition
to supporting the full cost of attendance, participating faculty members will receive
a $750 stipend. In exchange, faculty will be asked to share their experience and consult
with other faculty. Find a full description of the program online. Faculty interested in registering should contact Jamin Totino. This opportunity is first come, first served. More information and student testimonials are available.
Universal Design for Learning Consultants
This spring, the CLTL is joining forces with Student Academic Services to develop
a consultancy program pairing folks on campus who have undergone training in Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) with colleagues who wish to adopt UDL practices in their
own course design and practice. Faculty who participate will have the opportunity
for an individual consultation (60-90 minutes) with a fellow staff/faculty member
trained in Universal Design for Learning. If you think you would benefit from this
kind of tailored individual pedagogical support, please email Beck Krefting, who will connect you with a UDL consultant. We will do everything we can to accommodate
requests, but there are a limited number of consultancies (first come, first served).
This program is funded in part by a grant from the New York State Department of Education.
Announcing the Summer 2024 Open Education Publishing Institute
The Graduate Center (GC) of the City University of New York has announced it summer
2024 Open Education Publishing Institute: Collaborative Knowledge and Social Justice and is calling for participants. The institute is funded by the National Endowment
for the Humanities for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities grant program and
is hosted by GC Digital Initiatives and the GC Teaching and Learning Center.
Support for AI in Higher Education
You are likely thinking about how AI will impact teaching in higher education; for
instance, what does an AI statement on your syllabus look like? CLTL and LEDS have
teamed up to create a page of sample syllabus statements supplied by your colleagues across campus. Don’t forget that Skidmore is an institutional
member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), through which you have FREE access to many excellent professional development
tools. You may utilize this and more with a free individual membership account by
visiting the NCFDD website, selecting our institution, and creating and activating a new membership. Check out
forthcoming webinars on AI in academia, one on teaching challenges and opportunities and a panel on discussing current challenges for faculty.
LGBTQIA+ Resources
Last spring, the CLTL Team worked with Phoenix Goldenberg ’25, president of Skidmore Pride Alliance, to develop instructional materials for students,
staff, and faculty on how to be an ally to LGBTQIA+ folks. Goldenberg took the lead
and interviewed students and faculty across departments and programs to design materials
(e.g., questionnaires for the classroom, a list of appropriate terminology, best practices for making LGBTQIA+ folks feel a sense of belonging on campus, web resources, and a fun video featuring our students).
Student Support Services
In addition to the in-person services provided by the Counseling Center — Skidmore provides teletherapy services offered through BetterMynd. Students have up to 12 sessions of teletherapy per academic year. In addition, students
will be able to access up to three group skill-building workshops per year. The Student Assessment and Intervention Group (SAIG) remains a resource to share non-emergency concerns about your students (e.g., attendance).
You may find the SAIG form here.
The Weller Room and Lending Library (LIB 212)
This space devoted to CLTL events is also available for (quiet) workspace each weekday
morning from 9 a.m. to noon. Folks participating in the Scholarly/Creative Endeavors (SCE) work groups are especially encouraged to
use this space before meeting for lunch. The space is stocked with coffee, tea, condiments,
cleaning supplies, and paper products. All faculty have swipe access to the space;
if you are participating in SCE work groups and you do not have access, you may contact Darlene LeBaron to activate your ID. If you wish to reserve the space for events that advance the
CLTL mission, you may submit a request online here. The Weller Room also has a lending library with relevant texts on critical pedagogical studies, navigating higher education,
DEIJAB in the classroom, and universal design for learning pedagogies. To use the lending library:
- Select the book you want from our wonderful selection.
- Fill out the form here.
- Enjoy your read and return to Weller Room(LIB 212) when finished!