A message from the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning

Skidmore College
Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning

Welcome from the Interim Director

Dear friends,

 

It is my pleasure to write to you in my capacity as the interim director of the CLTL. I am excited to step into the role and I ask for your patience while I get my bearings. I want to thank outgoing CLTL director Kristie Ford, and CLTL founding director Erica Bastress-Dukehart, for building such a strong organization with such a visible commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

Our team — myself, along with student assistants Sophie Gilbert and Michael DeCarlen-Bumiller and administrative assistant Jeanne Eddy — will be reaching out with information about our upcoming programming and our ongoing opportunities and resources. We look forward to hearing from you and learning from and with you. Please feel free to contact me at any point with ideas, questions, requests, and feedback at kgraney@skidmore.edu.

 

With all best wishes,

 

Kate Graney

Interim Director of the CLTL

Interim Director Kate Graney

Kate Graney came to Skidmore in fall 1999 after earning a B.A. in political science from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has served as the chair of the Political Science Department and director of the Gender Studies Program at Skidmore, has held the Joseph C. Palamountain Chair in Political Science, and has served on several academic committees. She has taught in the FYE program since its inception and has taught in the Intergroup Relations, Gender Studies, and International Affairs programs. She is the author of two books.

Kate Graney portrait

Administrative Assistant Jeanne Eddy

Jeanne O’Farrell Eddy is the academic administrative assistant for the Black Studies Program and CLTL, the IdeaLab/Hub, and Latin American and Latinx Studies. Jeanne has worked in a number of offices and departments at Skidmore, most recently as visitor services and events manager at the Tang Teaching Museum. She is a graduate of Skidmore's University Without Walls and MALS programs, and she is parent to Kate Eddy Hofmann ’01. Jeanne’s career at Skidmore began in 1974 in Admissions. She served on Skidmore’s Alumni Board from 2003 to 2006, as well as on various committees.

Jeanne Eddy portrait

Sophie Gilbert

Sophie Gilbert ’24 is a neuroscience major and political science minor from Philadelphia. She is a lab tutor for the Biology Department and a Peer Heath Educator who currently works in the Wellness Center. She is also a member of Speaker’s Bureau and a Writing Center tutor.

Sophie Gilbert portrait

Michael DeCarlen-Bumiller 

Michael DeCarlen-Bumiller ’23 is a political science major and a member of the Periclean Honors Forum from Boxford, Massachusetts. He also serves as the Junior Alumni Board student representative and works in the Alumni Relations and College Events office. In addition, he is a Peer Health Educator and serves on the PHE Citizenship Committee.

Michael DeCarlen-Bumiller portrait

Student Voices

Students share their thoughts about practices and policies that were introduced to teaching or learning because of COVID-19 and that they hope are here to stay.

 

“The radical humanity in grading and deadline flexibility. I have been floored by the creativity that some professors have employed during this time in exploring different grading schemes. One of the most memorable experiences I've had during my four years in undergrad is a professor who chose to grade not on quality but on completion. This encouraged students to make mistakes but to at least try on assignments. I think this radical shift in perspective served the professor's class well and could be utilized by other professors and departments.”

— Katie Y. ’22 (she/her), biology and mathematics double major

 

Read more student perspectives here.

Katie Y. portrait

Faculty and Staff Voices

Faculty Spotlight: Aurelia Ball

Michael DeCarlen-Bumiller ’23 speaks with Lia Ball, assistant professor of chemistry, about DEI work, inclusion in the classroom, and student learning, all from a STEM perspective. Professor Ball is currently conducting research in the field of computational biophysics and serves on the Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU). Find the full interview here.

Aurelia Ball portrait

Upcoming Events

The CLTL is happy to announce the revival of Open Classroom Week. During the week of April 11-15, Skidmore faculty open their classrooms for visits from their faculty and staff peers. Be on the lookout for an email with information on how to sign up to visit select classrooms during Open Classroom Week.

Pedagogy Resources

Upcoming CLTL News

Look in the near future for updates to the CLTL website, including enhanced resources for faculty (tied to the Faculty Handbook criteria for tenure, “excellence in teaching”) and students. Also stay tuned for the announcement of the permanent CLTL director.

Skidmore College

 

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 518-580-5000