A lot is happening this semester through the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning!

This fall's Teaching Support Network, a peer-to-peer mentoring program inviting discussion and collaboration on all things teaching, has 25 faculty participants (a record!). There are also two robust learning communities focused on expanding knowledges around racial justice. 

In AI-related news, we received twice as many proposals as we could support for the AI Think Tank. The 10 selected participants will use the fall as an incubation period to explore how AI can be harnessed as a tool in the classroom and across campus units/divisions — from Advancement to the Writing Center, to Scribner Library to STEM disciplines. Given the robust response, we are planning to reboot the AI Think Tank in the spring. 

Finally, the CLTL has partnered with Student Academic Services to secure a grant from the New York State Education Department to fund training and events focused on disability and accessibility — this includes training in Universal Design for Learning and an event later this month offering a screening and guided discussion of the award-winning documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.

Announcements

The Science Literacy Project (not just for scientists!)

Once again, the Science Literacy Project will offer a suite of team-taught courses this spring, and we invite faculty to consider participating. The theme this year is Science in Society. Participating faculty will be grouped into small clusters to collaborate on developing a one-credit Honors Forum course for spring 2024 that considers Science in Society from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Each cluster will be comprised of three or four faculty, each from different divisions. Learn more on the CLTL Announcements page. To be included on future communications or to discuss possible cluster topics, please contact Jennifer Cholnoky.

New Faculty Learning Community 

After polling the new faculty to see what kind of programming would be most helpful to this cohort, the fall suite of events has been posted on the CLTL Learning Communities page. Go check it out and mark your calendar for upcoming events! 

LGBTQIA+ Web 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, and best practices for making LGBTQIA+ folks feel a sense of belonging on campus). As you prepare for the fall semester, check out this page, including a fun video (featuring our students), and scroll down to review the content provided. 

Funding for New Black Studies Courses 

Important reminder: 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 can offer stipends of $1,000 to faculty who are successful in considerably revising or creating a new course cross-listed with the Black Studies Program (BST). To learn more, visit the CLTL Announcements page.

Fall Programming

Research Salon and Lunch with Emmanuel Balogun, assistant professor of political science 

• When and where: Tuesday, Oct. 10, noon-1 p.m., Weller Room (LIB 212). No RSVP required — just come! 
• Title: Reimagining Multilateralism: African Agency in a Polarizing World
• Description: Russian aggression and intervention in Ukraine has exacerbated several overlapping issues in Africa, notably food insecurity and extant peace and security challenges. The presentation shows how African states use their leadership positions in international and regional organizations to gain authority, navigate geopolitical competition, and address regional conflict, highlighting the strategies African countries use to leverage their positions in international organizations to advocate and pursue a world order that centers Africa.

Troubleshooting Tricky Student Issues, a luncheon and consultation with Counseling Center staff Robert Cardom, director, and Angela Banks, associate director of counseling and inclusion 

• When and where: Thursday, Oct. 12, noon-1:30 p.m., Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, Second Floor 
• Description: Instructors on college campuses are increasingly encountering mental health concerns among students. While instructors are often willing and competent to handle most student issues, there are increasingly concerns that stump even the most experienced professor. Join licensed psychologists Robert Cardom and Angela Banks for a consultation and lunch to discuss these more difficult situations. With your instructional expertise and their psychological expertise, we will work to navigate these "tricky" student issues. RSVP here.

Active Feedback AI Workshop with Jennifer Rose, senior lecturer, University of Manchester, UK 

• When and where: Friday, Oct. 13, 2:30-4 p.m., Zoom
• Description: This workshop will introduce participants to the latest AI research and share AI prompts to develop resources and draft instructions for active feedback assignments. These instructions can then be given to students so they are able to write feedback for themselves. Rose is known for her fun and interactive workshops enabling the sharing of effective teaching practices. RSVP for this event to receive meeting information. For more details and Jennifer Rose's bio, visit the CLTL Programming page.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution — Screening and Guided Discussion 

• When and where: Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6-9 p.m., Davis Auditorium 
• Description: Come watch this award-winning documentary (2020) followed by a guided discussion with Sarah DiPasquale (associate professor and chair, dance) and Nick Junkerman (associate professor and associate chair, English). This event is supported by a grant from the New York State Education Department and is a collaboration between the CLTL and Student Academic Services. For more information, visit the CLTL Programming page.

C/PD Fall Book Club: How to Chair a Department 

• When and where: Friday, Oct. 27, 4-5:30 p.m., Weller Room (LIB 212) 
• Description: This book by Kevin Dettmar, professor of English at Pomona College with 15 years of leadership experience, provides practical advice for folks in academic leadership, specifically as chairs and program directors in higher education (Johns Hopkins UP, 2022). Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. Snacks will be provided.

Some Resources of Note

• Text Gen Ed: Teaching with Text Generation Technologies, an open-access collection featuring assignments that incorporate AI in writing-intensive courses. 
• APA Task Force Report on Promotion, Tenure, and Retention of Faculty of Color in Psychology

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