Tag: Faculty

Beyond Syllabus Week: Creative Strategies to Engage Students from Day One – Faculty Focus
Ever wonder why students don’t read the syllabus, despite the time and effort we put into creating it? It serves as a contract between instructors and students (Eberly, Newton, & Wiggins, 2001), outlining the entire semester’s expectations, assignments, and deadlines. Yet, many students simply aren’t motivated to read it. They often find syllabi overwhelming, unengaging, or even unreadable. In many classes, professors go over the syllabus during the first week (Richmond, 2016), so frequently that students have dubbed it “syllabus week” — not exactly the most exciting start to a semester! Students often form impressions about their courses within the first few minutes of class (Roberto, 2021). Simply standing in front of the room and reading through the syllabus page by page isn’t the most engaging way to showcase what your class has to offer.

What if there were more effective ways to get students to not only read it, but to actively engage with it? Many students skip over it because learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas, Blackboard, and D2L now contain everything they need in one place. Yet, as instructors, we still rely on the syllabus to provide a clear roadmap for the semester.

So, how can we make it more engaging? Below are some strategies to encourage students not only to read the syllabus but to enjoy exploring what your class has to offer and what to expect throughout the semester. Here are five effective strategies to encourage students to engage with your syllabus. While some involve additional technology, leveraging these tools can enhance the experience and make the syllabus more interactive.
1. Use Notebook LM to create a podcast of your syllabus. Professors can use Notebook LM to generate a podcast version of their syllabus by uploading your syllabus and allow the AI to summarize and structure the content into an engaging audio format. This makes the syllabus more accessible and interactive for students.
1. Do polling questions using apps like PollEverywhere, Mentimeter and my favorite, Slido, to create interactive quizzes about key syllabus details. By turning the syllabus into a fun, live Q&A session, students engage actively while reinforcing important information about course policies, deadlines, and expectations in an engaging and memorable way.
1. Think-Pair-Share. Ask students to reflect on the following questions: How does this syllabus compare to others you’ve had? What strengths stand out to you? What challenges do you anticipate after reading it? Have them write down their thoughts individually, then pair up to discuss their responses. Finally, bring the class together for a group discussion, allowing you to clarify any questions or concerns as students share their insights. This activity not only helps students engage with the syllabus but also fosters a sense of community on the first day by encouraging interaction and shared understanding.
1. Have students annotate the syllabus. Have students annotate the syllabus—a great suggestion from an X post by Remi Kalir. In pairs or small groups, students will review the syllabus together, adding annotations that include clarifying questions, opinions on assignments and readings, and responses to course policies. Using a shared document like Google Docs allows everyone to see and engage with each other’s comments in real time. Another tool to use could be Perusall as the annotation tool. This not only helps students actively engage with the syllabus but also serves as a valuable community-building activity on the first day. The professor can then review the comments to address questions and provide further clarification.
1. Syllabus Station. In this community-building activity, students will work in groups to identify three key takeaways from the syllabus. At a designated syllabus station in a gallery walk, each group will review a hard copy of the syllabus, discuss its most important points, and write their top three on a large post-it poster. As groups rotate through the stations, they will add their insights to the poster, creating a collaborative summary of essential course information. This interactive approach encourages engagement with the syllabus while fostering teamwork. (I wrote an article on this in Faculty Focus, highlighting different first-day stations I use in class. Begin the Semester with Classroom Community Building Activities to Increase Student Engagement)
Many of these strategies align with community-building activities that foster a supportive and engaging classroom environment, encouraging student participation and a sense of belonging (Ricevuto & McLaughlin, 2022). By implementing one of these approaches, you not only help students engage with the syllabus but also strengthen classroom connections—creating a win-win situation.

Additionally, many of these techniques can be adapted for online courses with slight modifications. In an online setting, these techniques can be easily adapted:
- Annotation activities can be done using collaborative tools like Hypothesis or Perusall, where students can highlight and comment directly on the syllabus.
- Polling questions using Slido, PollEverywhere, or Mentimeter can be embedded in a live session or asynchronously in a discussion board.
- Gallery walk-style activities can be recreated using shared Google Docs, Padlet boards, or discussion forums where students contribute key syllabus takeaways.
- Podcast versions of the syllabus can be recorded using Notebook LM, making it more accessible for students who prefer audio content.
By making small adjustments, these interactive techniques can work just as effectively in an online environment, ensuring that students engage with the syllabus while also building a sense of community within the virtual classroom.

By using these interactive strategies, you can transform the syllabus from a passive document into an engaging, community-building tool. Whether through annotation activities, polling questions, collaborative discussions, or creative formats like podcasts, these approaches help students actively engage with course expectations while fostering a sense of connection with their peers. When students feel involved from the start, they are more likely to participate, ask questions, and take ownership of their learning. Creating a welcoming and interactive syllabus experience not only ensures students understand the course structure but also sets the tone for a supportive and engaging classroom environment—both in-person and online.

Dr. Joanne Ricevuto is the Assistant Vice President for Instructional Success, overseeing faculty programming at her institution and leading professional development workshops on key topics in higher education. She also serves as the managing editor for the Office of Instructional Success website. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, she has taught as a professor of early childhood education and has authored numerous articles on virtual learning and student engagement. She is also the co-author of Engaging Virtual Environments: Creative Ideas and Online Tools to Promote Student Interaction, Participation, and Active Learning.

References

Elberly, M. B., Newton, S. E., & Wiggins, R. A. (2001). The syllabus as a tool for learner-centered learning. The Journal of General Education, 50, 56–74.

Ricevuto, J. & McLaughlin, L. (2022). Engaging virtual environments: Creative ideas and online tools to promote student interaction, participation, and active learning. Stylus Publishing.

Richmond A. S. (2016). Constructing a learner-centered syllabus: One professor’s journey. IDEA paper #60. IDEA Center, Inc.

Roberto, M. (2021, April 9). Engaging students on the first day and every day: 7 strategies for connecting in the classroom. Harvard Business Publishing Education.
Source link
February 26, 2025
Engaging Students in Collaborative Research and Writing Through Positive Psychology, Student Wellness, and Generative AI Integration – Faculty Focus
Co-Authored By Aaliyah Lee-Raji, Amadis Canizales, Amaiya Peterson, Andrew Stillwell, Anessa Mayorga, Aniyah Campbell, A’niyah Leather, Anna Fleeman, Brookelyn Vivas, Cassandra Mathieu, Christian Bennett, Clio Chatelain, Daniel Abernethy, Fatoumata Sow, India Davis, Isabella Maiello, Jazmine Collins, Jennifer Sanchez-Martinez, Joseph Stauffer, Karlee Howard, Kaylee Japak, Keanell Tonny, Kristian Isom, Leonardo Pisa, Mackenzie Lemus, Maddox Wreski, Madelyn Beasley, and Saverio Consolazio

In higher education, one of the greatest challenges is getting students not only engaged in learning but also excited about research. An equally pressing issue is navigating the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the teaching and learning space. This semester, I aimed to tackle both by teaching a psychology of wellness class that integrated the principles of positive psychology with the use of AI tools. During the two-week module on positive psychology, I wanted students to experience research and writing as positive and engaging activities. I floated the idea of co-authoring an article on student wellness from their perspective, incorporating the responsible use of AI, fostering a passion for research, and ensuring that the process was enjoyable.

Here is how the project unfolded:

Day 1: Setting the Stage for Collaborative Writing

The project began by gauging student interest in co-authoring an article on student wellness. I asked those who wanted front-facing credit and authorship acknowledgment to text me their consent and indicate if they would be comfortable with their photo(s) being included. Importantly, students had the option to opt-out at any time if they felt uncomfortable with the direction of the article. I was fortunate because a large majority of the students showed a genuine interest in this assignment.

To kick off the project, I used ChatGPT to generate an outline based on positive psychology as aligned with the textbook chapters and student-led ideas and topics. The students were then divided into groups, where each group received a dedicated workspace in our learning management system, D2L. Each group selected a predetermined subtopic to focus on, and I tasked them with using ChatGPT to generate 20 ideas on that subtopic. From those 20 ideas, the groups narrowed it down to three, which they discussed in detail, considering both research-based and personal experiences. Each group member took notes to guide the next stage of the project.

Day 2: Mind Mapping and Cross-Pollination of Ideas

On the second day, students were given poster paper and markers to create mind maps of their ideas and help gain clarity on their discussions from the previous day. Each group placed their chosen topic at the center of the mind map and organized the associated ideas around it. The mind mapping exercise allowed students to visually connect their thoughts and discussions from day one.

One member from each group was nominated to circulate among the other groups, engaging in discussions about each team’s subsection of the article. This not only gave students a broader perspective on how their topics related to the overarching theme of student wellness but also facilitated the flow of information between teams. After gathering input from other teams, the group representative brought the new insights back to their original group, enhancing their understanding of their own topic and how it fit into the larger article. To ensure continuity, students took photos of their mind maps, which would later serve as guides for the writing process.

Day 3: Writing and Research Alignment

On the third day, each group was tasked with creating a document that contained a minimum of five references, with each group member responsible for contributing at least one reference. The document consisted of chunks of article drafts accompanied by their respective references. Students were asked to align these references with the ideas discussed during the earlier sessions and integrate them into their mind maps. Next, students took 15 minutes individually within a shared Google doc to write about their subsection, drawing from their mind maps and class discussions. This individual writing time allowed students to consolidate their thoughts and begin crafting their portion of the collaborative article.

Day 4: Ethical Use of AI in the Writing Process

The fourth day focused on ethical AI usage. We began with a discussion on how students had been using AI tools like ChatGPT and how they envisioned using any type of AI tools in the creation of this article. Together, we created an AI disclosure statement, agreeing on how AI would be used during the editing phase.

We explored specific AI prompts that could enhance their writing, including:
- “Rephrase for clarity.”
- “Organize this paragraph for the introduction, summary, or conclusion.”
- “Give me a starting sentence for this paragraph.”
These prompts were designed to guide students in using AI as a tool to enhance clarity and organization rather than relying on it to write the content.

Day 5: Final Writing and Cohesive Editing

On the final day, students returned to their group documents and spent 15 minutes revising their sections. Afterward, they worked together to co-edit the document without the use of AI, striving to make the article more cohesive and polished. Finally, we revisited the agreed-upon AI prompts, and students were given the option to use AI only when they felt it was necessary for tasks like rephrasing sentences or organizing paragraphs.

The project culminated in a completed article on student wellness, co-authored by students and enhanced by responsible AI usage. The collaborative process not only demystified research and writing but also empowered students to see these activities as positive, engaging, and enjoyable experiences.

Takeaways From This Teaching Experience

The AI writing project was a valuable learning experience for the students, as it incorporated individual and collaborative learning elements alongside technology-based approaches. Reflecting on this experience, I have identified several key takeaways to carry forward into the new semester of teaching and learning.
- The Importance of Throwback Learning Experience: Something Familiar
  Traditional tools like markers and poster boards remain essential in fostering cohesion, socialization, and competence-building. These activities encouraged students to engage in discussions and create visual representations of their ideas, which helped build their confidence and reinforce the collaborative process.
- Starting With Original Ideas Matters
  Students benefited from discussing their ideas within the context of originality before integrating AI-generated content. Generative AI poses a potential threat to originality, emphasizing the need for human thought, discussion, and creativity to provide a benchmark for comparing the quality and intentionality of AI contributions.
- Clear Parameters and Prompts Are Essential
  Defining the role of AI in the writing process was critical for success. Many students initially viewed AI as a tool for producing entire works. By discussing the parameters beforehand, it became clear that AI was to be used to supplement and enhance cohesion rather than replace the creative process.
- The Importance of Prompt Development
  Students gained a growing understanding of the importance of crafting effective prompts for AI. Recognizing how prompts influence AI outputs is a crucial skill that was previously underdeveloped in many students. Moving forward, this skill will be vital as they navigate the intersection of human creativity and AI assistance.
Final Thoughts

Developing effective AI prompts is a pivotal skill that empowers students to use AI intentionally and meaningfully in their learning. A well-crafted prompt acts as the foundation for generating accurate, relevant, and cohesive responses, highlighting the importance of clarity, specificity, and purpose in the initial instructions given to the AI. By understanding how to formulate prompts, students can better harness the potential of AI to support their ideas, enhance their creativity, and improve the quality of their work without relying on AI to replace their original contributions.

This skill also encourages critical thinking, as students must evaluate the type of input needed to achieve a desired outcome, troubleshoot issues in responses, and refine their prompts for better results. Moreover, it aligns with the broader need for digital literacy in education, preparing students to interact responsibly and effectively with technology in academic, professional, and personal contexts.

Lastly, incorporating intentional AI use into teaching strategies ensures that students not only learn how to use these tools but also understand their limitations and ethical considerations. By balancing traditional methods, which foster originality and human connection, with innovative technologies like AI, educators can create a holistic learning environment that values both creativity and technological fluency. This balance will be crucial as AI continues to play an increasingly integral role in education and beyond.

Dr. Courtney Plotts’ students in class.

A snapshot of the students’ work.

Special Note of Pride: I would like to note that this group of students worked on this project during class and completed this while two natural disasters accrued, power outages, remote and in person learning and did a great job considering the circumstances. I am so proud of each of them! We originally had bigger visions for the project but due to weather we had to make some changes to the plan!

Freshman College Students’ Advice to Peers for Health & Wellness in 2025

The new year always comes with the possibility of change and growth. As students, much of our growth focus is academics and learning-based. Being academically successful isn’t an easy task. Student wellbeing is an important factor in the learning process (Frazier & Doyle-Fosco, 2024). And for most of us, throwing ourselves into our studies and homework can come with negative side effects like burnout, stress, and decreased mood and motivation. But being successful doesn’t have to come at the risk of your mental health. In our view, academic success means more than good grades and knowledge. Although you may have gone through something last year, or are still going through it now, it doesn’t have to affect you in a negative way. There is so much more that goes into being successful. Success requires dedication, consistency, self-care, and a positive mindset. But for many of us a positive mind set is hard to come by.

The Collective Obstacle

The average age of our class is 19.7 years of age. We have lived with social media all of our lives. A lot of voices have imparted information. Some good, some not so good. The negativity that is readily accessible on social media can lead to negative self-talk. “Negative self-talk refers to your inner voice making critical, negative, or punishing comments. These are the pessimistic, mean-spirited, or unfairly critical thoughts that go through your head when you are making judgements about yourself” (Scott, 2023). Negative self-talk can be detrimental to your psychological well-being. It can really bring you down after you do it for too long. Negative self-talk can also induce stress, depression, and relationship problems. How you can start to believe the negative self-talk: you can start to believe negative self-talk after a while of you doing it. The more you start to tell yourself you can’t do something, the more you’ll start to believe it.

The effects of positive self-talk are the opposite of negative self-talk. It will improve your mental health, can reduce stress, lessen depression, and improve relationships. This not only impacts academics, but other aspects of life. To minimize negative self-talk, you can catch your inner critic when it’s happening and change your thinking to think more positive thoughts, remember that thoughts are not facts, contain your negativity, shift your perspective, think like a friend, or other trusted advisors.

Two Positive Ideas to Embrace in 2025

Two ideas to embrace in the new year that can jumpstart your positivity are evaluating how you think about failure and the control of your future. Failure is an inevitable part of life, but it is through our setbacks that we find opportunities for growth and success. How we respond to failure matters more than the failure itself, and cultivating a mindset of optimism is key to overcoming challenges (Hilppö & Stevens, 2020). Optimism, combined with grit—the perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals—forms the foundation for a positive and resilient lifestyle. Together, these qualities enable us to turn obstacles into stepping stones and approach life’s difficulties with determination and hope. Think of failures as learning opportunities. Think about the knowledge you gain from hindsight when thinking about failure.

Additionally, understanding the distinction between what we can and cannot control is crucial for maintaining positivity and health (Pourhoseinzadeh, Gheibizadeh,& Moradikalboland, Cheraghian, 2017). Accepting that not everything is within our power allows us to shift our focus to areas where we can make a difference and grow from the experience. Remaining positive during challenging situations and remembering the aspects we can influence help us navigate adversity with a constructive mindset. It’s also important to respect that some factors are beyond our control and may happen for reasons we do not yet understand. By seeking to understand why certain things are outside our control, we can cultivate acceptance and use these moments as opportunities for reflection and personal growth.

The Importance of Health Communication in 2025

Healthy communication is critical to positive personal growth. Asking open-ended questions is important when engaging in meaningful communication because it ensures that there are no assumptions being made. One researcher found that assumptions “lead to consistent and unnecessary community failures” (Macrae, 2018, p.5). Additionally, healthy communication can build true connections among people and better understanding. Also, avoiding assumptions is a way to stay present in the moment allowing you to determine if there is genuine interest in the conversation. Most importantly, health aspects of communication like listening, reflecting, and pausing encourage new thinking and can develop new ideas just about anything.

In addition to healthy communication, think about sharing more of your experiences with peers. Starting from a place of curiosity and health, inquire about someone’s well-being. You can start with a simple phrase like “Are you ok?” Or be ready and willing to share your own personal experience when the time is right. Not only can this help someone else but sharing your story can also help you process what you have been through. Sharing and listening to each other’s experiences can show understanding and help you feel more willing to share now and in the future. Understanding and being present is a power combination for communication.

Lastly, remember that relationships are complex. Whether parental, academic, or personal, everyone has their relationships challenges. One tactic to strengthen relationships is humor. Remember to laugh and enjoy life and the people around you. Most people forget about light heartedness and humor, and how humor can help strengthen and resolve issues within a relationship. Humor can improve the quality of relationships by reducing the stress, tension, and anxiety of the people within the relationship. This effect can only occur if humor is used respectfully in relationships. When used right, humor also can create a more comfortable relationship with less anxiety and sadness for those in it. It’s ok to laugh—even in challenging times.

Summary

A positive mindset is the root of achieving any goal you put your mind to. As a collective voice, we hope the information we shared is valuable information. Our goal was to share meaningful information for your new year and new journey in 2025. As students, we fully understand the importance of mental health, especially because all of us experienced covid at some of the most challenging times of our lives. We hope this information helps you in the new year as much as it helped us learn and grow. Remember to stay happy, healthy, and safe in the new year and think positive!

Dr. Courtney Plotts is a Dynamic Keynote Speaker, Author, and Professor. Dr. Plotts is the National Chair of the Council For At-Risk Student Education and Professional Standards, the country’s only organization that provides standards for working with marginalized and nontraditional students in Kindergarten to College. Her role as National Chair includes training, consulting, and research. Her subject matter expertise has been used in a variety of book publications. Most recently “Small Teaching Online” By Flower Darby with James M. Lang published in June 2019. Dr. Plotts was recognized in 2017 by the California State Legislature for a bold commitment to change in education. She is currently in talks with higher education institutions to launch an institute that focuses on diversity and best practices in online teaching spaces to launch in 2021.

References

Frazier, T., & Doyle Fosco, S. L. (2024). Nurturing positive mental health and wellbeing in educational settings – the PRICES model. Frontiers in public health, 11, 1287532. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.12875

Hilppö, J., & Stevens, R. (2020). “Failure is just another try”: Re-framing failure in school through the FUSE studio approach. International Journal of Educational Research, 99, 101494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.101494

Macrae, C. (2018). When no news is bad news: Communication failures and the hidden assumptions that threaten safety. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 111(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076817738503

Pourhoseinzadeh, M., Gheibizadeh, M., & Moradikalboland, M., Cheraghian, B. (2017). The Relationship between Health Locus of Control and Health Behaviors in Emergency Medicine Personnel. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery, 5(4), 397–407.

Scott, E. (2023, November 22). The toxic effects of negative self-talk. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-self-talk-and-how-it-affects-us-4161304
Source link
February 24, 2025
Faculty Profile vs. LinkedIn Profile for Academics
This article isn’t about which is better for you: faculty profile or LinkedIn profile. It would be great for your online presence if you had both. Hi, I’m Jennifer van Alstyne. I help Higher Education faculty, researchers, and scientists with their digital presence for academics.

I just got off a call with an Associate Professor client. We worked on both his LinkedIn profile and faculty profile together (which just went live, yay!). This professor is really an in-person networker. When we 1st met he said, “people know me,” but if you searched online? At the time there wasn’t a comprehensive academic profile or online presence that could help people know who he is now.

Are you “not really a social media person” too? I’ve written about how I still recommend having a filled out LinkedIn profile if you’re an academic who “doesn’t want to be on social media.” It’s okay to not post on social media. It’s okay to lurk. It’s okay to like or repost without sharing original posts yourself. There are many ways to be on social media as an academic. And what feels right for you now may change in the future too. While I love personal academic websites as a long-term solution for professors, researchers, and scientists, having a website isn’t right for everyone.

However you choose to have an online presence (if that’s a goal for you at all) is fine. There isn’t a one size fits all solution for academics and researchers online.

As an academic who wants to have a stronger online presence, it’s a best practice to update your faculty profile and your LinkedIn profile at least 1/year.

Faculty Profile

A few years ago I asked a professor client to reach out to his college to ask if they had specific guidelines for their faculty profiles. We were redoing his academic bio. His done for you bio writing package included a new faculty profile. When we got on our call to chat about it, he started laughing, because when the college replied to him, they’d sent back his own faculty profile as “a great example.” 🤣

You can have a “great example” of a faculty profile, and still feel like it doesn’t reflect who you are and what you value as an academic now.

We grinned because the profile we envisioned for him was such an improvement. I say that not to disregard or belittle the work he’d done on his own faculty profile. Like most professors, he’d only ever written his own bios. But the time we created to talk through who he is, his story, and the change he’s working to create in the world? It made such an impact for the words we ultimately chose to share.

Your faculty profile is the 1st place for many of your students, colleagues, and people in your field will go to learn more about you. Some faculty profiles are robust with space for things like your bio, teaching, research, awards, and university media mentions. Others are streamlined with the details people most need like your job title and department and recent publications. Most professors I’ve chatted with express a lack of enthusiasm for their faculty profile, “it’s there, but it isn’t exciting.” And that’s fine, your professor or researcher profile on your university’s website doesn’t have to be enhanced unless you want it to be.

Problems faculty have run into updating their faculty profiles

I really like the mix of having both your faculty profile and your LinkedIn profile because professors who come to me with help for their online presence have occasionally reached out in distress:

“No one knew who to ask. I don’t think any of my colleagues have updated their faculty profile in years.”

“The person in our department who knew how to update the faculty profiles left, no one’s been able to update their profile in over a year.”

“My university moved all our faculty profiles to an intranet…that was my whole online presence.”

“They said they’re updating the faculty profile system. There won’t be an option to update my faculty profile for months.”

“The IT people said no emails on faculty profiles, so they’re gone. How are people supposed to get in touch with me?”

That last one had me on high alert. When I ask professors, “How do people usually get in touch with you?” They typically say something like, “People look up my faculty profile, my emails right there.”

Some universities have removed email addresses from faculty profiles in hopes of limiting phishing emails. A few have eliminated faculty profiles altogether. I get that there are IT limitations and protection needs that sometimes force these decisions. But I also deeply mourn the loss of connection that happened to each of those faculty members overnight. What things were lost? What connection?

It’s the same way I feel about adjunct professors, lecturers, and staff who make such an impact on campus, but often aren’t given space on their university website beyond their listed name.
- You deserve a space online if you want one.
- You can choose to have a stronger online presence if you want one.
- You have agency in how you show up online.
Updating your faculty profile

The most frequent audience for your faculty profile is your students, colleagues, and people at your university. But those aren’t the only people who may visit your faculty profile. These are steps you can take to improve your faculty or researcher profile on your university’s website.
- When you Google your name, does your faculty profile show up? Tip: Use a private or incognito browser mode for results not personalized to you.
- Visit your faculty profile. What types of information are available? Does anything feel like it’s missing?
- Make list of what needs to be updated. For instance, are the keywords for your research out of date? Do your recent publications appear there, or is that section a few years old? What about your bio? Does it still reflect who you are now? Many professors have only filled out a portion of their faculty profile, leaving unused sections blank. This is a good opportunity to improve your online presence by thinking about which section may be helpful at add in. What might help your students or other researchers in your field long-term? You don’t have to do the work to make these changes now. Making a list of the updates you want will help you prioritize your time later.
- Find out who to contact about implementing your updates. You might do this before actually writing the updates in case you get word that “the system is changing” or “we’ll have a new format for faculty profiles soon.” I don’t want to you to makeover your faculty profile and then not be able to implement those changes. If you have the ability to make changes to your faculty profile yourself, skip this step.
- Add a time to your calendar to gather materials, writing, or any update you want to have on your faculty profile. Block more time on your calendar than you anticipate just in case.
Good luck with updating your faculty profile! If you can only focus on 1 thing to improve, choose your academic bio. Your bio is a living document that can adapt to fit your needs. I had a great conversation with Dr. Echo Rivera where I share my top tips for your academic bio. I hope you find it helpful.

Don’t want to write your own academic bio?

There are many ways to have a stronger online presence as a professor or researcher. You don’t need to work with me to be more intentional about how you show up online as an academic. Not sure where you should start? Join my free online presence course to help you know where to focus your time and energy.

I’m happy to help you if you want a done for you academic bio too. It’s hard to be introspective about yourself. It may feel “uncomfortable” or like it’s time “too focused on me.” It’s okay if your brain wants to focus on other things instead of writing a new bio for yourself. That’s okay!

When we work together on done for you bio writing, you’ll get general use bios at different word lengths so you always have something ready to go. It also includes a custom bio like your new faculty profile done for you so you have a document ready to send to the person who implements changes at your university. If you want a “template” easy for you to update and adapt to their academic life for years to come, let’s chat about working together.

LinkedIn Profile

I like LinkedIn profiles for academics because they have many more capabilities than your faculty profile. You’re not job searching. You may be wondering, “does LinkedIn still make sense for me?” Let’s find out.

LinkedIn is great for faculty and researchers to…

Which of these benefits of having a LinkedIn presence as an academic stand out to you?
- help people get in touch with you
- show up in internet search results with a profile you control
- share who they are and what they care about (in more engaging format than your CV)
- connect with people in your research / teaching field
- connect with your alma maters
- be in network with your past affiliations
- reconnect with former colleagues
- find the people you’re looking for (LinkedIn has advanced search features)
- connect with people across research fields and disciplines
- connect with people in other regions around the world
- invite deeper engagement with your research
- help your research find an audience that cares
- connect with editors and people in publishing
- reach people who your research helps most
- engage with the public
- reach policymakers and practitioners
- meet potential collaborators and partners
- meet with potential community partners
- meet potential corporate partners
- attract potential research funders
- be open to media requests and engagement
- invite aligned opportunities for yourself and your students
- help your students have a larger network
- share a short recommendation for your student
- connect with your alumni and former mentees with ease
- reshare posts your audience may find useful
- have conversations that invite people to participate (like in the comments of a post)
- have conversations privately, via messages or groups
- share media related to your Experiences and Education
- show a bit more of your story than faculty profiles typically allow
- start a newsletter
- publish articles
Whoa, that list got longer than I expected. That was just a short brainstorm session too.

Did 1 or more of those feel like a good reason for you to be more intentional about your LinkedIn presence as an academic?

P.S. If you’re finding this article helpful, save it to your bookmarks for later. Please share it as a resource if you think a friend or colleague would find it helpful.

Here are 3 ways to get your LinkedIn profile if you want to do-it-yourself

In workshops for grad students and faculty, I’ve recommended blocking your calendar, to set time aside in your agenda for your LinkedIn profile. I’m someone who likes deep focused work, so that big chunk of time is often the best way for me to focus. How about you?

Here are 3 other possibilities to explore when it comes to fitting your LinkedIn profile into your academic life:
- Do it section-by-section. When I 1st release my LinkedIn Profile for Professors and Researchers course, it was a challenge. Each week a new lesson was released helping you update just 1 section of your LinkedIn profile. Breaking your LinkedIn profile into smaller chunks let’s to create transformation for your online presence in a schedule that works for your life. Don’t feel like you need to change everything all at once. Any small change or improvement you make can help people better connect with your online presence as an academic.
- Set a time to co-work on your LinkedIn profile. Are you someone that likes co-working? Get some friends, colleagues, or even your students together for a LinkedIn co-working session. You can each update your profiles, and even organize a quick review of each other’s at the end to check for typos. This can be virtual or in person, whatever you prefer.
- Create intentional space for your lab, department, or school. Even though this is more work, you may have better motivation or more positive feelings about the time you take for your LinkedIn profile if you’re helping other people. You don’t need me to come in for a workshop at your university to create a professional development opportunity for LinkedIn you can all benefit from.
It’s okay if none of these work for you. If you’re someone who’s been wanting to do it yourself and you just haven’t? It’s okay to get support. Each of my professor clients who’ve chosen a done for you LinkedIn profile had the capability to do it themselves. Some even took my LinkedIn Profile course and found “I just can’t make the time,” and “I just want it done for me.” You can have a stronger online presence through LinkedIn, and we can totally work together on this.

For those of you wanting to DIY your LinkedIn profile as an academic, I hope these tips for your LinkedIn profile help you:

Don’t have the time for your LinkedIn profile?

Need to prioritize other things in your academic life? I totally understand. First, it’s totally okay if LinkedIn isn’t a goal for you right now. You don’t need a stronger online presence unless you want one.

Find free resources to help you on The Social Academic blog, podcast, and YouTube channel. You’ve got this (whenever you’re ready)! 🌟

My professor clients can do their own LinkedIn profile, for sure. They just don’t have the time. They’re not job searching. They want a stronger online presence. They’re busy academics who want to feel better connected with people in their field and reach people their research/teaching/leadership supports. They need to focus on their academic priorities and their personal ones, like their family.

You don’t have to do it yourself if you don’t want to. I’ll build your academic LinkedIn profile for you on your VIP Day. We’ll have a planning meeting to talk about your CV, review your existing profile, and chat about your goals. Then, on your VIP Day your LinkedIn profile will be fully done-for-you. After, we’ll meet on Zoom for your Review and Training Meeting, make any needed changes in real time. We’ll build your capacity and practice using LinkedIn for your specific needs. What works for one professor may not be a good fit for you, so we’ll talk about solutions personalized for your life/goals.

Who do I typically work with on the LinkedIn VIP Days service? You may want a done-for-you profile if you just don’t have the time to do it yourself (or you don’t want to). My LinkedIn profile clients have been
- Mid career academics
- Senior academics
- Higher Ed administrators
- Principal Investigators (PIs)
Early career researchers, we may create a greater impact for your academic life by partnering on done for you bio writing instead. Not that I wouldn’t be happy to do your LinkedIn profile for you. Just know that you don’t need to work with me for a great LinkedIn profile. I promise you can do this yourself if you want to.

If you’re like, “actually I don’t got this.” Or, “I know I’m not gonna do this on my own.” That’s okay. I’m Jennifer van Alstyne. I’ve been helping professors feel confident when showing up online since 2018 through personal websites and social media. I’m here to help you too.

Let’s chat on a no pressure Zoom call about your LinkedIn VIP Day for a done-for-you profile. Or, a 1 hour LinkedIn consultation with me. Schedule a time on my online calendar.
Source link
February 22, 2025
Increasing Classroom Engagement – Faculty Focus
In undergraduate classrooms, instructors encounter a variety of students with diverse backgrounds and different personalities. Since discussion-based learning, both in-person and virtual, remains important, teachers should find ways to encourage student engagement in classroom activities and discussions. Student engagement is also critical to the success of students who are more self-directed and specialized, as it allows them to dive deeper into course material within their specialized areas of interest.

When more students are engaged, class conversations become richer, enhancing student learning. For instance, introverted students may have strong opinions and much to contribute but may hesitate to share during class. Students, whether introverted or not, might feel uncomfortable or uninterested in joining group discussions for various reasons. It is the instructor’s challenge to create a comfortable class environment. Not only will students benefit, but instructors can feel more at ease in their own classrooms.

Genuine connections between students are based on trust, which can be encouraged in several ways. Trust-building connections are fostered in an environment with instructor presence and constructive feedback. Students benefit from instructor buy-in, effort, and intention.

To boost classroom interaction and active participation, instructors can include proven strategies in their “teaching toolkit” to foster empathetic connections among their students. Here are some suggestions for your consideration:
- Outline course guidelines clearly. Students need to understand what is expected of them in your course. If class participation standards are set from the beginning—with appropriate explanations regarding “why”—student buy-in should increase. After students understand course expectations, instructors should make every effort to give students timely and constructive feedback. Doing so keeps students accountable and reinforces the course guidelines.
- Model reflective listening. When students participate in a class discussion, instructors should make eye contact, give full attention, and provide visual cues to show understanding. Taking a moment to paraphrase or ask clarifying questions shows engagement and listening on the instructor’s part.
- Encourage reflective listening. Help reduce distractions when students speak. Invite students to validate each other’s responses. Brief instructor participation when students are having group discussions and modeling behavior you seek to encourage can go a long way.
- Praise appropriately. Offer brief, genuine praise when students reflectively listen to each other and provide gentle reminders when appropriate.
- Creatively introduce group discussions. Mix things up. Consider having students draw questions from a hat for discussion or assign a different group member to lead the discussion for each question. You may wish to time discussions or set goals so student groups stay focused and on task.
- Use a variety of classroom activities, but don’t overdo it. Include a group discussion or short activity during every class period. Recognize that classroom activities are like seasoning on food—a little is great, but too much can be overwhelming. Classroom activities should drive home the purpose of the course material being covered. In-class activities can break up what may be perceived as monotony by students.
- Encourage students to interact with new classmates. Student groups should rotate frequently to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to interact with different individuals. You may wish to randomly assign groups to mix students up.
- Invite alternative views. Be sensitive to different perspectives and alternate points of view. Help students recognize that conflicts can be resolved without contention. Students don’t have to agree on a particular topic or point of view, but they do need to show respect to others. To help students and teachers better understand the importance of respecting different perspectives, share a mantra with your students, such as: “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood” to emphasize the value of listening and understanding others’ viewpoints before expressing one’s own views to foster a more respectful and open-minded classroom environment.
- Use peer feedback grading. Learning to give constructive feedback is a skill students can learn with practice. Prompting from the instructor can go a long way when it comes to feedback. Making suggestions such as having students include pros and cons or commenting only on things that are in the student’s control may be helpful.
- Share stories. Who doesn’t enjoy an interesting and relevant story? Stories help students remember information in a fun way. Collect stories that illustrate key principles and important points you’re trying to teach. Stories are relatable and can put listeners at ease.
- Encourage students to share their own stories. Classrooms consist of diverse individuals with a multitude of different stories and perspectives. Sharing stories is an excellent way for students to learn more about the worldviews of others.
- Use appropriate humor. Laughter creates connection. Including tasteful humor in activities and discussions can improve student buy-in and retention. An easy place to start could be to include a joke or riddle-of-the-week for your class to contemplate.
- Invite student feedback. Make course consistency and fairness a priority. Students need to feel they are valuable and their opinions matter. After receiving excellent feedback, instructors should seriously consider making appropriate changes.
Recognize that potential pitfalls can also accompany increased student engagement. Classroom challenges may include:
- Uneven participation or nonparticipation. Some students may attempt to dominate activities and discussions. In any group, some individuals will always be more talkative while others will be quieter.
- Inconsistent results. No two student groups are ever the same. What works in one class may fail spectacularly in another. Stay flexible and be ready to move on if something isn’t working.
- Time management. Activities may take longer than anticipated, so be conscious of the clock. Setting a timer can be helpful to keep everyone on task.
- Student conflicts. Disagreements can lead to conflict, so it’s important to foster a culture of classroom respect to minimize conflict and prevent personal attacks.
- Overwhelmed introverts. Some students may feel uncomfortable speaking and participating in group activities, but be patient and gently encourage their involvement.
- Increased preparation time. Successful activities often need advance planning and materials, so keeping a list of activity and discussion ideas can help avoid last-minute scrambling.
While practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, expect to have some less-than-perfect experiences as you adjust your teaching style to incorporate some of these techniques. Keep what works—jettison the rest. With forethought and practice, you can make your classrooms more open and inviting to your students.

Dr. Allie Hamstead DC is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences at Sherman College of Chiropractic. She specializes in perinatal and pediatric care. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2007 and Sherman College in 2012. She is a practicing chiropractor in Simpsonville, South Carolina and mother to four daughters.

Kenneth L. Alford is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University and a Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired). He has authored/edited 13 books and over 200 articles.
Source link
February 21, 2025
Motivational Force: Building a Foundation for Student Success – Faculty Focus

Eighteen students crammed themselves into a stuffy classroom assigned for my first-year seminar course on a sunny day in September. With desk tops touching and knapsacks piled high, we maneuvered through introductions and the kind of icebreakers that research indicates can strengthen learning outcomes. At one point, I asked these college newcomers to share academic and career aspirations. Their responses were a tribute to the dreams of young minds: future pediatric nurses, speech pathologists, and more than one veterinarian were gathered in our small, unassuming space.

These students appeared motivated to learn—a direct contrast to the disengagement narrative that permeates today’s education circles. But despite the enthusiasm, research points to a far more sobering reality: approximately half of all college students fail to graduate within six years of enrollment. Those rates can be even more perilous for certain cohorts, including recipients of Pell Grants, the federal financial aid awarded to undergraduate students demonstrating need.

Many of the students gathered in my classroom fit within this most vulnerable category and would likely face the types of hurdles that can diminish learning resolve. Academics demands coupled with the pull of daily life can negatively tip the balance of student outcomes, siphoning away student motivation, according to educational scholar Howard McClusky. His Theory of Margin framework likens student motivation to the calibration of “loads,” versus the counter force of resources, or what he refers to as “power.” Students with sufficient margin between these competing forces have the capacity to take on new challenges, including the hard work of learning; students with insufficient margin fall into overwhelm and have a higher rate of failure.

Determined to hold onto and even strengthen the learner motivation that was apparent on day one of my class, I was committed to the following motivational practices that could lessen the load and promote the type of power needed to make it to the finish line. Here’s what that looked like:

Community lies at the heart of successful student outcomes, so emphasizing the relational aspect of learning became a guiding principle for the class. Leveraging the energy of the first few weeks when enthusiasm is especially strong is an opportunity to forge group connections and cultivate peer-to-peer support. Research points to these informal bonds as a vital form of power, so beginning on the first day of class, my students were placed in groups determined by common areas of academic focus and career aspiration. To override reticence to working collaboratively, we spent class-time setting up What’s App groups and practicing the type of outreach and response that familiarized group members with the act of reaching out to one another.

Career Readiness has become a valued currency in today’s higher education sector, not only because it helps ease entry into the workforce but also serves to more deeply bind education with employment. Our class therefore included assignments requiring students to research their future fields. Using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, students were able to deepen understanding of specific fields in terms of industry growth, income, and even entry requirements. Anchoring aspirations with real-world realities was an opportunity to guide students towards their stated goals in real and relevant ways which further enhanced their learning motivation.

Continual Reflection invites students into their learning journeys while also kick-starting metacognition, thereby contributing to learning motivation and success. The simple act of inviting students to think about their learning process can deepen engagement while helping to nudge knowledge acquisition into retention, the goal of good teaching. Reflection can be as simple as dedicating the last few minutes of class to having students write about what they learned and what they would like to revisit for better understanding. We undertook this exercise in almost every one of our 15 weeks. In addition, students captured their reflections via electronic portfolios that served as a permanent record of their progress.

Harnessing the drive and energy needed to maintain motivation over the course of a semester can present challenges, particularly in our post-pandemic years when factors of isolation, stamina, and access to optimal learning environments have taken their toll. We encountered many stumbling blocks over the course of the semester, but in the end each of my 18 students reached the finish line of the course. Countering learning head winds requires an understanding of the complex phenomenon of learner motivation and then committing to evidence informed practices that can maintain—even strengthen—the energy and drive to succeed. That can mean more work and effort in the classroom, but for instructors committed to student success, this is its own deeply satisfying motivational force.

Juli S. Charkes, EdD, has been a classroom instructor for the past 14 years, teaching organizational leadership, communications, and media studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. From 2021 to 2025, she directed the Center for Teaching and Learning at Mercy University, where she oversaw faculty development and strategy across 100 academic programs.

References

Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Generating, deepening, and documenting learning: The power of critical reflection in applied learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 1(1), 25-48.

Biney, I. K. (2022). McClusky’s Theory of Margin and its implications on adult learners in higher education institutions. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 28(1), 98-118. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477971421989337

National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctr.

Sasan, J. M. V., Tugbong, G. M., & Alistre, K. L. C. (2023). An exploration of icebreakers and their impact on student engagement in the classroom. International Journal of Social Service and Research, 3(11). https://ijssr.ridwaninstitute.co.id/index.php/ijssr/article/view/566

Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.

Source link

February 17, 2025
The Power of Students’ Stories – Faculty Focus
The power of human stories is undeniable. Whether conveyed through music, art, writing, or oral storytelling—sharing one’s lived experience can have a profound impact. Stories connect people by tapping into their universal emotions, experiences, and values. They can also preserve and pass on traditions, customs, language, and culture or be utilized as a persuasive tool to inspire action.

In educational settings, storytelling can be transformative. When students are given opportunities to reflect on their lives and narrate their experiences, they can better understand themselves and others. Stories also give students a voice, which is particularly important for those who are disenfranchised. By sharing their stories, the inequities they experience are humanized, which might lead to institutional change, such as policy shifts that can close equity gaps.

Ways to Integrate Storytelling in the Classroom
1. Storytelling Templates: Offer a simple storytelling template to guide students in their reflective thinking and writing. It might be helpful to have them consider the main characters, setting, and plot of their narratives. Stories can be organized chronologically, thematically, or by using a cause/effect or problem/solution design.
Example:
1. What are your goals in school? How will having an education improve your life?
1. What challenges, if any, have you experienced in school?
1. How are you working to overcome these challenges?
1. How can the school help you succeed? What support or resources would help?
1. Interactive Journals: Utilize an interactive journal, where students can share their stories. Then, a teacher can respond with positive feedback, questions, or additional reflective prompts.
1. Exit Tickets: Give students exit tickets at the end of class so they can write stories to share personal connections they have made with class concepts. This can help them slowly feel more comfortable sharing their stories and begin to see the relevance of the material to their personal or professional lives.
1. Human Library: Every student has a story to share. It might be about their role as a student, athletic accomplishments, time in the military, or experiences in a family. Each student’s story is like a book that their classmates can “check out” to learn more about them.
1. Student Interviews: As an icebreaker during the first week of class, students can create interview questions so they can get to know their classmates. Ideally, they will meet most, if not all, of their peers, which will help them start to build a classroom community.
1. Creative Outlets: Encourage students to share their stories through podcasts, blog posts, comic strips, posters, or presentations. Creative expression may help students talk about experiences that are difficult to put into words.
Although there are many benefits to having students share their stories, there may also be challenges to consider. For some students, it can be emotionally draining to revisit past experiences, especially if they are traumatic. As such, it is important for teachers to approach these activities with compassion and understanding.

Considerations for Respectful Storytelling
1. Safe Learning Spaces: Building a safe learning space where trust is built may prime students for sharing their stories. This takes time, so teachers may want to wait to assign storytelling until rapport has been built in the classroom.
1. Promote Boundaries: Not everyone will feel comfortable sharing their stories. Teachers may give students the option to opt out or to choose what parts of their stories they feel comfortable sharing.
1. Encourage Respectful Listening: The audience should have clear expectations for how to respectfully listen to their classmates’ stories. By using empathetic body language such as leaning in, nodding, and making eye-contact when a student is opening up, it can have a profound impact and provide validation.
1. Alternate Assignments: If speaking openly is too personal, teachers can let students share their stories in alternate formats. Consider creative outlets, such as art, music, or memory boxes.
1. Model Vulnerability: Teachers can model storytelling in class. Then, they can speak to the courage it takes to be vulnerable in front of others.
1. Acknowledge Effort: When students do take the risk and open up in class, teachers can genuinely praise their efforts. This is particularly important when students are sharing a tough topic.
Incorporating storytelling into the classroom can empower students to share their unique experiences and perspectives. By thoughtfully guiding these activities, teachers can create spaces where all students feel seen and valued. When students share their stories, they build bridges of compassion, which can foster inclusion in the classroom and enrich the learning community.

Amy M. Anderson, EdD, teaches communication studies courses at Spokane Community College and Whitworth University. She earned her doctorate in teaching and learning from Grand Canyon University and her master’s degree in communication and leadership studies from Gonzaga University. Amy enjoys researching, writing, and presenting on topics relating to communication, higher education, leadership, teaching, and reflective practice. She is also passionate about improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in and out of higher education institutions.

Kelly R. Maguire, EdD, teaches for the College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University. She earned a doctorate in teaching and learning from Grand Canyon University, a master’s degree in English, and a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University. Her bachelor’s degree in elementary education was earned at the University of Arizona. Her research and presenting interests include teacher training, pre-service teachers, microteaching, content knowledge, and reflective practice.
Source link
February 14, 2025
The Power of Students’ Stories – Faculty Focus
The power of human stories is undeniable. Whether conveyed through music, art, writing, or oral storytelling—sharing one’s lived experience can have a profound impact. Stories connect people by tapping into their universal emotions, experiences, and values. They can also preserve and pass on traditions, customs, language, and culture or be utilized as a persuasive tool to inspire action.

In educational settings, storytelling can be transformative. When students are given opportunities to reflect on their lives and narrate their experiences, they can better understand themselves and others. Stories also give students a voice, which is particularly important for those who are disenfranchised. By sharing their stories, the inequities they experience are humanized, which might lead to institutional change, such as policy shifts that can close equity gaps.

Ways to Integrate Storytelling in the Classroom
1. Storytelling Templates: Offer a simple storytelling template to guide students in their reflective thinking and writing. It might be helpful to have them consider the main characters, setting, and plot of their narratives. Stories can be organized chronologically, thematically, or by using a cause/effect or problem/solution design.
Example:
1. What are your goals in school? How will having an education improve your life?
1. What challenges, if any, have you experienced in school?
1. How are you working to overcome these challenges?
1. How can the school help you succeed? What support or resources would help?
1. Interactive Journals: Utilize an interactive journal, where students can share their stories. Then, a teacher can respond with positive feedback, questions, or additional reflective prompts.
1. Exit Tickets: Give students exit tickets at the end of class so they can write stories to share personal connections they have made with class concepts. This can help them slowly feel more comfortable sharing their stories and begin to see the relevance of the material to their personal or professional lives.
1. Human Library: Every student has a story to share. It might be about their role as a student, athletic accomplishments, time in the military, or experiences in a family. Each student’s story is like a book that their classmates can “check out” to learn more about them.
1. Student Interviews: As an icebreaker during the first week of class, students can create interview questions so they can get to know their classmates. Ideally, they will meet most, if not all, of their peers, which will help them start to build a classroom community.
1. Creative Outlets: Encourage students to share their stories through podcasts, blog posts, comic strips, posters, or presentations. Creative expression may help students talk about experiences that are difficult to put into words.
Although there are many benefits to having students share their stories, there may also be challenges to consider. For some students, it can be emotionally draining to revisit past experiences, especially if they are traumatic. As such, it is important for teachers to approach these activities with compassion and understanding.

Considerations for Respectful Storytelling
1. Safe Learning Spaces: Building a safe learning space where trust is built may prime students for sharing their stories. This takes time, so teachers may want to wait to assign storytelling until rapport has been built in the classroom.
1. Promote Boundaries: Not everyone will feel comfortable sharing their stories. Teachers may give students the option to opt out or to choose what parts of their stories they feel comfortable sharing.
1. Encourage Respectful Listening: The audience should have clear expectations for how to respectfully listen to their classmates’ stories. By using empathetic body language such as leaning in, nodding, and making eye-contact when a student is opening up, it can have a profound impact and provide validation.
1. Alternate Assignments: If speaking openly is too personal, teachers can let students share their stories in alternate formats. Consider creative outlets, such as art, music, or memory boxes.
1. Model Vulnerability: Teachers can model storytelling in class. Then, they can speak to the courage it takes to be vulnerable in front of others.
1. Acknowledge Effort: When students do take the risk and open up in class, teachers can genuinely praise their efforts. This is particularly important when students are sharing a tough topic.
Incorporating storytelling into the classroom can empower students to share their unique experiences and perspectives. By thoughtfully guiding these activities, teachers can create spaces where all students feel seen and valued. When students share their stories, they build bridges of compassion, which can foster inclusion in the classroom and enrich the learning community.

Amy M. Anderson, EdD, teaches communication studies courses at Spokane Community College and Whitworth University. She earned her doctorate in teaching and learning from Grand Canyon University and her master’s degree in communication and leadership studies from Gonzaga University. Amy enjoys researching, writing, and presenting on topics relating to communication, higher education, leadership, teaching, and reflective practice. She is also passionate about improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in and out of higher education institutions.

Kelly R. Maguire, EdD, teaches for the College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University. She earned a doctorate in teaching and learning from Grand Canyon University, a master’s degree in English, and a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University. Her bachelor’s degree in elementary education was earned at the University of Arizona. Her research and presenting interests include teacher training, pre-service teachers, microteaching, content knowledge, and reflective practice.
Source link
February 14, 2025
Ohio Senate passes bill to ban DEI and faculty strikes at public colleges

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.

The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed a far-reaching higher education bill that would ban the state’s public institutions from having diversity, equity and inclusion offices or taking positions on “controversial” topics.

The bill, known as SB 1, would also establish post-tenure reviews, ban strikes by full-time faculty, and require colleges to publish a syllabus with the instructor’s professional qualifications and contact information for every class.

Colleges that fail to comply could lose or see reduced state funding.

The state Senate advanced the legislation in a 21-11 vote largely along party lines — all nine Democrats opposed it, as did two Republicans. The vote came just a day after hundreds of critics spoke out against the proposal during an hourslong hearing Tuesday.

The second life of SB 83

Ohio is one of several conservative-controlled states looking to more tightly control their public colleges. But SB 1 is notable for how much it would overhaul the state’s public higher education, including aspects that have traditionally been left to college leaders’ discretion.

For example, colleges would be unable to make institutional statements on any topic the bill deems politically controversial, such as “climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.”

The bill would create a mandatory U.S. history college course with prescribed readings, like the U.S. Constitution and at least five essays from the Federalist Papers.

The state Senate advanced a similar 2023 bill, SB 83, from the same lawmaker, Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino. Even though Republicans controlled both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s mansion in Ohio, the legislation never made it to a vote in the House.

But times have changed. Matt Huffman, the previous Senate president and a strong supporter of the bill, is now the speaker of the House. Gov. Mike DeWine told local news outlets he was likely to sign the bill, pending a final review, should it make it to his desk.

SB 1 also goes further than its predecessor. The new bill would ban DEI offices and scholarships altogether, while the previous version only sought to prohibit mandatory DEI trainings and offered exemptions. And SB 1 includes a ban on full-time faculty strikes — a provision that was removed from SB 83 in an effort to assuage labor unions and win House approval.

Faculty reactions

Faculty groups and free speech advocates have opposed SB 1 just as they did SB 83. They argue it would chill free speech, hurt recruitment and retention of both students and faculty, and interfere with academic freedom.

The bill calls for colleges to “ensure the fullest degree of intellectual diversity” on campus and cultivate divergent and varied perspectives on public policy issues, including during classroom discussion.

“Nothing in this section prohibits faculty or students from classroom instruction, discussion, or debate, so long as faculty members allow students to express intellectual diversity,” the bill says.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio lambasted the “intellectual diversity” requirements in a statement Tuesday.

“At best, this language is the micromanaging of individual courses and instructors by the General Assembly,” said Gary Daniels, the group’s chief lobbyist. At worst, he said, it will require all sides of every issue to be evenly presented by instructors, “ignoring their First Amendment right to academic freedom.”

Cirino sought to cut off some of those criticisms when he reintroduced the bill as the first measure of Ohio’s new legislative session, which started Jan. 6.

“Senate Bill 1 not only does NOT limit speech or academic freedom, it actually enhances both, but with a requirement that diversity of thought be promoted,” said a Jan. 22 press release from the state Senate.

A representative for the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors spoke out against the proposal in written testimony ahead of the Senate higher education committee’s public hearing Tuesday on the bill. In total, more than 800 people objected to the measure via written testimony.

To grow our economy and keep our system of higher education strong, Ohio must do all it can to attract and retain qualified and committed faculty in all academic disciplines. Senate Bill 1 would instead send an unmistakable message to talented individuals looking to advance their careers in Ohio: go somewhere else.

Jeff Wensing

Vice president of the Ohio Education Association

David Jackson, a professor of Bowling Green State University and president of its AAUP faculty chapter, said Ohio-AAUP had submitted a list of suggested amendments — including removing the strike ban — to the committee in early February. He urged lawmakers to work with educators rather than pass the bill wholesale.

“While we disagree with many of the premises that underlie SB 1, we can still be partners to ensure that the foundational principles of our association are not undermined and that Ohio’s public system of higher education can thrive in the years ahead,” Jackson wrote in his testimony.

Other opponents included the Ohio Education Association, Undergraduate Student Governments of Ohio and the American Historical Association, as well as students and faculty in the state.

“To grow our economy and keep our system of higher education strong, Ohio must do all it can to attract and retain qualified and committed faculty in all academic disciplines,” Jeff Wensing, vice president of the Ohio Education Association, said in written testimony. “Senate Bill 1 would instead send an unmistakable message to talented individuals looking to advance their careers in Ohio: go somewhere else.”

Fourteen witnesses from groups like the National Association of Scholars, a conservative education advocacy group, submitted testimony supporting the bill in late January. They praised provisions such as eliminating DEI and requiring the history course.

DEI at Ohio State

Wednesday’s Senate vote on the bill came quickly — the same day it was advanced by the chamber’s higher education committee.

Ohio State University is also undergoing an evaluation of its roles and DEI work, according to a joint statement from university leadership issued the day of the Senate vote.

The review is intended to allow the institution to “make changes if state or federal law requires it or if we decide a different approach is in the university’s best interests.”

“We believe it’s appropriate to be proactive given the policy discussions happening around us,” the statement said. “Changes are almost certainly on the horizon, and the best way to manage change is to be prepared. The proactive steps we are taking now will best position us to continue our work uninterrupted in ensuring that students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds can be successful at Ohio State.”

Source link

February 14, 2025
How colleges engage faculty in student career development
It’s spring semester and a junior-level student just knocked on a professor’s office door. The student has dropped by to talk about summer internships; they’re considering a career in the faculty member’s discipline, but they feel nervous and a little unsure about navigating the internship hunt. They’ve come to the faculty member for insight, advice and a dash of encouragement that they’re on the right track.

A fall 2023 survey by the National Association for Colleges and Employers found 92 percent of faculty members have experienced this in the past year—a student in their disciplinary area asking for career advice. But only about half of instructors say they’re very comfortable advising students on careers in their discipline, showing a gap between lived experiences and preparation for navigating these interactions.

Career readiness is a growing undercurrent in higher education—driven in part by outside pressure from families and students to provide a return on investment for the high costs of tuition—but also pushed by an evolving job market and employers who attribute less weight to a college major or degree for early talent hiring.

With a fraction of students engaging with the career center on campus, delivering career development and professional skills to all students can seem like an impossible task.

Enter the career champion.

The career champion is a trained, often full-time, faculty member who has completed professional development that equipped them to guide students through higher education to their first (or even second) role.

The career champion identifies the enduring skills students will develop in their syllabus and provides opportunities for learners to articulate career readiness in the context of class projects, presentations or experiential learning.

The career champion also shepherds their peers along the career integration path, creating a discipleship of industry-cognizant professors who freely give internship advice, make networking connections and argue for the role of higher education in student development.

Over the past decade, college and university leaders have anointed and empowered champions among their faculty, and some institutions have even built layered models of train-the-trainer roles and responsibilities. The work creates a culture of academics who are engaged and responding to workforce demands, no longer shuffling students to career services for support but creating a through line of careers in the classroom.

The Recipe for Success

Career champion initiatives serve a three-pronged approach for institutional goals for career readiness.

First, such efforts provide much-needed professional development for the faculty member. NACE’s survey of faculty members found 38 percent of respondents said they need professional development in careers and career preparation to improve how they counsel students.

“Historically, faculty are not incentivized to do this work, nor are they trained to do anything really career readiness–related,” says Punita Bhansali, associate professor at Queensborough Community College and a CUNY Career Success Leadership Fellow. “This program was born out of the idea, let’s create a structured model where faculty get rewarded … they get recognized and they receive support for doing this work.”

Growing attention has been placed on the underpreparation of faculty to talk socio-emotional health with learners. In the same way, faculty are lacking the tools to talk about jobs and life after college. “As they’re thinking about careers in their own work, [faculty] are used to being experts in the field, and being an expert in careers feels daunting,” explains Brenna Gomez, director of career integration at Oregon State University.

Second, these programs get ahead of student questions about the value of liberal arts or their general education courses by identifying career skills in class early and often. This works in tandem with shifting general education requirements at some institutions, such as the University of Montana, which require faculty members to establish career as a learning outcome for courses.

“We knew we weren’t going to move [the] career-readiness needle by being the boutique program that you sometimes go to,” says Brian Reed, associate vice provost for student success at Montana. “If we really want to have an inescapable impact, we’ve gotta get into the classroom.”

A May 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found 92 percent of college students believe professors are at least partly responsible for some form of career development—such as sharing how careers in their field are evolving or helping students find internships—in the classroom. Just 8 percent of respondents selected “none of the above” in the list of career development–related tasks that faculty may be responsible for.

“It’s getting faculty on board with [and] being very clear about the skills that a student is developing that do have applicability beyond that one class and for their career and their life,” says Richard Hardy, associate dean for undergraduate education of the college of arts and sciences at Indiana University Bloomington. IU Bloomington’s College of Arts and Sciences also requires competencies in the curriculum.

Third, career champions are exceptionally valuable at changing the culture among their peers. “Champion” becomes a literal title when faculty interact with and influence colleagues.

“That’s a general best practice if you’re looking to develop faculty in any way: to figure out who your champions are to start, and then let faculty talk to faculty,” says Niesha Taylor, director of career readiness at the National Association of Colleges and Employers. “They have the same interests in hand, they speak the same language and they can really help each other get on board in a more authentic way than sometimes an administrator could,” adds Taylor, a former career champion for the City University of New York system.

Becoming an Expert

Each institution takes a slightly different approach to how they mint their faculty champions.

Oregon State University launched its Career Champion program in 2020 as part of a University Innovation Alliance project to better connect learners with career information in the classroom, explains Gomez.

The six-week program is led by the Career Development Center and runs every academic term, engaging a cohort of five to 15 faculty members and instructors who belong to various colleges and campuses at OSU. During one session and a few hours of work independently, program participants complete collaborative course redesign projects and education around inequities in career development.

By the end of the quarter, faculty have built three deliverables for their course: a NACE competency career map, a syllabus statement that includes at least one competency and a new or revamped lecture activity or assignment that highlights career skills.

After completing the program, professors can join a community of practice and receive a monthly newsletter from the career center to continuously engage in career education through research, events or resources for students.

IU Bloomington and Virginia Commonwealth University are among institutions that have created workshop series for faculty to identify or embed competencies in their courses, as well.

Training the Trainer

Creating change on the academic side of a college is a historically difficult task for an administrator, because it can be like leading a horse to water. Getting faculty engaged across campus is the goal, but starting with the existing cheerleaders is the first step, campus leaders say.
3 Tips for Launching Faculty Development

For institutions looking to create a champion program, or something similar, NACE’s Taylor encourages administrators to:

Get leadership on board

Make the professional development process meaningful through incentives or compensation

Provide ways for professors to share their stories after completing the work.
To launch career champions at the University of Montana, Reed relied on the expertise and support of instructors who had previously demonstrated enthusiasm.

“We found our biggest champions who always come to the programs that we do, who traditionally invited us into the classroom. When we said, ‘Hey, you’ve been a fantastic partner. Would you want to be part of this inaugural cohort?’ they said, ‘Absolutely.’ And so that’s who we went with,” Reed says.

Montana’s faculty development in careers has expanded to have three tiers of involvement: a community of practice, career champions and Faculty Career Fellows, who Reed jokes are the Green Beret unit of careers. Fellows collaborate with a curriculum coach to research and implement additional events, training and other projects for instructors.

After completing the championship program, some returned to continue education and involvement, Reed says. “We had [faculty] that wanted to come back and do it again. They wanted to stay part of the community.”

The City University of New York selects a handful of Career Success Leadership Fellows annually who drive integration, innovation and research around careers across the system. In addition to training other faculty members, each fellow is charged taking the model to present and share with other campuses, as with their own projects for advancing career development growth.

With added time and energy comes an added institutional financial investment in career fellows. Montana’s fellows receive a $1,000 stipend for their work, drawn from funds donated by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, and CUNY’s fellows receive $2,000 for the academic year.

The Heart Behind It All

For some of these engaged professors, their involvement is tied to their experiences as learners. That junior knocking on their office door asking about internships? That was them once upon a time, and they wished their professor had the answers.

“All of us have gone through undergrad. We know that we’ve taken some courses where it’s like, ‘Why did I take that?’ and the professor is just in their heads,” says Jason Hendrickson, professor of English at LaGuardia Community College, part of the CUNY system, and a Career Success Leadership Fellow.

“[Career champions] are the people who, when you talk to them, they all say, ‘I wish I had had this in my undergrad experience … I didn’t know this stuff existed, the depth of the programs and services that we offer,’” Reed says.

Faculty are also starting to feel the heat, particularly those belonging to disciplines under attack in mainstream media or that have historically less strong occupational outcomes for learners.

“I think over time, what’s happened is faculty have seen how this is actually beneficial … from the point of view of our disciplines and allowing students to see why engaging with the liberal arts is actually hugely beneficial for career and life,” IU Bloomington’s Hardy says.

“The question that keeps me up at night is how to retain college students,” says Bhansali of CUNY’s Queensborough Community College. “The data is bleak in terms of college retention, and each faculty needs to show how the content and skills covered in their classroom are going to help students in the future, regardless of the job they choose.”

Sometimes instructors can feel overwhelmed by the programs, trying to incorporate eight competencies into their courses, for example, or feeling as if they have to be an expert in all things career related.

“They can feel like, ‘How can I do all of this?’ And it’s really not any one faculty [member]’s job or any one class’s job. It has to be systemic in the college,” NACE’s Taylor says.

The best part of the job is seeing students successfully land that job in their field. Sebastian Alvarado, a biology faculty member at Queens College and CUNY Career Success Leadership Fellow, ran into former students from his genetics class at a specialist’s appointment he had.

“It feels really rewarding—they were really there as a result of their bio major training,” Alvarado says. “When we see students getting placements in their jobs, it feels like we’re doing what we’re supposed to do.”

Looking Ahead

There remain some faculty members who push back against careerism in higher education—and some who remain undersupported or -resourced to take on this work, Alvarado points out—but programs have been growing slowly but surely, driven in part by champions.

Since launching, IU Bloomington has had over 300 faculty complete the program in the College of Arts and Sciences, Hardy says.

Montana interacted with 235 faculty members in workshops and events in the past year, which Reed expects to only increase as more faculty members rework curriculum for general education requirements.

OSU has had 105 participants since 2020, and the College of Liberal Arts established a commitment to train at least two faculty members in each school to be Career Champions in their strategic plan for 2023–2028, Gomez says. Campus leaders are also creating professional development for academic advisers and student-employee supervisors to train other student-facing practitioners in career integration.

Furthering this work requires additional partnerships and collaboration between faculty members and career services staff, Taylor says, where traditionally there are not relationships due to institutional silos.

“I’m always—and my career success team, they’re always—scanning for these partnerships, and we use our network of existing people to sort of make referrals,” Reed says. “It’s a benevolent Ponzi scheme.”

We bet your colleague would like this article, too. Send them this link to subscribe to our weekday newsletter on Student Success.
Source link
February 13, 2025
Earning Our AI Literacy License – Faculty Focus
When my son started the fourth grade, his teacher provided a thick bound packet of cursive writing worksheets. She said that completing the packet was optional, but only if completed would her students earn their “pen license” and move from years of pencil use to the holy grail, ink. Using AI should also be earned; earned after becoming AI literate. Banning AI use in college classrooms is a pointless and exhausting endeavor. Instead, we should learn alongside our students to become AI literate. Our society is fully emerged in the AI era with nearly half of US states releasing AI guidance, the state of California signing legislature to include AI literacy in K12 curriculum, and recent guidance from the US Dept of Education on AI implementation in postsecondary education. It is imperative that all of us, students and faculty alike in higher ed institutions, learn AI basics and earn the right to use generative AI responsibly.

So, what does it mean to be AI literate? The answer to this question is changing daily and yet, there are many resources to help our students and us build awareness, knowledge, and skill in AI use. There are online short courses that share many of the same AI literacy basics, including:
1. Building awareness of how AI is already being used in various fields from healthcare to retail to education and more
1. Understanding AI vocabulary and acronyms, such as machine learning, deep learning, large language models (LLMs), neural networks, and natural language processing (NLP)
1. Critique skills to uncover hallucinations, falsehoods, and biases in the output,
1. Acknowledging privacy, safety, and environmental concerns
1. Skill in prompt engineering, and 6. knowledge and practice in AI uses in specific contexts
Together, with our students, we can turn to many free online options. Below is a short list I’ve discovered for myself and have provided to my students:
- Elements of AI: An online course by MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki to learn the capabilities of AI through theory and practical exercises.
- AI 101 for Teachers: A series of videos, with companion guides, on AI foundations for educators from collaborative partners – Code.org, Educational Testing Service (ETS), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and Khan Academy.
- 2024 AI Literacy Canvas Module ( Request Form): This AI literacy Canvas module with a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA license designed by the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI at Rush University, covers four areas of AI literacy: recognition, comprehension, critical thinking, and proficiency.
Ultimately, learning AI basics does go beyond short online courses and requires iterative practice using a variety of AI tools. Once we all know the basics, we can use established frameworks to help guide more informed discussions establishing dos and don’ts for responsible AI use in our courses. And yes, some, maybe even many, will abuse the privilege of AI use in your class, and you’ll find a big splatter of blue cross-outs or black ink smudges, but it’s still better than banning pens completely. Let’s provide avenues to improve our awareness, knowledge, and skills in AI use as we all collectively figure out how to manage in a future world where AI will be embedded in our work.

Madeline Craig is an associate professor and technology integration coordinator at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, NY. In improving her own AI knowledge and skill, she relies on her professional learning networks on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and ISTE CONNECT while at the same time playing with a wide variety of AI tools.

References

Klein, A. (2024, September 11). ‘A Solid Start’: States are crafting AI guidance for schools, but have more to do. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/technology/a-solid-start-states-are-crafting-ai-guidance-for-schools-but-have-more-to-do/2024/09

Lambert, D. (2024, October 4). California students to learn about AI and media literacy soon. EdSource. https://edsource.org/updates/california-students-to-learn-about-ai-and-media-literacy-soon?utm_source=ai-admin.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-ace-ai-literacy-framework&_bhlid=ffb2ed35f7f7c84088bcb6b4caa5765a8f6854e1

Miao,F. & Cukurova, M. (2024). AI competency framework for teachers. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/ZJTE2084

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2024). Navigating Artificial Intelligence in Postsecondary Education: Building Capacity for the Road Ahead, Washington, DC.
Source link
February 12, 2025