Dr. Kristin Curry Greenwood, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, addresses faculty.
On Wednesday, October 15, Թϱ University’s Center for Teaching and Learning hosted the Fall Faculty Seminar. The event showcased the expertise of Թϱ faculty and highlighted successful teaching practices across campuses. To commemorate the 75th Anniversary, the event featured instructors’ reflections on how their teaching and learning has been impacted by faculty development opportunities during their time at Թϱ.
Faculty seminar days provide professional development opportunities for instructors to share research, discuss teaching methods and build collaborative relationships across disciplines. Students benefit directly through improved academic performance, better engagement and enhanced critical thinking skills. Research shows a clear connection between faculty development and student learning outcomes.
President Susan L. Parish opened the event by thanking the Center for Teaching and Learning and the advisory committee.
“I’m in love with this event. As faculty, we have so much expertise in house and it’s really special that each of you is taking time out of your busy lives to come together and make the space to learn from one another.” Dr. Parish continued, “Thank you for your commitment to Թϱ. Things couldn’t be going better, despite all the noise and all the nonsense, we are having an amazing semester.”
Dr. Susan L. Parish addresses faculty.
Dr. Parish shared her experience returning to the classroom to teach a first-year seminar.
“It’s really given me such a renewed appreciation for the hard work that each of you does supporting and serving our students. So, I would just like to end on a note of gratitude to each of you. And I have heard over and over again, from students not just in my class but across campuses, about how each of you is making such an impact on the lives of our students and so thank you from the bottom of my heart thank you for your service to this amazing university and our students,” she said.
Dr. Kristin Curry Greenwood, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, emphasized the faculty’s role in shaping Թϱ’s legacy.
“As we come together today, we celebrate not only the shared commitment to academic excellence but also the spirit of collaboration that defines Թϱ. Faculty Seminar Day offers unique opportunities to exchange ideas, explore new approaches and strengthen the bonds that make our work so impactful,” Dr. Greenwood explained. “This year holds special significance as we’re at our 75th anniversary, a milestone that serves to honor our legacy while envisioning the future with boldness and purpose.”
Faculty Senate President Dr. Amanda Gunning welcomed attendees.
“I hope you all have a great day and spend time learning something new. I know that you’re all committed to your students and your programs, and I really appreciate you being here and participating. So, it’s great to see you and I wish you a productive day,” Gunning said.
Breakout Session 1: Small Teaching, Big Impact: Metacognition and Growth Mindset Strategies
Stuart Sidle from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences facilitated a session on implementing small, evidence-based changes in the classroom. He reflected on his early teaching career when professional development often suggested major course overhauls that weren’t practical for busy faculty.
“Small changes, like the way you start off the class connecting it to the previous class or getting students to make predictions about what will happen, get them to reflect and think about theories they just learned to use and apply those theories. So, the whole premise is there’s no need for a complete course overhaul,” Sidle said.
Dr. Rebecca Trenz from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences discussed metacognition as a strong predictor of academic success. Students who use metacognitive strategies show better academic performance, improved problem-solving abilities and increased attention.
“Another reason why we should do this is that a lot of work is starting to look at where the differences in academic achievement are, and researchers are emphasizing the fact that these group differences are not from a lack of ability, attitude, ability to learn or anything like that.” Dr. Trenz shared. She continued. “It’s a difference in the skill set they have or need to excel in academic settings, and our role as educators is to help them develop those skills.”
A panel moderated by Dr. Alberto Manzi featured faculty members sharing metacognitive practices they’ve implemented in their classrooms.
Dr. Melissa Ramdas from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences uses Think Pair Share in her counseling courses. Students first consider how to apply a new skill individually, then discuss with a partner, and finally process as a class before practicing.
“But I want them to really think about when and where is most appropriate to utilize the skills that were taught to them in that course, because, ultimately, when they get into internship and practicum, they will apply these skills with real clients,” Ramdas said.
Dr. Amber Saracino implemented mind mapping in her Developmental Psychology Across the Life Span course. Students create one map throughout the semester, adding to it at four checkpoints covering different developmental stages.
“Because, as we know, these theories build upon each other throughout the lifespan, so I felt that Mind Mapping would be a great way for them to really think about it more deeply and reflect on it and continue to add the different milestones throughout the semester. It’s really fun to see and it’s a really creative way for them to show they’re learning, and their questions have been helpful as well,” Saracino said.
Next, Dr. Lorraine Shikapwashya from the School of Health and Natural Sciences talked about incorporating reflective journaling into her epidemiology course. She noticed students initially struggled to articulate their thinking process, so she modeled what deep thinking should look like and provided prompts.
“I wanted them to think about their learning process and enhance their critical thinking and evidence-based decision making skills,” Dr. Shikapwashya said. “And what I found is that initially, with the first journal, I think students struggled articulating the thinking process, so what I did after that was to model to the students what that process should look like, and also give them prompts for thinking deeply about what they’re learning, what’s working for them and what challenges they encounter while doing that work. It seems to be going well so far.”
Breakout Session 2: HHMI Inclusive Excellence Panel
The Inclusive Excellence Panel brought together faculty to discuss mentoring, inclusive teaching, student partnerships and data collaborations. Dr. Laura Proszak from the School of Liberal Arts spoke about inclusive teaching approaches that reduce learning barriers.
“A lot of inclusive teaching can be small changes that reduce learning barriers, that are evidence-based, that really promote student learning. So, we can think of this as equity minded. And these are known to have robust impacts for historically underserved students. We also have identity minded, which are culturally relevant pedagogies where we can have the faculty facilitating dialogue around social identity and justice issues,” Dr. Proszak said.
Peter Sandberg from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences shared the teams-based approach he uses in his Trial Skills Course. Students work in pairs that form larger teams, creating multiple resources for information and generating engagement through structured disagreement.
“It creates a tremendous amount of engagement in the class. And it all overflows outside the classroom, because they get excited about what they’re doing inside the classroom and then they discuss it with their teammates and with their bigger team, and it seems to work in getting students engaged,” Sandberg said.
Mi-Hyun Chung from the School of Education emphasized the importance of connecting with students individually. She arranges meetings after class and asks students to share who they are and what support they need.
“And they come back with all these cute and crazy and very serious ideas. I learned I have a student who is suffering from sleep deprivation issues, which is very common nowadays,” Dr. Chung explained. “This student said that he really appreciates me and all he needs me to do is walk over to him during the class and touch his shoulder, and say, ‘Hi. How are you doing?’ so he doesn’t fall asleep.”
During a break, attendee Linda Sherman-Atkins from the School of Health and Natural Sciences highlighted the value of in-person gatherings for cross-disciplinary collaboration.
“I ran into three people that I wouldn’t have run into on Zoom, and we have now got some ideas for the spring. We just started a conversation, and it evolved into an idea, and we can involve every school,” Sherman-Atkins said.
Breakout Session 3: Creating Effective AI Learning Environments
Dr. Jack Simmons and Dr. Alberto Manzi from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences facilitated a session on AI in education. Simmons noted that students express anxiety about whether AI will replace their future careers.
“Some of them are finding it difficult to embrace AI and they wonder if it’s actually going to take their jobs in the next five years. I don’t think that’s the case,” Dr. Simmons predicted. “They’ll be part of these groups of educators who are creating new forms of educational content and new ways to approach using AI. That’s why our work groups at Թϱ are so important, because there are a lot of bells and whistles and nuts and bolts with this stuff, it can be overwhelming,” he said.
Camille Shelly, vice president and chief technology officer, closed the session by affirming faculty value in an AI-enhanced environment.
“Your expertise, judgment and mentorship are irreplaceable. While Al offers practical benefits, reducing administrative burdens and enabling more meaningful interactions with students, it is your insight that will determine how these tools serve our educational mission,” Shelly assured the audience. “And by embracing these tools, you are giving our students a genuine advantage in a world increasingly shaped by Al. You are preparing them not just to use technology, but to lead and collaborate with it throughout their careers.”
Additional Breakout Sessions
The seminar featured multiple sessions throughout the day.
- The GRIT and Learned Optimism session examined how character building impacts student outcomes.
- Teaching for Retention explored evidence-based learning strategies that promote student success.
- Harnessing AI covered how faculty can use artificial intelligence to transform tedious tasks.
- Scaffolding the Research Process provided methods for building student research competence.
- Fostering Growth Through Simulation examined how simulation training prepares students for trauma-informed care.
- Using an Evidence-Based Framework introduced the MindArch tool for assessing student well-being.
- Indirect Assessment explored how retention and graduation rates inform understanding of student learning.
- Enhancing Learning Through Mindfulness Practice introduced practical applications of mindfulness in classrooms.
- Realignment Through Design shared a scaffolded assignment approach that breaks projects into manageable cycles.
- Restorative Circles as a Tool for Healing and Learning explored how to address classroom tensions over sensitive topics.
- Campus in action examined how student organizations drive engagement across the university.
The day provided faculty with practical tools and strategies they can implement immediately while reinforcing Թϱ’s commitment to teaching excellence and student success.
