Monday, November 26, 2012

International Conference on Economics and Social Science

Please see the announcement from the International Conference on Economics and Social Science. Researchers interested in economics, economic development, technology, sociology, psychology, and related fields may be interested in this conference.


(from the website)
Jan.20-21, Melbourne, Australia 2013.

Paper submission due:
December 25, 2012

ICESS 2013 will be the most comprehensive conference focused on the various aspects of advances in Economics and Social Science. This Conference provides a chance for academic and industry professionals to discuss recent progress in the area of Economics and Social Science. Furthermore, we expect that the conference and its publications will be a trigger for further related research and technology improvements in this important subject.
The goal of this conference is to bring together the researchers from academia and industry as well as practitioners to share ideas, problems and solutions relating to the multifaceted aspects of Economics and Social Science.

All accepted papers will be published in Advances in Education Research (ISSN:2160-1070), which will be indexed by CPCI-SSH (ISSHP). Advances in Education Research has been indexed by CPCI-SSH since the first volume.


Monday, November 19, 2012

FLOWHE Event -- TEDx Women at UNF


Please see the notice below from Dr. Lynn Jones (lcjones@unf.edu) regarding an upcoming event for faculty organized by the Florida Office of Women in Higher Education (FLOWHE).

FLOWHE November/December Event
Saturday, December 1
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
University of North Florida
Student Union West – Building 58, Room 2704


The FLOWHE North Florida Chapter will join the University of North Florida Institute for Values, Community and Leadership and TEDx Riverside/Avondale by attending a live simulcast of “TEDxWomen” broadcast from Washington D.C. Local musicians will be performing during the breaks. This event is free and open to UNF students, faculty, staff and the public.  This installment of the Leadership Speakers Bureau by the Institute for Values, Community and Leadership at UNF is a live stream of a national conference, which focuses on a dialogue about what the theme “The Space Between” means for women and men.  The day will consist of four sessions with distinctive themes – the FLOWHE group will collectively do the first one:     11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - “IQ and EQ: The Space Between Our Intellectual and Emotional Intelligence.”  This event is free, but registration for each session is required. For more information, please visit: http://www.unf.edu/ivcl/Upcoming_Events.aspx

See the attached for more information. Contact Dr. Lynn Jones (lcjones@unf.edu) for additional information.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics


Please see the Call for Papers below to the
17th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics to be held in Orlando, Florida on July 9th-15th, 2013.

Proposals are due by November 16th, 2012.
For more information, see the website:
http://www.iiis-summer13.org/wmsci/

From the website:

What is WMSCI 2013?
WMSCI 2013 is an international forum for scientists and engineers, researchers and consultants, theoreticians and practitioners in the fields of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics. The forum focuses into specific disciplinary research, and also in multi, inter, and trans-disciplinary studies and projects. One of its aims is to relate disciplines, fostering analogical thinking and, hence, producing input to the logical thinking.


The purpose of WMSCI 2013 is to promote discussions and interactions between researchers and practitioners focused on disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary issues, ideas, concepts, theories, methodologies and applications. We are particularly interested in fostering the exchange of concepts, prototypes, research ideas, and other results which could contribute to the academic arena and also benefit business, and the industrial community.

Conference’s Major Themes
Information Systems, Technologies and Applications.
Ethics, Cybernetics and Informatics
Free/Open Source Software, Technologies and Content
Optical Systems, Technologies and Applications
Human Information Systems
Computer Science and Engineering
Communication and Network Systems, Technologies and Applications
Control Systems, Technologies and Applications
Image, Acoustic, Speech and Signal Processing
Applications of Informatics and Cybernetics in Science and Engineering (MEI 2013) Systemics
Concepts, Principles, Methodologies and Applications of Cybernetics



Safe-Space Training

Please see the note below from Cheryl Gonzalez, Director for Equal Opportunity and Diversity at UNF.
This training opportunity is open to all faculty

The LGBT Resource Center is partnering with the Center for Professional Development and Training to offer a course open to all faculty and staff, "Creating Safe Spaces for Students, Faculty and Staff." The next available training opportunity for this fall will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6. All interested employees can register by logging into myWings and clicking on "CPDT Class Register." From there select "Creating Safe Spaces" training course to register. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Community Partnerships and Health Disparities Conference

See the announcement below from Community Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH). CCPH is a multidisciplinary organization focused on community health in the broadest sense. The conference below will be of interest to faculty who conduct research on community engagement, social justice, race, community health, and policies that affect local communities.

Applications are due October 12, 2012 for the 2nd National Community Partner Forum on Community-Engaged Health Disparities Research, December 5-7, 2012 in Washington DC. 
Click here for the Call for Applications.


The 2nd National Community Partner Forum seeks to advance community-engaged research as a tool for eliminating health disparities by:
1. Deepening the knowledge and skills needed by community partners to successfully conduct community-engaged research, negotiate community-academic research partnerships and serve in national leadership roles;
2. Disseminating innovative work of community partners that others can learn from and build on;
3. Engaging in constructive dialogue between community partners and key stakeholders in academic, government and philanthropic sectors to foster mutual understanding and supportive action; and
4. Growing and deepening a national network of community partners that facilitates professional development and has a significant voice in decisions about research practice and policy.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Call for Proposals, Transformational Learning Opportunities (TLOs)

Please see the call for proposals from the Undergraduate Studies office at UNF.


Central to the University's core mission is the ability to provide students with educational learning opportunities that will be rich and transformative. Full-time, non-visiting faculty and staff are encouraged to submit applications for an eighth round of Transformational Learning Opportunity (TLO) projects for fiscal year 2013-2014, July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014. To obtain the application, click here. Before completing the TLO application, review the TLO Application Guide for completion instructions.

Applications from all categories are welcome, but special consideration will be given to proposals that align with the following designations that speak to UNF and the State University System Board of Governors' strategic goals: undergraduate research, community-based learning and global awareness experiences. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18. Submit both a hardcopy and electronic copy for undergraduate and graduate TLOs to Martina Perry, academic support services coordinator in Undergraduate Studies, at martina.perry@unf.edu and in Building 1, Daniel Hall, Undergraduate Studies, Room 1501.
Contact: Martina Perry at martina.perry@unf.edu or (904) 620-2607

Transformational Learning Opportunities (TLOs) Workshop


Designing Successful Transformational Learning Opportunities (TLOs)
Friday, September 21, 2012, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Social Sciences Building (51), Room 1205
Register for this event by emailing drichard@unf.edu
Faculty and staff interested in applying for Transformational Learning Opportunity (TLO) funds are invited to attend the TLO workshop titled, "Designing Successful Transformational Learning Opportunities (TLOs)." This session will provide an overview of the TLO concept, some examples of past successful TLOs and guidelines for applying for financial support. A faculty and staff panel will engage in a question and answer period as part of the workshop.

Student Success and Quality Conference

Please see the information below for an upcoming American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) conference on student learning.


Student Success and The Quality Agenda
Conference Dates: April 4-6, 2013
Conference Location: Miami, Florida


Student Success and The Quality Agenda will examine the most important but least discussed component of the completion agenda—quality in student learning. This conference will encourage participants to discuss the new contexts for student learning given the diversity of today’s students, including their differing backgrounds, learning styles, and pathways to and through college. Participants will investigate the latest research on high-impact practices and teaching, student service, and assessment strategies that strengthen the quality of student learning and close student achievement gaps. Conference sessions will provide an opportunity to examine different approaches to faculty and student services leadership development and to campus and cross-institutional collaborations linked to a quality agenda.

Please join colleagues from across the country to share and examine promising practices in linking completion with quality and assuring optimal learning environments for the success of all students.     

Learn more about this conference and register online.
For more information, please call 202.387.3760, or write to Siah Annand at network@aacu.org

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Do you Spin Your Research Outcomes?

Do you spin your research results? Often times we see news reports on scientific research and wonder if the claims made by the reporter are overblown, overstated, or just plain wrong. The results are conflicting reports and contradictory findings. Although scientists are supposed to have a healthy appreciation of  uncertainty within study results, and reporters are known for their bravado, a recent research article in PLOS Medicine suggests that "spin" in press coverage of scientific research is matched by "spin" in the original reports written by scientists. Paul Baskin, in a recent Chronicle article, discusses the study and encourages comments by the scientific community. It seems that consumers of research still need to beware of exaggerated claims, both from the media and from scientists.

To read the original article, visit the following website.
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001308

To read the commentary or participate in the discussion, visit the following Chronicle article online.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/scientists-often-responsible-for-spin-of-their-results-researcher-finds/30872

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

What does a Credit Hour Represent If Not Time?

A new report out by the New America Foundation questions the logic and effects of the traditional definition of the credit hour. The report highlights several problems with the current model, one that uses time as a marker of progress. One convincing chart shows that students who have gained additional credit hours (from freshman to senior) do not necessarily perform better on standardized tests. Another issue addressed in the report is the influence of grade inflation on the interpretation of credit hours. For example, in 1961, only 15% of students received a letter grade of A in a college course. In recent years, the number has increased to 43%.
Recommendations to address the issue include changing the definition of the credit hour or going to a credential system, which would allow students to demonstrate learning despite the amount of time they spent accumulating that learning.
To read a summary of the report, read the report by the New America Foundation on their website.
http://education.newamerica.net/publications/policy/cracking_the_credit_hour
For the full report, visit the report website.
http://higheredwatch.newamerica.net/sites/newamerica.net/files/policydocs/Cracking_the_Credit_Hour_Sept5_0.pdf

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

International Conference on Applied Social Science

Please see the announcement and call for proposals below for the 3rd annual International Conference on Applied Social Science.



2013 3rd International Conference on Applied Social Science (ICASS 2013)
January 15-16, 2013, Taipei, Taiwan

ICASS 2013 will be the most comprehensive conference focused on the various aspects of advances in Applied Social Science. This Conference provides a chance for academic and industry professionals to discuss recent progress in the area of Applied Social Science. Furthermore, we expect that the conference and its publications will be a trigger for further related research and technology improvements in this important subject.

Paper Submission DueSeptember 20, 2012
Contact Email: icass2013@163.com
For detailed information, please see http://www.icass-conf.org/ 

All papers accepted and registered will be included in conference proceedings published by IERI Publisher, which will be indexed by CPCI-SSH (ISSHP).

ICASS 2011 and ICASS 2012 Proceedings have been indexed by CPCI-SSH (ISSHP).


Adoption and Abandonment of Teaching Innovations

Innovative teaching techniques receive considerable press. Those promoting a new teaching innovation often promise significant results in terms of student success. In an environment that encourages efficiency and evidence, instructors working in institutions of higher education can be convinced to try new strategies to produce student learning, engagement, and success. Some instructors, however, abandon their attempts at incorporating these innovations into their teaching. According to a recent research article by Charles Henderson and colleagues at Western Michigan University, of the 72% of Physics faculty who attempt a teaching innovation (e.g., Scale-Up Studios, Open Source Physics, etc.), about one third abandon the strategies for more traditional methods. On the positive side, approximately 60% of the Physics professors who have tried a teaching innovation continue to use the teaching innovations, some with increased use over time.

To read the original Physics Review Special Topics article, visit this website.
http://prst-per.aps.org/pdf/PRSTPER/v8/i2/e020104

To hear more and see how others are responding to the results of the study, see the review article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education by Dan Berrett.

Asset-Based Community Development Case Studies

Please see the note below from the Campus Community Partnerships for Health (CCPH) program.
CCPH is a multidisciplinary higher-ed organization focusing on partnerships that improve community health (broadly defined). For more information on their organization, visit http://www.ccph.info/.


Dear community-engaged scholarship colleagues,

Minnesota Campus Compact is compiling case studies for a book focused on campus-community partnerships that have effectively employed the principles of asset-based community development (ABCD). These projects will have in some way increased social capital, while building on the skills, strengths, and vision of local residents, associations, and institutions. For more information on ABCD, visit http://bit.ly/OIZwI9

If you have questions or ideas for potential case studies, contact John Hamerlinck at john@mncampuscompact.org

On a related note - John McKnight, ABCD pioneer, was a keynote speaker at our first national conference in 1997.  He engaged the audience in table discussions around the question: how can higher educational institutions be assets to communities?  Read what they had to say on page 7-8 of the conference proceedings: http://bit.ly/SgiB9R

Thanks,

Rahma Osman
CCPH Program Assistant

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Digital Archives Reveal Social Networks

Researchers are finding new ways to connect archival documents in a project organized by the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia. Archived documents are being digitized and then connected to similar documents (from the same person, from the same groups of people, or on the same topics). In a recent Chronicle article, Jennifer Howard provides some interesting details of how this project likely will change how researchers are able to search digitally archived documents.
Read more by visiting the article online.
http://chronicle.com/article/Building-a-Digital-Map-of/131846

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Modeling Equity, Engaging Difference Conference

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) sponsors a number of national conferences on topics of interest to those in higher education. See the details below of an upcoming conference on diversity issues.


Modeling Equity, Engaging Difference:
New Frameworks for Diversity and Learning

October 18-20, 2012
Baltimore, MD
Register by September 17 for best conference rates

AAC&U invites you to attend Modeling Equity, Engaging Difference:  New Frameworks for Diversity and Learning to learn how campuses are effectively linking diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives in order to redefine notions of academic excellence and prepare students to engage differences, embrace multicultural complexity, and help revitalize democracy’s future.



Learn more about this conference and register online.
For more information, please call 202.387.3760, or write to network@aacu.org

Upcoming FLOWHE Events


Please mark your calendars for the upcoming Florida Office of Women in Higher Education (FLOWHE) events:

AUGUST 30th
Conflict Resolution in Higher Education
with Dr. Candice Carter, Associate Professor, College of Education & Human Services, UNF
SEPTEMBER 28th 
 Beyond Bone—Health Issues & Vitamin D
with Dr. Delores Truesdell, Assistant Professor, Brooks College of Health, UNF
 (NOTE:  UNF Convocation ends approximately 11:30, so late arrivals are anticipated)

OCTOBER 12th
Fourth Annual State Conference in Deland, FL
Click for Online Registration

Faculty Salaries Table Published

The Chronicle of Higher Education has published a table of Faculty Salaries from across the US. The interactive tool allows users to select salaries and sort by state, type of institution, and student-faculty ratio.
What interesting trends to you observe in the data?
Read more at
http://chronicle.com/article/faculty-salaries-table-2012/131433

FLOWHE Brown Bag for Sharing and Networking

The Florida Office of Women in Higher Education (FLOWHE) at UNF will be hosting a Brown Bag Lunch for Sharing and Networking Event.


Conflict Resolution in Higher Education
with Dr. Candice Carter, Associate Professor, College of Education & Human Services, UNF

Thursday, August 30, 2012
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
University of North Florida; Student Union West – Building 58W, Room 3804
Bring your Lunch!


Interactions in higher education constitute informal instruction as well as formal lessons in courses. Administrators and other leaders across the campus community provide models for conflict management that has two goals: resolution and transformation.  This session will clarify the two goals and present some methods that have been useful for accomplishing them. Participants will share their knowledge of pro-social methods that have been useful for conflict resolution and transformation. Pro-social approaches to conflict are attentive to the needs of everyone in a conflict.

About the Presenter:
Candice C. Carter Ph.D. is an associate professor at the University of North Florida, USA. Her research and scholarship topics include: conflict transformation, peace education, history/social studies instruction, citizenship education, and peace through arts. She serves in many international and national peace, education and policy organizations. Professor Carter designs and facilitates peace education programs in all levels of education, including the interdisciplinary Conflict Transformation Program at the University of North Florida.


For more information on FLOWHE, please contact our FLOWHE Institutional representatives:
Florida State College at Jacksonville:   Karen Arlington, karen.arlington@fscj.edu or 633-8317 or
University of North Florida:   Dr. Lynn Jones, lcjones@unf.edu or 620-1394



Friday, August 24, 2012

Returning to the Classroom: Teaching Students with Military Experience

UNF and the Jacksonville Community have welcomed those with military experience. More and more, instructors are noticing differences in the responses and perspectives of students in their classrooms who are military veterans. 


Upcoming OFE Event



Returning to the Classroom:  Teaching Students with Military Experience
September 6, 2012, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Student Union Ballroom C/D,  Building 58(W), Room 3703
Register Now


In this session, Dr. Tracy Hejmanowski, Clinical Psychologist and Director of the Deployment Health Center at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, will discuss how the experiences and resulting perspectives of student veterans impact their psychological and ideological viewpoints, as well as their capabilities and motivation in the college classroom.  The cognitive and emotional challenges of student veterans struggling with PTSD and persistent post-concussive syndrome will also be discussed, as it may impact classroom and instructional dynamics. An awareness of the scenarios that require sensitivity to student veterans' needs will help faculty minimize class disruption and maximize educational gains.

This event is sponsored by the Office of Faculty Enhancement and the Military and Veterans Resource Center and is supported by a grant from the Prudential Foundation

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

New Issue of International SoTL Journal Online


For those interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning has published its most recent volume online. Topics in this issue include:

Can Trained Student Interns Rate Essays as Well as Faculty Members?
Multitasking in the University Classroom

Improving Students' Research Questions and Hypotheses




The new, July 2012 issue of International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is online at http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v6n2.html. Authors are from Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.

UC Berkeley Offers Free "EdX" Courses Online

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have caused quite a stir by offering free online courses and degrees as part of a project called "EdX." The effect of these high profile universities taking on a new model of higher education is that others want to join the elite club. The University of California Berkeley recently announced its entry into the free online education market. As more prestigious universities join the movement, the future of the massive open online course (MOOCs) becomes ever more prominent (read more about MOOCs in a recent NY Times article). The model seems unlikely for many universities, whose budget is controlled much more by prospective students and government officials being willing to pay for access to quality instruction. Anyone might heft a guess as to what funding models might emerge in the future. Perhaps homework assignments will come with Google ads, or perhaps institutional funding will be based solely on foundation money donated by the vast alumni.
To read more about UC Berkeley's announcement, read the recent article about these developments in the Chronicle.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/uc-berkeley-joins-edx-effort-to-offer-free-open-courses/37969

I would be interested in hearing some comments from the UNF community regarding MOOCs.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Strategies for Thriving in the Academy

When starting a new position in an institution of higher education, faculty are faced with a number of challenges. With all of the demands placed on someone in a faculty position, it can be difficulty to focus on the things that will help one flourish. In a recent article in the "On Campus with Women," Kerry Ann Rockquemore provides some tips for newly-hired women in faculty positions. Among the tips are rethinking mentoring relationships and aligning time and effort with how one is to be evaluated. The advice is targeted toward women, but the suggestions are appropriate for all new faculty. Read more tips about succeeding in new faculty positions.
http://www.aacu.org/ocww/volume41_1/fromwhereisit.cfm?section=2

Making Tenure and Promotion More Transparent for Underrepresented Faculty

The promotion and tenure process can be a challenge to navigate for many faculty. In a recent article in the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) publication "On Campus with Women," Stephanie Luster addresses the need to have greater clarity in the promotion and tenure process, especially for faculty from underrepresented groups. Among the solutions she offers are faculty development seminars and sincere conversations regarding expectations for promotion and tenure. Read the entire article on the publications website.
http://www.aacu.org/ocww/volume41_1/fromwhereisit.cfm?section=1 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Annual Teaching Evaluations at UNF

Please see the message below by United Faculty of Florida-UNF Union President, Dr. Cheryl Frohlich.
The note indicates that if your annual evaluation only addresses the student satisfaction ratings from your courses, you should look into remedying the situation. Excellence in teaching should be evaluated by using information beyond student assessments of teaching.
If you would like additional ideas on providing evidence of excellence in teaching, see the resources available on the OFE website.
http://www.unf.edu/ofe/teaching_learning/Assessment.aspx

Message from Cheryl J. Frohlich, Ph.D
Annual Evaluations
Please note that student evaluations cannot be used as the determining factor on any teaching portion of your annual performance evaluation.  If your teaching performance segment refers to how student’s rated you in the student evaluation of your class and that is the main determinate of your teaching evaluation, then your evaluation is grievable.  See below from our Contract.

14 The use of student evaluations in the annual evaluation process is governed by Article 18.6 (3) of the CBA. Student evaluations ―are one useful tool‖ and, except as expressly provided in the CBA, the annual evaluation ―shall not be based solely on student evaluations‖. When using the student evaluations, the evaluator shall take into account results on a range of questions appropriate to the course.  (pg. 159)

Thank You
Cheryl J. Frohlich, Ph.D.
Department of Accounting and Finance

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Ubiquitous Learning Conference


Please see the message from Garett Gietzen, Garett.Gietzen@ubi-learn.com, regarding the upcoming conference on teaching and learning. The deadline to submit proposals is September 4, 2012.

UBIQUITOUS LEARNING: FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE    
I-Hotel and Conference Center    
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA    
12-13 October 2012    

We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the Fifth International Conference on Ubiquitous Learning. The Ubiquitous Learning Conference examines the ways in which the affordances of new technologies are changing how, where and when learning takes place. It considers, for example, how computing and networking devices might benefit learning not only in the classroom but well beyond the times and places traditionally considered the purview of education.

Proposals are accepted in phases. The upcoming phase deadline is 4 September 2012. To learn more about paper session options and how to submit a proposal, please see the Call for Papers: http://ubi-learn.com/conference-2012/call-for-papers/.

The Conference welcomes participants from many countries and professional areas, including teachers, administrators, researchers, university faculty, managers and others interested in the possibilities of technology in learning. Each day features plenary presentations and a variety of parallel sessions. Proposals may be submitted for paper sessions, workshops, and pre-formed panels. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registrations are also available. Presenters may submit their papers for publication in the peer refereed 'Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal.'

Garett Gietzen      
College of Education    
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign    
Illinois, USA

A New Peer-Review Journal Publishes Syllabi

Have you ever considered your syllabus something worthy of critique and comment? If so, a new journal, Syllabus, will peer-review your syllabus. The journal has some advantages, such as sharing ideas among teaching professionals. Read more about this new journal and join the discussion in this recent Chronicle article.
http://chronicle.com/article/A-New-Journal-Brings-Peer/132407/

To view the first issue, visit the Syllabus website.
http://www.syllabusjournal.org/index

Friday, July 13, 2012

Some Advice for Mentees

Mentoring relationships in higher education can be rewarding for mentees and mentors. Not all mentor-mentee relationships are successful, however. In a recent Chronicle article, Allison Vaillancourt provides some advice for mentees on how to pursue a successful mentoring relationship. She stresses the value of setting limits in the relationship and being mindful of opportunities for reciprocity.

Read more tips on how to be a good mentee.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/how-to-be-a-better-mentee/31973

Can the US Keep Up With STEM Demand?

Reports that US students are falling behind students from other countries in science and math have highlighted a growing problem in the US. If we are going to compete globally, we must do a better job of preparing and graduating STEM students.

In a recent Chronicle article, S. James Gates Jr. and Chad Mirkin discuss the recent report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which calls for producing one million additional college graduates in STEM-related fields. Noting that approximately half of college graduates who initially express an interest in gaining a STEM degree end up with a non-STEM degree at graduation, Gates and Mirkin provide several suggestions for dealing with the call for more STEM graduates. They emphasize the need to retain those students who were initially interested in STEM degrees. Some of their suggestions include active-learning teaching approaches in introductory STEM courses and discovery-based labs.

Read more recommendations on retaining STEM students by linking to the article.
http://chronicle.com/article/Encouraging-STEM-Students-Is/132425

What strategies do you use to retain STEM students? Where do you see trouble spots, and what can institutions of higher education do about them?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Reactions to Grading

As a part of every semester, faculty provide grades for students (and for the institutions where they teach). In a recent Chronicle article, Ahmed Afzaal describes common misconceptions students have about grading and how instructors can address these misconceptions. Read more at the following link.
http://chronicle.com/article/GradingIts-Discontents/132789/

How do students respond to grades in your courses? How do you handle the discouraging comments and requests?

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Debate Over Abolishing Tenure

Over the past several years, institutions of higher education increasingly are deciding to offer their faculty members short-term contracts rather than tenure. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, "Should Tenure for College Professors Be Abolished," Naomi Riley and Cary Nelson present opposing positions on the issue.
Arguments against tenure suggest that teaching plays too small a role in tenure decisions across institutions of higher learning across the US. Arguments supportive of tenure suggest that concerns around a lack of academic freedom and the suppression of risky yet innovative teaching practices persist. Read the different views on the issue and post your comments below.

Students Play Games to Learn

Student motivation and engagement has become an ever increasing theme in the national teaching and learning forum. Typically present in the discussion is a comparison between the time it takes to conduct active and engaging activities in the classroom and the need to "cover" content by experts (the instructors).
In a recent Chronicle article, Dan Berrett highlights a "reacting" method in which students role-play and debate important historical events. The goal of the role-play is to spark student curiosity in the subject and produce deeper learning of the subject. Read more about this interesting approach to student learning.
http://chronicle.com/article/Mob-Rule-Political-Intrigue/132767/

Accreditation Woes in West Virginia

What happens when a college loses its accreditation? Likely, the details vary from one institution to the next, but the main result is a lack of federal government funds and financial upheaval.
In a recent report in the Chronicle, Jack Stripling details some reasons why Mountain State University in West Virginia is in jeopardy of losing its accreditation status. Among the reasons given by the accrediting body was the institution's lack of "adequate learning support and faculty oversight to assure an effective teaching and learning environment." The commission cites inconsistency in academic rigor among courses within the same program and faculty teaching loads of 15 credit-hours per semester. Other concerns include insufficient faculty governance and oversight of teaching and learning activities. The university's extremely well-paid university president has been fired. 
Read more by linking to the article.
http://chronicle.com/article/Mountain-State-U-to-Lose/132805/

Monday, July 2, 2012

Undergraduate Research Conference

Undergraduate research is an important ingredient to the UNF faculty profile. Undergraduate students often have little opportunity to present their work and build on their skills by receiving feedback from others in the field. The Florida Statewide Symposium on Undergraduate Research provides such an opportunity. If you have undergraduate students involved in research, I would encourage you to consider having your students present at the conference. Such experiences can support transformational learning for students.
The deadline for submissions is September 21, 2012.


5th ANNUAL FLORIDA STATEWIDE SYMPOSIUM:
ENGAGEMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
October 19-20, 2012, Orlando, Florida

Where: University of Central Florida
Who: Faculty, Administrators, and Professional Staff
Why: To improve the undergraduate research climate at all universities and colleges in Florida
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Mary Crowe, President-Elect for the Council on Undergraduate Research, An Overview of Assessment Practices of Undergraduate Research
Presentation Submission and Registration Deadline: September 21, 2012  
Cost: $50
Funding: Contact the UNF Office of Undergraduate Research at lhawkins@unf.edu
Questions: Contact the UCF Office of Undergraduate Research at our@ucf.edu or 407-823-3125.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

General Education Leadership Conference


The American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) has hosted conferences promoting a deeper understanding of general education and its role in higher education for many years. The upcoming 2013 conference in Boston, MA, will focus on frameworks for general education that result in student learning. Many UNF faculty have been involved in various aspects of the UNF General Education Program and Venture Studies Initiatives. 
The Call for Proposals deadline is June 27, 2012




General Education and Assessment:
A Sea Change in Student Learning


Date of Conference: February 28-March 2, 2013
Location of Conference: Boston, Massachusetts
Proposals Due June 27, 2012



The demands of the 21st century present urgent challenges, as we think through designs for and outcomes of general education. Students must be better prepared for life and work in a technologically advanced, globally interdependent, and politically fractured society. Employers are questioning college graduates’ capacities in the very knowledge and skills at the heart of general education. Daily news reveals a public uneducated about the issues central to their well-being and unable to engage in civil discourse and political will to improve the common good. The context for general education has changed enough to require us to think in new ways about all our assumptions.

Many are responding to these challenges with more integrative, developmentally nuanced general education programs that move from a checklist approach toward a more intentional and coherent scaffolding of student learning goals and outcomes.


We invite you to participate by proposing sessions that will discuss and demonstrate frameworks and strategies that address the Principles of Excellence, a set of standards and guidelines for liberal education reform developed as part of AAC&U's LEAP initiative, and put cumulative learning at the center of new designs for general education and assessment.


Visit the Call for Proposals to find out how to submit a proposal to share your work at this conference.
For more information, please call 202.387.3760, or write to Siah Annand at network@aacu.org

Monday, June 11, 2012

Student Success and Quality in Student Learning


The American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) will host a conference on high-impact teaching practices and student success. The deadline for proposals is July 18, 2012.


Student Success and The Quality Agenda
Conference Date: April 4-6, 2013
Conference Location: Miami, Florida

Proposals Due July 18, 2012
Student Success and The Quality Agenda will examine the most important but least discussed component of the completion agenda—quality in student learning. This conference will encourage participants to discuss the new contexts for student learning given the diversity of today’s students, including their differing backgrounds, learning styles, and pathways to and through college. Participants will investigate the latest research on high-impact practices and teaching, student service, and assessment strategies that strengthen the quality of student learning and close student achievement gaps. Conference sessions will provide an opportunity to examine different approaches to faculty and student services leadership development and to campus and cross-institutional collaborations linked to a quality agenda.
Please join colleagues from across the country to share and examine promising practices in linking completion with quality and assuring optimal learning environments for the success of all students.     
Visit the Call for Proposals to find out how to submit a proposal to share your work at this conference.
For more information, please call 202.387.3760, or write to Siah Annand at network@aacu.org

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

China's First and Only Female Emperor


On Thursday, June 7th Professor Wang Shuanghuai of Shaanxi Normal University, now a Visiting Professor at CSU-Los Angeles,  will be visiting UNF and presenting a lecture at 3 PM titled:

“How Wu Zetian Became China’s First and Only Female Emperor”

The lecture will be held in Building 9, Room 2401 at 3PM.
Light refreshments will be provided.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

"A New Era of Engagement" Conference


Faculty conducting the scholarship of teaching and learning on the topic of civic engagement, community-based learning, and service-learning might be interested in the upcoming Kentucky Engagement Conference.
The deadline to submit proposals is May 31, 2012.



We are looking for presenters from across the country to participate through regular and poster sessions.We will be accepting proposals until May 31st. 

This year's conference will take place at Western Kentucky University on November 8-9th. The theme of this year's conference is a New Era of Engagement. The tracks include: civic health, sustainability, partnerships, technology 3.0, student-centered engagement, and academic activism.

Deadline: May 31, 2012


For more information about the 2012 conference, please visit www.wku.edu/kec. Please direct any questions regarding proposals to Terry Shoemaker at terry.shoemaker@wku.edu
Terry Shoemaker
Program Coordinator
WKU Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility

Saturday, April 28, 2012

50 Years of Scientific Revolutions

Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was published 50 years ago. Since then, our understanding scientific progress has not been the same. In a recent Chronicle article titled "Shift Happens," David Weinberger discusses the legacy of Kuhn's ideas. Read more here.
http://chronicle.com/article/Shift-Happens/131580/

I would be interested in hearing your comments on how Kuhn's ideas have shaped your thinking about scientific progress and your own practice of science.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

10 Strategies in Preparing your Promotion and Tenure Dossier

In a recent Faculty Focus article, authors provide 10 suggestions for navigating promotion and tenure successfully. Some of the strategies include seeking a variety of mentors and pursuing transparency in your dossier.
Read more here.
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/faculty-evaluation/top-10-strategies-for-preparing-the-annual-tenure-and-promotion-dossier/

Free Range Learners

In a recent Chronicle article, Marc Perry highlights recent work coming out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that tracks how students study and seek for information online. Results from a variety of methods indicate that students seek out information from peers and online resources (that the students perceive as credible) to supplement the information their instructors provide to them.
Read more here about students' "free range" approach to studying.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/free-range-learners-study-opens-window-into-how-students-hunt-for-educational-content-online/36137

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tell Students to Stop Studying?

Students can focus on wrong ideas, wrong study habits, and wrong motives. Instructors can provide clarity for students, help them focus on what they should be studying and why. In a recent Chronicle article, UNF's own David Jaffee warns faculty to avoid the wrong motivation trap often befuddling students, studying (only) for the exam.
Read more here.
http://chronicle.com/article/Stop-Telling-Students-to-Study/131622/

Reduced Hours for OFE

The Office of Faculty Enhancement will have reduced hours between the dates of April 30th and May 11th, 2012. During these two weeks, the office will be open according to the following schedule:
Monday 9:00-1:00
Tuesday 9:00-4:00
Wednesday 9:00-4:00
Thursday 9:00-4:00
Friday 9:00-1:00

For immediate assistance during these times contact Ms. Heather Pease at h.pease.96955@unf.edu or by calling (904) 620-1447.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lilly Conference on Teaching and Learning

Many faculty take a scholarly approach to their teaching. They have questions about what helps their students learn most, develop hypotheses about student learning, implement strategies that they believe are effective, and test their ideas using student work. An important aspect of scholarship is that it is shared as part of a larger community of scholars who have an opportunity to support, critique, and review.

Faculty who take a scholarly approach to their teaching may be interested in the call for proposals for the Annual Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching.

The 13th Annual Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching - TC will be held in
Traverse City, Michigan at the Park Place Hotel, September 20 – 23.
Proposal submission will close June 3, 2012.

http://lillyconferences.com/tc/proposals.shtml


The overall conference theme is Evidence Based Teaching and Learning, and includes four subthemes: Engaged Learning; Promoting Social Responsibility; E-Learning; and Creating Communities of Learners.


An integral part of the Lilly Conferences on Teaching and Learning is the number of high-quality presentations by faculty from throughout the United States and abroad. Come share what has been successful in your classes and what you have discovered about facilitating student learning.

For more information about the Lilly - TC Conference:


Todd Zakrajsek, Conference Director
Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching - TC
 919-636-8170

 Deb Van Etten, Conference Coordinator