CTL Newsletter
August 2023
Spotlighting Dr. Alexandra Berglund, Inaugural Lilly Conference Fellow
Dr. Alexandra Berglund, Department of Professional Learning and Innovation
We are thrilled to bring you an interview with Dr. Alexandra Berglund of the Department of Professional Learning and Innovation! Dr. Berglund is the first recipient of the newly created Fellowship for the Lilly Conferences on Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning. This fellowship, sponsored by Academic Affairs, supports one faculty member to attend the Lilly Conference.
The Lilly Conferences are well-known for offering a platform to present the scholarship of teaching and learning, bringing together educators and administrators from various disciplines and academic career stages. This environment creates a unique opportunity for networking, skill development, and the exchange of innovative teaching ideas.
Dr. Berglund attended the Lilly Conference in Asheville, North Carolina, without knowing anyone personally but was delighted to find a welcoming and inclusive environment. Here, she connected with fellow educators from institutions within and beyond the University System of Georgia. Not only did the warm and open conference atmosphere make it easy for attendees to initiate conversations, but attendees were also provided with colored ribbons and other markers to wear to indicate their interests and preferences for networking and discussions. This uniquely flexible networking environment provided a foundation for establishing connections and collaborations. Dr. Berglund appreciated this approach, as it allowed her to engage in focused and meaningful conversations with peers who shared her interests.
Dr. Berglund found the Lilly Conference to be a refreshing departure from more discipline-specific gatherings. Unlike solely research-focused events, this conference emphasizes the scholarship of teaching and learning, attracting educators passionate about sharing knowledge and experiences. Her experience was particularly invigorating, aligning perfectly with the start of the academic year.
The Lilly Conference has a long history of promoting inclusivity and effectiveness in higher education. It was heartening for Dr. Berglund to learn about the origins of the conference and its role in fostering faculty learning communities. This historical perspective added depth to the conference’s mission to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for educators.
Dr. Berglund highlighted one of the most impactful sessions at the conference, which discussed micro-affirmations to support student success. Micro-affirmations focus on small acts of support, validation, and inclusion in the classroom from an instructor. The practice involves brief but powerful actions, such as active listening, making eye contact, and acknowledging students’ feelings, even in disagreement. Dr. Berglund hosted a workshop on these micro-affirmations, highlighting this practice that can uplift students and create a more inclusive learning environment. The concept of micro-affirmations is a valuable addition to any educator’s toolkit.
The Lilly Conference left a profound impact on Dr. Berglund. She encourages others, especially new faculty, to consider applying to attend the Lilly Conference as a Fellow, or just for professional development, underscoring the value of this conference in enhancing teaching and learning practices.
In a world where teaching and learning have never been more important, the Lilly Conference stands as a beacon of innovation and collaboration. It’s a testament to the power of educators coming together to improve the higher education experience for both students and faculty. We are thrilled that Dr. Berglund was able to attend the conference through the Fellowship and bring her experience back to share with everyone at GCSU!
News from the CTL
Impact Your Teacher Effectiveness Through the Objective Selection Form The Objective Selection Form (OSF) is open for the Fall 2023 semester through December 11. The OSF allows faculty to identify targeted learning objectives to measure teaching effectiveness, and faculty response to the OSF drives summative results on the Student Rating of Instruction Survey (SRIS). The primary indicator of teaching effectiveness is how well students rate their progress on learning objectives that faculty mark as Important or Essential on the OSF. Since every course is different, this research-based instructor-driven model interpreters teaching effectiveness based on indicators identified by the instructor. Most instructors, familiar with their course learning objectives, decide and mark the OSF in ten (10) minutes or less per course.
Please contact sris@gcsu.edu with technical questions or concerns. For assistance completing the Objective Selection Form (OSF) by matching your course learning objectives to objectives found in the survey, please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@gcsu.edu or 478-445-2520.
Help Us Promote the Student Rating of Instruction Survey (SRIS) to 65% Thank you for encouraging students to complete the Student Rating of Instruction Survey (SRIS)! We want to provide you with a few suggestions to consider to increase response rates with your students:
- Research and best practice consistently show that the most significant factor in increasing participation in online student rating surveys is for faculty to express and demonstrate how the results are essential and used in making meaningful course change(s).
- The next most influential factor is to set aside time to complete the survey(s).
- Evidence-based practice consistently shows that incentivizing students to complete the survey can increase response rates.
As a reminder, a 75% response rate is desirable, but 65% is the minimum for dependable results to be considered statistically significant.
Thank you for your continued efforts to help us achieve student feedback on instruction at GCSU!
Thank-a-Teacher @ GCSU - Fall 2023
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) often hears from students about how instructors impact their learning and personal growth, making them self-actualized in their endeavors. So as an ongoing basis of support, CTL instituted a Thank-a-Teacher program in the Fall of 2021 to acknowledge instructors' contributions to our students. During the Fall 2021 semester, we collected and distributed almost 400 student acknowledgments, and we're excited to hear that some faculty are using student nominations in their tenure and promotion portfolios. After collecting student feedback, we will provide the named instructors with a certificate and letter acknowledging their nominations. We also post instructor nominations on our website found at https://www.gcsu.edu/thank-a-teacher-center-for-teaching-and-learning.
Teaching has many intrinsic rewards, but we want to provide GC instructors with a documented way to show their value to GC students.
Please encourage students to follow this link to complete the Thank-a-Teacher form, https://gcsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_50YcNfkjGRPYy4C. They can also watch a short Thank-a-Teacher @ GCSU promotional video.
For questions, don't hesitate to contact the Center for Teaching & Learning at ctl@gcsu.edu or 478-445-2520.
Spotlight on Faculty Awards
This column in the CTL newsletter is devoted to celebrating faculty success over the past academic year. This month, we are pleased to feature Dr. Micheal T. Stratton, Dean and Professor of Management at the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business and Technology.
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What award did you receive this year?
I received the Susan Herman Service Award, conferred by the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS). I was also inducted this year as a Society Fellow. MOBTS is a professional organization for individuals who teach courses in management and organizational behavior. The society was founded in 1974 and incorporated in 1981 as the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (OBTS), updating its name to MOBTS in July 2017. MOBTS is dedicated to promoting excellence in the teaching of management and organizational behavior. The mission of MOBTS is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, information, and materials among its members, as well as to promote the improvement of teaching and research in the field of management and organizational behavior.
The Susan Herman Service Award “recognizes voluntary contributions over a significant number of years to the Society by an individual or a team. Outstanding service above and beyond the call of duty is the highest possible demonstration of sharing in an organization such as [MOBTS], and through this award [the organization] identifies and thanks those whose contributions represent the epitome of altruism, enthusiasm, and selflessness.” Past recipients of the award may be found here.
MOBTS Fellows are individuals identified and honored by the Society who have been involved at multiple levels, in multiple ways, and over an extended period of time to further the Society’s objectives. Criteria are long-term involvement, commitment, and contribution to the Society.
What does receiving this award mean to you?
After a decade of service on the Board of Directors, including roles as a conference site chair, Vice President, and then President for a three-year term (2019-2022), the award and induction are highly meaningful recognitions from my peers. I first attended an MOBTS conference in 2005 when I was a PhD student. These teacher-scholars have become a community of friends and peers who have very much shaped my academic and professional identities whereby student success and faculty welfare are central.
In 2023, the College of Business and Technology received INSIGHT Into Diversity’s “Inspiring Programs in Business Award.” You can read about it here.
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We would like to use this space in the newsletter to share stories about faculty success. Do you have an accomplishment that you would like to have featured in our newsletter? If so, please reach out to us at ctl@gcsu.edu.
The Art and Craft of Portraiture and Presence in the Ina Dillard Russell Library
We enjoyed a ceramics art exhibition titled "Presence" from October 31 to November 16 here at the Ina Dillard Russell Library. Many thanks to the students in Ms. Sandra Trujillo's Ceramics (ARTS 3510) class for their excellent work on their self-portraits: Katy Boatright, Hayden Bryant, Emma Holm, Sarah Krivsky, Jessalyn McEwen, Emmy Murphy, Bristol Parker, and Ellen Patton. Check out the Front Page announcement for more information!
News from IT
Happy Fall from IT! It's hard to believe we've started that final push toward the end of the semester!
Here are a few updates of interest. Most of these have been communicated via Front Page, but I include them here in case you didn't see them.
- Adobe Licensing Changes - Adobe has changed their licensing structure. All faculty should receive licenses for Adobe Express and Adobe Acrobat Pro. You may have received some notifications from Adobe notifying you of those changes. For more information, see Changes to Adobe licensing | Front Page (gcsu.edu).
- The new wireless networks (Bobcats, Bobcat Guests, and Bobcat Devices) are now the only wireless networks available. The old networks (GC_Secure and GC_Guest) were inactivated on Wednesday, November 1. For more information, see New wireless networks for campus – Action needed before Nov. 1 | Front Page (gcsu.edu).
- Staff Updates - IT welcomes Rashad Waller as a new Technology Support Services Specialist in Chappell Hall. In addition, Riley Denton has moved from the IT Help Desk to join the team in Chappell as well. A search is underway for Riley's replacement at the Help Desk. Also, please congratulate Fred Godin, as he moves from the Enterprise Applications team to take over as Director of Technology Support Services with an effective start date of November 15.
- IT Governance meetings will be starting up again after a longer-than-expected pause. Thank you in advance to all the faculty serving in roles associated with this important process.
As a reminder, you can get technology assistance in one of three ways:
- Submit a self-service ticket by going to https://askit.gcsu.edu and clicking on the green "IT HELP DESK REQUEST FORM" button. You can also get to the website by using the "AskIT" tab at the top left of https://my.gcsu.edu.
- Call the IT Help Desk at 478-445-7378.
- Drop by the IT Help Desk located on the bottom floor of the Library down the hall past Books & Brew.
- Susan Kerr, CIO
Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning!
Email: ctl@gcsu.edu
Website: https://www.gcsu.edu/ctl
Phone: (478) 445-2520
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