Events

The Chairs' and Directors' Community of Practice is open to all current department chairs and chairs-elect, program directors and directors-elect.

We gather twice per quarter.

Further details are available on the Community of Practice page here.

» Register (separate registration form from other events)

Fridays: Jan 24 | 12-1:30, & Apr 4 | 9-10:30, & Apr 18, May 16 | 12-1:30 | Zoom (link provided on registration)

Co-sponsored by SU-ADVANCE

Facilitated by Angelique Davis (Political Science)

SU ADVANCE hosts a 4-part workshop series to discuss and provide support for the unique challenges and opportunities experienced by faculty of color who are associate professors. This series is specifically geared to faculty preparing the dossier for submission but is open to any associate professor interested in learning more about the promotion process. The specific topics for each session will be provided closer to the date of the workshop.

What are the dates?

This series will span both Winter and Spring Quarters.

Winter Quarter

• SU ADVANCE Faculty of Color (FOC) Promotion Workshop I | Fri, Jan 24 | 12:00–1:30 | Via Zoom | Zoom link provided upon registration

Spring Quarter

• SU ADVANCE Faculty of Color (FOC) Promotion Workshop II | Fri, Apr 4 | 9:00–10:30 | Via Zoom | Zoom link provided upon registration
• SU ADVANCE Faculty of Color (FOC) Promotion Workshop III | Fri, Apr 24 | 12:00–1:30 | Via Zoom | Zoom link provided upon registration
• SU ADVANCE Faculty of Color (FOC) Promotion Workshop IV | Fri, May 23 | 12:00–1:30 | Via Zoom | Zoom link provided upon registration

Facilitator, Angelique Davis, is professor in the department of Political Science, an SU ADVANCE Fellow, and an NCFDD-trained Faculty Coach (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity).

Mondays | 11:00–12:15 | Jan 27, Feb 24, Apr 7, May 12 | LOYA 301

Co-sponsored by the Center for Jesuit Education

Facilitated by Jenny Loertscher (Chemistry/CJE) and Kerry Von Esch (Education/CJE)

The Center for Jesuit Education and the Center for Faculty Development are excited to announce a new series for faculty who would like to take a deeper dive into how to integrate Ignatian pedagogical strategies, approaches, and materials into their teaching.   

This series is designed for faculty with foundational knowledge of Ignatian Pedagogy who are interested in deepening their use of Ignatian Pedagogy in community with colleagues.  

Participants will build a Community of Ignatian Pedagogical Practice (COIPP) where they will take an inquiry approach to teaching. They will try out new strategies or practices (or refine existing ones) in their teaching and gather student work/data/information.

The COIPP will begin with a launch where the IPP is very briefly reviewed and instructional strategies will be chosen. Then, once a month, participants will gather together in the COIPP to analyze their student work/data/information and reflect on their instruction. They will also learn about and choose another Ignatian pedagogical practice or strategy to try out, or they may choose to refine the one they have been working on.

In between gatherings, participants will partner to observe each other’s class session and/or meet once to help with planning, debrief, share resources, etc. This time will be instructor-driven and an opportunity for extra peer support with whatever each person may need. Participants will meet with their partner between COIPP meetings 2–3 times over the course of the series.

In May, participants will have the opportunity to share what they learned and their Ignatian pedagogy with colleagues, as well as complete a reflection.

Participants will receive a $250 stipend.

Key Dates:  

Mon, Jan 27, 11:00–12:15: Launch  

• Jan/Feb: Peer session  

Mon, Feb 24, 11:00–12:15: COIPP  

• Feb/Mar: Peer session  

Mon, Apr 7, 11:00–12:15: COIPP  

• Apr/May: Peer session  

Mon, May 12, 11:00–12:15 : Showcase and reflection  

Please note that on completing your registration, you will receive a separate message asking for further details to help the facilitators tailor the sessions to the group members.

Feel free to contact Kerry Von Esch at voneschk@seattleu.edu or Jenny Loertscher at loertscher@seattleu.edu with any questions you might have. 

» Register (separate link from other sessions)

Wed, Apr 9, Apr 23, May 7 | 9:45–10:45 | Wismer Center (LOYA 200) | Coffee and tea provided

Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Facilitated by Juan Reyes (Department of English)

The Center for Faculty Development and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion continue to offer an affinity group for tenure-track faculty of color. The group's purpose is to provide a space for the collective exploration of the impact of race, power, and privilege on the academic life of colleagues immersed in teaching, scholarship, and service at pre-tenure stages of their careers.

Why create a group for tenure-track faculty of color?

There are three primary reasons. First, the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence report recommended boosting our capacity to retain talented minoritized faculty and facilitate professional development opportunities. Second, research on affinity groups indicates they enhance participants’ agency and optimism, while providing access to beneficial information and support. Third, from our own conversations with members of the Seattle University community, we know that faculty of color need a space where they can discuss their unique experiences in a supportive environment with peers who are similarly situated.

This professional development opportunity aims to empower tenure-track faculty of color to build community, share experiences, and pursue their academic life with more confidence and agency. We hope that this caucus process gives participants the space to determine “what solidarity could look like for...as people of color committed to the work of social, racial, and gender justice” (Kad Smith, Compass Point) at Seattle University.

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Co-sponsored by the Center for Jesuit Education, Center for Faculty Development, and Technology Ethics Initiative 

Facilitated by Yancy Dominick (CJE/Philosophy) and Julie Homchick-Crowe (CFD/Technology Ethics Initiative/Communication and Media)

Mon, Apr 14 | 12:30–1:45

Students and faculty both are spending more time than ever engaging with our phones and finding creative uses for Generative A.I. like ChatGPT. This technological context brings many benefits but also can create challenges in the classroom and challenges to our expectations around certain assignments. And what might our Jesuit educational mission have to do with how we set parameters and decide how and when to use technology?

Please join the Center for Jesuit Education, the Center for Faculty Development, and the Technology Ethics Initiative for a brown-bag lunch and Candid Conversation about the ways in which digital technology is reshaping our world and our approach to teaching and learning.

We’ll offer a brief framing conversation to start things off, and then devote most of our time together to shared conversation around what faculty are experiencing in their classrooms, what’s working, and what strategies we might carry forward into the second half of the quarter.

If you have any questions, please email Yancy Dominick at dominick@seattleu.edu. 

» Register

Tue, Apr 15, May 6, & May 27 | 2:30–3:30 | Hyflex in LOYA 201 (Zoom link provided upon registration)

Facilitated by Colette Hoption (Faculty Development)

In Ordinary Disasters: How I Stopped Being a Model Minority, Anne Anlin Cheng details her personal experiences grappling with societal expectations, developing professional identity, and finding self-empowerment. She defines an ordinary disaster as a seemingly everyday occurrence of racial trauma, much like the concept of “microaggressions.” Here is an example from the book: “I was heading to my first lecture, armed with my syllabus and my game face, when a young blond man, clearly an undergraduate, bumped hard into my shoulder with a breezy, ‘Ni hao ma’ tossed in his wake. My brain froze. Was this another one of those creepy men, or simply a student taking a Mandarin class?” 

Cheng, a Professor of English at Princeton University, invites readers to reflect on their racial identities and racial discrimination. On the surface, Ordinary Disasters is poised to resonate with some more than others – the well-educated, female professionals, Asian Americans. At the same time, microaggressions bear consequences for us all – individuals, communities, and the cultural narratives we tell ourselves and each other.  

Cheng’s journey of self-discovery – including insights on falling in love, parenting, and modern medicine – prompts our own. Throughout this book, you can anticipate asking yourself,  

• “Where have I seen or struggled with racial stereotypes in my life?” 

• “How has my gender, class and immigration status impacted my professional choices?”  

• “How is my race represented in society, and how does that representation contribute to my own self-concept?”  

These thought-provoking questions connect you to the dominant themes in Ordinary Disasters, and your answers will help you articulate why these themes matter to you.  

What can you expect?   

In this hyflex learning community, we will read Ordinary Disasters in three parts; after each part, we’ll engage in rich conversations to reflect on what resonated, what questions were raised, and whether and how we may be called to action. Across the sessions, you can expect:  

• encouragement to identify “ordinary disasters” in your own experiences; 
• sharing individual ways of responding to those experiences; and
• space for contemplating past and future behaviors; what do you need to better support marginalized communities? 

Who is it suited to – and how does "hyflex" work?   

This learning community is open to all faculty.  

For each session, faculty will have the option to meet in person (in Loyola 201) or join the conversation over Zoom (link to be provided on registration).  

Emulating best practice in workplaces, we encourage in-person faculty to bring laptops to our session so as to facilitate engagement with both face-to-face and Zoom attendees.

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Wednesdays: Apr 16, Apr 30, and May 28  | 11:00–12:00 | Via Zoom with hyflex final session in Wismer Center (LOYA 200) | Zoom link provided upon registration

Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Facilitated by Andrea Verdan

The Center for Faculty Development and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion continue to offer an affinity group for term faculty of color. The group is open to both full-time and part-time term faculty of color.

Aims of the group

In this space, participants will aim to support one another in

• sharing experiences to increase community and belonging across campus,
• exploring the impact of race, power, and privilege on our various facets of work, at all stages of our careers, and
• pursuing our work and personal lives with more balance, confidence, and agency.

Why create a group for term faculty of color?

The university’s goal to Promote Inclusive Excellence (RSD Goals 4) calls for initiatives to support diverse faculty to develop and thrive at Seattle University. This includes term faculty of color, whose intersecting identities are minoritized both socially (as a person of color) and professionally (as a non-tenure-track faculty member).

This affinity group aims to foster an equitable faculty culture and structure where all members of the community thrive and experience fulfilling work. Additionally, research on affinity groups shows that they enhance participants’ agency and optimism, while providing access to beneficial information and support. Finally, from our own conversations with members of the SU community, we know that term faculty with marginalized identities need a space where they can discuss their unique experiences in a supportive environment with peers who are similarly situated.

» Register

Thu, Apr 17 | 12:30–2:00 | Via Zoom (Link to follow upon registration)

Co-sponsored by the Center for Jesuit Education and University Core

Facilitated by Lydia Cooper (University Core), Jenny Loertscher (Chemistry/CJE) and Jen Tilghman-Havens (CJE)

This workshop invites faculty who are new to Jesuit education to engage in conversation about teaching and learning at a 21st century Jesuit university.

We will explore practical teaching approaches for use in any discipline that foster personal and cooperative insight, discovery, creativity, and reflection to promote life-long learning and the formation of leaders for a just and humane world, consistent with SU’s Jesuit educational mission.

Participants will receive pedagogical tools that they can use this quarter, as well as share with colleagues effective teaching strategies and questions that have arisen in their time at SU. 

All are welcome; visiting faculty, instructors, adjuncts, and lecturers are especially welcome to attend.

» Register

Thu, Apr 24, May 15, & Jun 5 | 11–12:15 | Hyflex in LOYA 201 (Zoom link provided upon registration)

Facilitated by Katherine Raichle (Faculty Development)

Do your current grading practices accurately reflect your students’ learning and progress? Does your grading lead to grade-grubbing and friction with your students?

In this learning community, we will read Grading for Growth, a book by David Clark and Robert Talbert, who explore how we can change the way we grade and give student feedback that is more fulfilling for both faculty and students. From the book:

The authors of this book – two professors of mathematics with input from colleagues across disciplines and institutions – offer readers a fundamentally more effective and authentic approach to grading that they have implemented for over a decade. Recognizing that traditional grading penalizes students in the learning process by depriving them of the formative feedback that is fundamental to improvement, the authors offer alternative strategies that encourage revision and growth. Conversations shift from “why did I lose a point for this” to productive discussions of content and process. Alternative grading can be used successfully at any level, in any situation, and

In this three-session Faculty Learning Community we explore the ideas together and conclude with actionable next steps and a plan for moving towards, or refining, an alternative grading option for your course.

How might you benefit from this FLC?

Over the three sessions, this book and our discussions will help you:

• Foster a deeper engagement with students in their learning
• Create a more humane learning environment
• Promote longer-lasting learning
• Reduce time on grading

Who is it suited to?

This book is intended for faculty interested in exploring alternative forms of assessment as well as those currently using alternative grading systems who are looking for new ideas and options.  This is suitable for any discipline, as well as classes that range from seminars to large multi-section lectures. 

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Fridays: Apr 25, May 9 and May 23 | 11–12 | Via Zoom | Zoom link provided upon registration

Facilitated by Brooke Gialopsos (Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics)

The Center for Faculty Development will offer an affinity group for faculty parents who are raising school-aged kids with diverse and special needs. The challenges of parenting while maintaining a schedule of teaching, research, and/or service to the university are well-known. Raising children with diverse and special needs can compromise our attempts to balance the demands of work and the additional needs of our children. There are many of us out there and we have found one another through the invaluable connections forged among parents in our existing affinity groups. We hope that you will join us to empathize, problem-solve, champion, and celebrate the unique path of those raising children with diverse and special needs. 

How could this be helpful? 

The psychological benefits of convening groups of people around common identities and experiences are well known.  Research on affinity groups has shown that they enhance agency and optimism, while also providing access to beneficial information and support.    

Aims of our meetings 

At its most basic level, we hope that our time together offers a space where you can feel less isolated in your experience. We hope to foster a community of support amongst parents raising kids with diverse and special needs, where they can share experiences, offer suggestions, and explore how to navigate shared challenges.     

We will collate contact information to allow participants to keep in touch with one another outside of this group, as well. If you cannot make this meeting but would like to make a connection with other parents, please contact faculty-development@seattleu.edu.  

Please note that ALL faculty parents are welcome to join the Center for Faculty Development’s other Parents’ meet-up session at the end of the quarter, open to all faculty parents with school-aged children. Broader support can be found in the SU Faculty and Staff Parents Group on MS Teams. These groups are how we found one another in the first place!    

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Wed, Apr 30 | 4–5:30 | STCN 130 (wine and light refreshments provided)

Facilitated by: Julie Homchick-Crowe (Communication and Media)

Come hear from fellow faculty members about innovative approaches, successes and failures they've experienced in using A.I. in the classroom.

After panelists share brief 3-5 minute presentations, all attendees will be invited into discussion over happy hour drinks and appetizers.

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As textbook costs rise, students are increasingly forced to choose between paying for necessities and paying for required course materials. Open educational resources — teaching and learning materials that can be freely accessed and adapted — are an alternative to these traditionally expensive materials and give you increased flexibility in your course design. Open resources offer an opportunity to lower costs and increase equity without compromising learning outcomes.

This workshop will review the challenges students face in affording course materials and discuss how open textbooks and other open educational resources can begin to address affordability challenges. You will also hear from faculty who have implemented open materials in their courses and learn about an opportunity to review an item in the Open Textbook Library (voluntary—stipend provided!).

What's in it for you?

During this workshop, you will:

• Learn about the benefits of open educational resources for your course(s)
• Learn about where to find open educational resources and how to incorporate them into your courses
• Connect with colleagues who are also interested in open educational resources

Who is it suited to?

The workshop is designed for individuals with any level of knowledge of open educational resources.

» Register

Fri, Jun 6 | 11:00–12:00 | Hyflex in LOYA 201 (Link to follow upon registration)

Facilitated by Brooke Gialopsos (Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensic Science) and Katherine Raichle (CFD/Psychology)

The Center for Faculty Development will offer a meet-up for faculty parents of school-age children. We hope that this meet-up offers a space where you can feel less isolated in your experience and make connections with faulty parents across campus.  

Why meet other faculty parents and to what end? 

The challenges of parenting while maintaining a schedule of teaching, research, and/or service to the university is well-known.  Finding a community of parents seeking balance can be a critical source of support and solace.  The psychological benefits of convening groups of people around common identities and experiences are well known. Research on what’s called “affinity groups” has shown that they enhance agency and optimism, while also providing access to beneficial information and support. We will collect contact information to allow participants to keep in touch with one another after our time together.     

*Note: if you are interested in this group but cannot make the time scheduled, please email faculty-development@seattleu.edu and let us know. We would like to support all faculty parents and will work with you to find ways to offer support.  

» Register