Initial Proposals

Proposals

Faculty and Staff Discussions

The faculty and staff discussions provided an opportunity to introduce the University to the Quality Initiative project, provide an overview of the key themes from the initial proposals, and to solicit input that may help inform more comprehensive proposals. Following a brief overview about the purpose and process of the QI, participants engaged in facilitated discussions regarding two of the themes. An appreciative inquiry or strengths approach was encouraged whereby the focus was on positive examples and available resources. About 15 minutes was dedicated to each theme or topic. At the end of the small group discussion, each group offered a brief report-out per topic which was documented on easel pads. Each topic was then discussed in a facilitated large group discussion with additional comments documented.

Faculty Discussions

Faculty discussion sessions were held November 29 and December 6. Ten themes were identified. With six tables per session, two of themes were addressed by two tables.

1. “Best Practices” pedagogical support and development

Proposals: 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25

Give time to learn the new technology and then use it for a time.
Identify one best practice and then have faculty development utilize that for the year’s sessions.
Have a faculty apeiron
Use more programs like DART
Provide instruction for and on teaching in formal and informal sessions
- Have a dedicated position for best practices
Need to have a resource center
Have a better evaluation system: peer evaluations, have an online repository where videotaping and brown bag lectures can be stored, develop a culture where evaluations aren’t negative focused.
Give books and resources to faculty
Courses need online components—Faculty may need to develop these skills.
Delivery styles may need to be different as faculty demographics may be changing.
Faculty development program needs to be enhanced. The purpose is to offer education training that is relevant and timely.
Bring experts on campus more of provide opportunities to go off campus for national and international conferences.
Provide more resources to teach successfully (how to manage the classroom, use of rubric, etc.)
Need a center of excellence for individual mentoring, enhance programs, etc.
Faculty need to be evaluated, then need productive, meaningful feedback

2. Responding to changing student demographics and student learning

Proposal: 16

Need more information as to what the current demographics is in order to make recommendations on how to change it.
Meeting students where they “are” is important
Link to the Students (LinC)
Focus on extending the thoughts of entry struggles to first and second year students.
Diversity needs to expand in
- teaching to learning styles
- Backgrounds
- Educational Experiences
- Working students
- Family situations
- Students with Children
  - Child care issues
- Faculty
Curriculum development and change
Lifelong learners and online learners mean we need to look at teaching differently.
What are the demographics?

3. Adjunct faculty orientation and on-going support

Proposal: 3

Compensation and support is needed. (3)
Mentoring program—connect the faculty to adjuncts for support
Bring in adjuncts for recognition dinner
Help adjuncts to become more connected to the campus/department (for assessment success)
Give adjuncts a space
Give better access to ITS –give then adequate time for training, etc.
Provide mentorships to provide opportunity to connect to campus
Math department is a best practices

4. Instructional development and support for use of technology

Proposal: 4, 5, 14, 15, 18, 22, 24

Give incentives
Need adequate support staff
Need creative minds to showcase the use of technology and instructional development
Capitalize on the skills of the new hires
Have endowment for technology
Have a center where faculty can go and learn technology
Encourage the use of technology to teach more effectively
Stop changing LMS on such a rapid rate
Need to offer and have support to use technology
Standardization of “shell” course

5. Definition and support for scholarship

Proposal: 25

The definition of scholarship varies between schools and the college.
Faculty colloquial, Sweet sabbaticals, International education support, WTE all provide opportunities.
Competitive grants (within the School of Business)
Define the “nitch” per unit for scholarship.
Release time might be offered for more scholarship.
Define what is scholarship vs. Research
Where does community service fit?

6. Classroom technology to prepare tomorrow’s workforce

Proposal: 6

Create cultural opportunities to stay on top of technology
Maintain the current technology resources
Use technology as a model for future workforce and educators
Help student understand the appropriate use of technology (to prepare them for the workforce)
Departments would need more investment and training with technology
Center for teaching is needed
Pool resources of departments, share techniques, etc.
Communication is needed to what is available, and how to use that technology

7. Technology facilities that support teaching, learning, testing and training

Proposals: 12, 17, 20, 24

Distance learning: Portfolio class, mastery lab
Proctored testing of Distance Studies
Mobile world is less “wired” and we need to move toward this
E-books accessibility and how these play into electronic testings
Market internal resources (IPads)
Use a “knowledge database” of resources
Build a network for larger capacity activities
Look at “laptop programs
Use Skype opportunities more.

8. Remedial training/supports for technical and/or college success

Proposals: 7, 19, 23

It was thought this should be developmental training vs. remedial training
It should be required to take a math course by the sophomore year.
Out of sequence course which might be a self-paced course should be developed to help with math skills
Utilize a search and rescue approach to identify students who are struggling
Academic advising is essential to get students in the right courses
Use technology through tutorials
Bridge program—getting more students into this type of program to offer assistance
Center for teaching could be utilized to help faculty on how to teach grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.
Need to question if there is a stigma toward tutoring

9. High-impact learning and community engagement

Proposals: 9, 16

Need to have civil discussions
Art department internships
Community service vs. service learning
Resources seem to be missing
Spend time on reflecting what is being learning through the community service/engagement
Ask each of the classes to focus on a community problem they can address within the semester.
Build items/service into everyday practice within the classroom and in experiences for the students
Need an easier way to market what is currently being done
Find more connections between classes and departments across campus—combine efforts
Student organizations need to be encouraged to build more partnerships with units or vice versa.
Find a different way to communicate about community service projects
Inconsistency in learning opportunities across campus
Ties are needed to be shown/told from the CS activities to meaning/purpose
Do a volunteer fair

10. Supports systems for improving students’ public speaking skills

Proposal: 23

Use existing resources on campus to help support other students (Apeiron, debate team, etc.)
May need to make this a requirement
Give more opportunities in class, clubs, organizations, for presentations. (2)
Use current technology methods (Facebook, tweet)
Find ways to put presentations/public speaking into courses to help with the fear. (2)
Public speaking labs
Faculty can help others to figure out how to put this as an assignment into online formats.
Communication is not public speaking, need to learn both.

Staff Discussions

Staff discussion sessions were held November 29 and December 10. Due to the fewer number of participants, themes were reduced to eight so that four tables per session could discuss two themes. A couple of the themes were revised so they were not so faculty-centric. Fewer staff attended the last session than was expected, so only six of the eight topics were addressed.

1. Training and professional development

Proposals: 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25

Opportunity to attend training across departments
Offer tuition assistance for profession development
Leadership Washburn is a best practice.
Use inventories like Meyers-Briggs
More personal and professional development opportunities
Encourage Staff/Faculty to present at development opportunities
Need a daily champion for wellness and development
Training for those who move to a supervisory or administrative position

2. Changing student demographics