Though it may be hard to believe, we will already be a quarter of the way through the semester – and halfway to spring break – by the end of this week. With that in mind, hopefully, your courses have settled into a nice rhythm, and you are establishing some great connections with your students. Meanwhile, this week’s Digest is jampacked with information and opportunities you will find interesting.
First, this week’s Monday Morning Mentor explores the question, “How Can I Structure Class Discussions to Maximize Student Engagement?” As usual, this video will be available through midnight this Sunday, February 5, and you will find the link and password below.
Next, please remember that our first Teamwork Tuesday of the semester will happen tomorrow at 3 p.m. Again, this session will be facilitated by our very own Chelsea Lonsdale and will focus on strategies for designing successful writing assignments for your classes along with the services available to both you and your students through HFC’s Writing Center. Please refer to the details provided below to join us for this valuable virtual discussion.
Tomorrow is a busy day for professional development because, if you recall, The Chronicle of Higher Education will also be hosting the virtual forum “AI Tools for Student Engagement.” Fortunately, this event begins at 2 p.m. and does not conflict with our Teamwork Tuesday session since it will take place an hour earlier. Accordingly, if you are interested in both, you can attend both. While no advanced registration is necessary for the Teamwork Tuesday meeting, specifics on how to sign up for the AI forum are spelled out below.
Meanwhile, as the first of several semester-long opportunities to follow up on our PIC discussion, next Tuesday, February 7, The Chronicle of Higher Education – with support from Timely MD – will hold another virtual forum on a wholly different subject, titled “A Holistic Approach to Campus Mental Health.” This online event will be hosted by staff reporter Kate Hildalgo Bellows and begins at 2 p.m. Advanced registration is required with more information on this all supplied below.
Shifting gears a bit, while you may have already seen her college-wide message last Friday, Ruth Ann Schmitt, Chair of the Library Committee, has asked me to reiterate here that her committee is now accepting applications for the Library Book Improvement Fund. Essentially, this involves simply filling out an application for any materials you would like added to our campus’ holdings and e-mailing it to Ruth Ann and/or Tessa Betts, but further explanation is offered below.
Next, Scott Corp, project coordinator for the Michigan, College, University, Partnership (MiCUP) at Lawrence Technological University, has asked Rosemary and I to promote several upcoming immersive in-person sessions for instructors, which will examine how students are learning through authentic scientific experiments in the classroom. The first of these will take place on February 24. All of them will be held on HFC’s campus in room J-110, and Scott has provided a flyer for these events, which can now be found on the CTEI Moodle hub and here through this link.
Finally, as we are entering February, please remember that we have two major events ahead as this month unfolds, Digital Education Days – a multi-day forum that we are co-hosting with U of M – Dearborn and Flint along with Mott Community College – and the Liberal Arts Network for Development (LAND) Conference. More information for both is provided below, but please pay particularly close attention to the LAND details, since we have finally obtained updates on the restructured format and revised program and dates for this conference.
In closing, Rosemary and I thank you for your continued support and participation in these programs while we welcome your recommendations and feedback. Please always feel free to e-mail either or both of us with any questions or suggestions.
Upcoming Events
| Event | Description | Time/Date | Link |
| Monday Morning Mentor | How Can I Structure Class Discussions to Maximize Student Engagement? | 1/30-2/5 Virtual On Demand Video | View Here Password: structure730 |
| Partner Activity: “AI Tools for Student Engagement”** | Virtual Forum Sponsored by The Chronicle of Higher Education | 1/31 @ 2 PM Virtual Event | Register Here |
| Sponsored Event: Teamwork Tuesday* | Writing Center: Discussion with Chelsea Lonsdale | 1/31 @ 3 PM Virtual Zoom Forum | Zoom Link |
| Partner Activity: “A Holistic Approach to Campus Mental Health”** | Virtual Forum Sponsored by The Chronicle of Higher Education | 2/7 @ 2 PM Virtual Event | Register Here |
| Sponsored Event: Digital Education Days* | Conference Focusing on Digital Pedagogy | 2/10, 15 and 21 Virtual Event | Register Here |
| Partner Event: LAND Conference** | Liberal Arts Network for Development Celebrating Student and Faculty Scholarship | 2/22-2/24 Virtual Event | Conference Website and Registration Link |
| Partner Event: MCSS/ATD Roundtable Discussion Series** | Equity in Gateway Courses and Guided Self-Placement | Varying Days and Times – See Below for More Detail | Visit the MCSS Events Page for More Information and Registration Links |
| Partner Event: Inaugural HyFlex Collaborative Conference** | Collaborative One-Day Event Bringing Together Higher Ed and K12 Educators | 6/26 Virtual and In-Person Attendance Options | Conference Website |
| Partner Activity: ACUE’s Online Micro-Credentialing** | Open-Enrollment Opportunities to Complete Online Pedagogical Training at Your Convenience | Ongoing | Find Information Here |
| Partner Activity: NISOD Online Professional Development Events** | Wide-Ranging Events on a Variety of Topics | Ongoing | Find Information Here |
| Article Discussion Group* | Participate in a Faculty-Led Discussion Group with Colleagues | Various and Ongoing | E-Mail Scott to Join a Group in Progress |
*Denotes a sponsored CTEI event that qualifies for AFO reimbursement.
**Denotes a partner activity that may qualify for AFO reimbursement. Please see your area representative for further information.
CTEI Happenings 