B Y: G L EN D A HE N S L E Y
A PR I L 9, 2 0 12
CEO Reminders
CALENDARS
Student Life Calendar: For a complete listing of what's going on for students from intramurals, to concerts and
lectures, to organizations, arts and culture, and so much more....
Events Calendar: For detailed information on the arts and culture scene at WCU - plays, concerts, art exhibits,
films, and more...
Calendar Highlights and Quick-takes:
More details can be found on the events calendars above and many have full details noted below – but I
thought this may prompt some ideas for you at a glance….
 April 11th: ------ International Festival – 11:00 am UC Central Plaza
Holla Back! – 7:30 pm – UC Grand room
th
 April 12 : ------ TRANSaction Day – Noon-6:00 pm in the UC – a call to end gender-based violence
 April 21st: ------ 28th Annual Tuckasegee River Clean Up
 April 27th:------- EYE on FYE Showcase & PEAKS Block Party – a First-year student Celebration – Visit
Blue Ridge conference room between 11-5 pm to see tons of first-year creativity!
EVENTS
Catamount Legacy Walk Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
April 11th at 12:45-1:20 pm – the Alumni Tower
www.legacywalk.wcu.edu
International Festival --- I-Fest --- April 11 at the UC Lawn/Central Plaza
Engage and explore world cultures and fascinating traditions through a wide range of
mediums, including Food, Music, Dance and Artistry!
Sponsored primarily by the Office of International Programs and Services (IPS),
I-Fest is a 5-6 hour-long celebration, which occurs in early April. For more information,
http://www.wcu.edu/30420.asp or contact: copedo@wcu.edu or call 227-2557 / 7494
TRANSaction Day
April 12, 2012 in the Grand Room from 12:00-6:00pm. TRANSaction Day is the
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) annual national day to
encourage dialogue about gender identities, and to advocate for inclusive, safe
schools for all students. Events will include a panel, educational sessions, and an
expo of local organizations, information, and art. For more information or for a
schedule of events, contact Sarah Carter 828.227.2617.
EYE on FYE: Celebrate the Creed & PEAKS Block Party
See the Contest trailer here! And -- See the website for more details
Please encourage your students to attend the festivities and please plan to attend the showcase of their work in
Blue Ridge Conference Center from 11am – 5pm on the last day of class, June 27th. After the contest showcase,
all first-year students are invited to the PEAKS Block Party – at which point the trophy for the winning residence
hall will be announced amidst the food and festival atmosphere.
OPPORTUNITIES
The Coulter Faculty Commons Offer Their Services to Staff by John Hawes
With a name like Coulter Faculty Commons, it would be safe to assume the CFC doesn’t have anything to offer
for a member of the WCU staff. However the CFC offers a wide variety of services that we believe a WCU staff
member would find helpful. Here’s a sample:
Online Meetings. With both time and money in short supply, it can be difficult to meet with your counterparts
on and off campus to discuss shared issues and concerns. Virtual meetings may be the solution. With a simple
laptop or desktop computer you can chat, share documents, or present PowerPoint slides with colleagues all
over the world.
Online Surveys. If you need to survey a group large or small, Qualtrics is the way to go. This software not only
makes it easy to create and send surveys, it also simplifies the analysis of the results. It’s completely web based
and you can be writing your first survey with minimal training.
Blackboard Organizations. If your part of a committee or task force that needs a place to share documents or
ideas a Bb Organization might be just the ticket. Participants don’t need to be part of the WCU family, so the
potential uses are limited only by your requirements.
Research Support. Have an idea for research but don’t know where to begin? The CFC has a specialist on board
that can take your notion and help you develop it into a researchable concept, find funding, and get your
findings published.
The Sandbox. If your presentations or publications are getting stale, bring your ideas to the Sandbox (Hunter
Library 184) and let our team of experts help you give them a digital make over. If you prefer to do it yourself
the Sandbox is loaded with high end hardware and software to get the job done. The can even take those
vintage VHS training videos you have and digitize them for web publishing.
FACE time. Are you interested in learning more from your colleagues across campus? The FACE program
consists of many peer‐to-peer groups or peer mentoring opportunities, including Readers’ Roundtables (book
discussion groups), learning communities (on topics such as Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Diversity,
Classroom Management, Leadership), writing circles, and more . Staff members are always welcome to
participate in any FACE group that interests them.
Instructional Development. If you are teaching a class, seminar or workshop and feel like your technique could
use a little make over the CFC’s professional instructional developers can meet with you or your students to see
if a tweak or two is in order.
Speakers Bureau. If you want to enhance the personal and professional development element of your meetings
the CFC can help arrange guest speakers to present lectures, provide workshops, or give updates‐or any other
format that suits your needs.
Where? The main office of the Coulter Faculty Commons is in Hunter Library 166.
More information? The Coulter Faculty Commons website is www.wcu.edu/facctr If you have any questions
about these services or any others contact the Coulter Faculty Commons Director, Laura Cruz at 227-7196 or
lcruz@wcu.edu
The Core
Teaching the Core - Workshops galore! --- FYE Transitions courses gear up for fall 2012
Watch your inbox if you plan to teach a FYE transition course this fall (2012) --- a full complement of wonderful
workshops and opportunities to learn alongside your peers will be offered with several time options from which
you may choose to best meet your schedule. FYI for those who do not teach them, FYE Transitions courses
include: USI130, COUN140, LEAD LLC’s, and Honors Forum. Stay tuned for more!
The ‘Final’ Outcome: Assessing learning from the student perspective
As the semester races to an end and you find yourself contemplating a final exam for your class, you may be
thinking about how to assess your students’ grasp of your course learning outcomes and if they have learned
how to learn more about your subject. Sometimes this step is easy to miss as we become immersed in our
passion for the course content. However, facts and content aside, we need to also know if our students can
communicate ‘what’ they learned about ‘what we wanted them to learn’ – i.e.: the course goals and learning
outcomes identified in the course syllabus.
The following idea is courtesy of Dr. Tracy Zontek, one of three professors who teach a First-year seminar
focused on Environmental Health, “From Black Death to Bioterrorism.” Tracy has her students write a reflective
essay for their final in which they must describe how they met each of the course learning outcomes and
identify specific assignments that were aligned with the outcomes discussed in their paper. This process
encourages students to critically reflect upon their learning during the course, provides her with a measurable
assessment of course delivery goals, and allows students to demonstrate not only what they learned, but how it
relates to other courses in liberal studies and to the QEP objectives. The paper is at once simple and complex. It
is rich in its value as an educative assessment technique and rich in its potential to inform both the teaching and
learning experience. It is quite simply a very effective ‘final outcome.’
Resource File
Blackboard --- reference and participate in the Transition Pathways Course site....
CFC on the Web --- help with teaching, technology, and more--- helping you do what you do better!
FYE on the Web --- many resources and network links to help you along the way …..
QEP on the Web --- discover the possibilities - find the resources you need - find your path.....
The Education Briefcase: Are you introducing the eBriefcase to your course? There is a ton
of support ready to help you and your students. For faculty and instructors – see more on
their website.
TRANSITION PATHWAYS: The Blackboard Commons: If you are planning to teach a transition course, next
fall I invite you to review this site and offer your suggestions, best practice tips and or requests for resources we
can post that will be of help to you. You will see it on your Blackboard menu under organizations. Questions:
contact Glenda Hensley at ghensley@wcu.edu
The next regular publication date is April 23, 2012 --- please let me know if you want to share updates about
programs, events, or other opportunities for teaching and learning in FYE!
Glenda Hensley, FYE Direct