B Y: G L EN D A HE N S L E Y
NO V EM B E R 26 , 2 0 12
Special Report
Are you ready to teach in a Learning Community at WCU? Do you want to access
best practice tips from experts across the state? Here is an opportunity for you!
Learning Communities have been the hallmark of collaboration on many campuses for
the last century, but often Learning Community faculty and practitioners rarely have an
opportunity to share their challenges and triumphs with like minds across campuses.
This is where University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Western Carolina University joined together: two
campuses miles apart working on a common goal - Learning Communities. The 2013 Lilly Conference on
College and University Teaching at Greensboro offers Learning Communities a unique partnership - an
opportunity for us to come together and share what is happening on our campuses across the state and the country.
To access registration and accommodations information, please visit the website:
http://learningcommunities.uncg.edu/current/conference.php
Session: Learning Communities Today
Date: 14 February 2013, Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, Greensboro, NC
The meeting will be an informal gathering of current and future learning community practitioners to discuss what
works, what doesn’t and grand ideas to help build successful and sustainable learning communities. Participants
will be asked to put forth potential focus topics of interest to generate an inclusive guided conversation. The
expertise will come from the participants attending, based on their current campus projects.
Attendees of the 2013 Lilly Conference at Greensboro: $50 per-conference fee
Non-Attendees of the 2013 Lilly Conference at Greensboro: $100 mini-conference fee
Front Line
Please encourage your students to take advantage of this
excellent opportunity!
December 4th
December 5th
Learning to RELAX in the Midst of Finals
2:00pm-3:00pm
Liz Olds
Performance Anxiety: Speeches and Exams and Sports, Oh My!
11:00am-12:00 pm
Mandy Poundstone
SPACE IS LIMITED. PLEASE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS AND LOCATION. CALL CPS: 227-7469
The CORE
Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning: Learning Communities as practice
Many of us are eager to expand student learning outcomes for our students through interdisciplinary
methodologies. If this describes you, perhaps you are ready to explore teaching in a Learning Community? You
can launch your idea with the confidence that you will have the support you need to you turn vision into action. If
you would like to have a conversation about the options, please email Glenda Hensley–or by phone at 227-2786.
Here are three steps you may want to consider:
1. Per above, contact Glenda.
2. Join our FACE group (see below).
3. Attend the Learning Community mini-conference at Lilly in Greensboro (see the Special Report above).
Spotlight on FACE:
LC2 Group (Learning Community on Learning Communities)
WHY: Learning Communities foster integrated learning environments that have the potential to provide a
significant impact on student learning outcomes and to promote strong connections as students transition to
campus life. Often those first experiences include grappling with difficult issues and choices. Learning
Communities are particularly well situated to reinforce ethical choices and high standards.
HOW: Guided by the QEP and Vision 2020, our aim is to merge theory with practice via a cycle of research,
implementation, assessment, and critical reflection.
WHAT: The LC2 FACE group serves two functions: 1) as a resource to facilitate the development of a new group
of learning communities to be implemented during 2013-14; 2) encourage new participants’ representative of a
wide range of disciplines across the campus to participate with this FACE group to examine current theory,
practice, strategies, and methodologies in an interactive, dialogic, and experiential exploration of best practice –
whether directly teaching in a learning community or not.
You may learn more about our work so far here: Learning Communities at WCU
Toolbox
EYE on FYE— Fall Final idea
As you look toward the end of the semester and considering what way to
address a ‘final’ assignment, you may want to consider EYE on FYE. This will
be the third year of the contest and celebration for first-year students. It
presents a wonderful opportunity to address all five goals of the QEP,
especially “Communicate effectively and expressively,” as well as encourage
students to truly embrace WCU’s Student Community Creed. You could even
use EYE on FYE as their Education Briefcase assignment – to post a creative
artifact! In this year of “Citizenship and Civility” --- EYE on FYE gives you a
triple- hit homerun with an assignment geared to challenge students to
express themselves creatively and expressively, while also connecting the
dots to understand the aims of the QEP. Please take a look at the website to
learn more about the contest rules and details and also to see examples of
previous year’s entries. The contest opened officially on November 1, and
will close March 22 – but course entries are especially encouraged this fall.
Perspectives
Citizenship and Civility
We have so much more to explore as we look to the spring semester, but the fall proved to be a tremendous
experience, filled with interdisciplinary projects, advocacy, and engaged learning opportunities. WCU can be
proud of our students and their commitment to engage the conversation and to voice their views with passion
and with civility. Please take a look at this story and video (at the bottom of the page) created by the C&C
committee with the help of the Communication Department and contributions of our amazing students.
http://www.thewesterncarolinajournalist.com/category/election-2012/
Leadership in Digital Culture
LEAD157 Fall 2012
Student Presentations
Date: Friday, November 30, 2012
Location: Killian 102
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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: Information on arts and culture at WCU - plays, concerts, art exhibits, films, and more...
Service Learning: Current Events
ACE: Arts and Cultural Events Calendar
IT Training & Workshops: Calendar - For upcoming training and events, including Black Board, eBriefcase, and
more and make sure to note Blackboard day on September 6th
Potty Times: PEAKS communication with FY students. For more information, contact Laura Ansley.
EVENTS
Staying Connected with Students
What? It’s not just for RSO’s (registered student organizations)?
Departments/Offices on campus can create a group (portal) on OrgSync.
What can you do with it?
Post pictures of events (can be 2020 specific for your documentation)
Add events to your own calendar or to the Community Calendar
Resource for students who are browsing OrgSync looking for information about your area
Marketing and Link your WCU website
Upload Files or create Forms, Polls, Discussions, Messaging, etc.
What Departments/Offices/University sponsored groups are already on?
The Office of Leadership and Student Involvement & sponsored programs:
CATCamp; Club Sports; Greek Life; Whee Lead Conference
Academic Success Program
Arts and Cultural Events
Association of Nursing Students
Base Camp Cullowhee
Campus Recreation and Wellness
Center for Service Learning
Department of Intercultural Affairs
Residential Living
The Western Carolinian
TV-62
WCU Extremes
Western Carolina Athletics
Western Carolina PEAKS
Writing and Learning Commons
There are about 3,500 users on OrgSync already; Over 100 Faculty and Staff have already joined!
There are also 40 Academic Interest and Professional RSO’s on OrgSync. Is it time for you to register?
What is OrgSync? OrgSync is an online community that connects all the student clubs, organizations, and
departments. Through OrgSync, students and departments are able to effectively communicate not only with
the organization but campus wide.
How Do I Join?
1. Go to OrgSync.com – then Select “Register” at the top right
2. Find Western Carolina University and click “Register”
3. Complete Account Information and Profile Information
4. Under ‘Manage Account’ (gears icon in the top-right), you can change your Notification Settings to opt
out of email/messaging features
How Do I add my Department/Office?
1. First, you must be a user so create a user profile (steps above)
2. Select “Organization” at the top and then, select “Register New Organization”
3. Click on WCU and then start inserting your information! [You can add your area logo, anything as a
Constitution since you’re not a RSO, and the head of the department as Advisor.]
For more information about OrgSync:
Karen Farmer / Assistant Director for Student Clubs and Organizations / kmfarmer@wcu.edu
OPPORTUNITIES – Professional development and conferences
CFC FACE Program
Interested in connecting with your WCU colleagues? Hoping to meet others with similar
teaching, learning, scholarship, or engagement interests? Looking for advice on teaching or
research?
Faculty Associates for Campus Engagement (FACE) is a peer-to-peer learning community
program designed to help match faculty and staff members’ expertise with colleagues’ interests.
For more information on FACE groups and consultants, please go to http://face.wcu.edu/ or contact Freya
Kinner (fkinner@email.wcu.edu; x3456) at the Coulter Faculty Commons.
“COMPLETING COLLEGE: WHAT IT TAKES…WHAT’S AT STAKE”
March 14-15, 2013 Hosted by Oakland University
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Due November 30, 2012
www.oakland.edu/retention
Student success has been a salient topic at institutions of higher education for decades. How success is
measured by various stake holders will have lasting impact on the face of higher education. More
importantly the work done in this realm is essential to the students served and broader social contexts
of today’s society. The relevance of higher education may well be measured by improvements in the
areas of persistence and graduation rates; therefore there is an urgent call to action. This conference
will pull together faculty, student affairs personnel, and administrators in Michigan to explore and
examine research and practices for improving student persistence and retention in our educational
institutions.
The 32nd Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience
The 32nd Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience provides an ongoing forum where higher education
professionals can share experiences, concerns, and accomplishments related to supporting student learning,
development, and success in the first college year. We invite you to join us February 23 - 26, 2013 to be a part of
productive collaborations, conversations, and relationships as we gather in Orlando, Florida. Visit
http://www.sc.edu/fye/annual/ for registration and conference information.
The Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience is designed to provide educators from every segment of
higher education a comfortable, welcoming environment to share innovative ideas, programs, tools, and
research critical to the learning, development, and success of first-year college students. The conference aims to
promote a comprehensive and engaging community open to a diversity of ideas, in which all delegates are given
the chance and resources to grow personally and professionally. The conference welcomes graduate and
undergraduate students, encouraging them to deepen their knowledge of the academic communities of which
they are a part.
To learn more about the National Resource Center for First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, please
visit here: http://www.sc.edu/fye/
Resource File
Blackboard --- reference and participate in the Transition Pathways Course site....
Education Briefcase – resources and information for students and for faculty and
staff looking to use eB in your course.
First-Year Seminar: Liberal Studies – resource guide for faculty teaching the
first-year seminar …
Transition Pathways: An instructor resource - resource guide for FYE
transition course instructors …
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.....
OrgSync -- https://orgsync.com/login/western-carolina-university --- the place for student clubs and
organizations and other co-curricular opportunities ..
FYE Message Board – A weekly e-journal for students with content provided by WRCS
students. The intent is to engage students in the conversation of learning and experience –
with each other!
TRANSITION PATHWAYS: The Blackboard Commons: If you teach an FYE Transition course, you will see it
on your Blackboard menu under organizations. Questions: contact Glenda Hensley at ghensley@wcu.edu
The Education Briefcase (eB) is now open to ALL undergraduate students!
For information please contact Nory Prochaska, Chair of the eBriefcase Implementation Team.
For general information about eB, visit the website.
The next regular publication date is December 10, 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 Director