January 8

The search committee for the Dean of the College of Arts + Architecture position is pleased to announce finalists for the position. The campus community is invited to attend the candidate public presentations. For details, including candidate CVs, please visit the CoAA Dean search webpage. Following each candidate interview, we encourage you to provide feedback via the Candidate Evaluation Form. The form will be available until 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 31.

Early Alerts are due for all 1000/2000 level courses by noon on Friday, February 2. Are you new to Charlotte? Check out the Advisor Tool Kit page. CONNECT Best Practices training modules are located on Canvas under published courses. Advisors and faculty can request one-on-one or team session training centered around your departmental initiatives. After completion of the training modules, follow-up training requests can be made. For more information contact Gary Martinez, Advising Systems Specialist or LeeFredrick Bowen, Executive Director of Advising Systems.

Do you know a colleague whose teaching and/or research embodies the University’s commitment to civic involvement? Submit a letter of nomination on their behalf for the Bonnie E. Cone Professorship in Civic Engagement. The Office of the Provost will accept letters of nomination for the Bonnie Cone Professorship in Civic Engagement until February 1, 2024. Please submit nomination letters to academicaffairs@charlotte.edu

This award recognizes a tenured faculty member whose work profoundly and systematically affects the relationship between UNC Charlotte and the larger community in a positive and meaningful way. Faculty “engagement” refers to scholarly, creative, or pedagogical activities for the public good directed toward persons and groups outside the University.  Such activities (in the form of research and/or teaching) develop as collaborative interactions that respond to short and long-term societal needs. The University recognizes the importance of establishing relationships of reciprocity and trust with community partners. Engagement serves people in the city, state, nation, or wider world through a continuum of academically informed activities.

Jumpstart Your 2024, the first virtual webinar in the 2024 Webinar Series for Charlotte Employees, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10, 12:00-1:00 p.m. The webinar is designed to help participants develop the knowledge and skills required to maximize their performance and productivity at work. Learn more about the other free, monthly, interactive webinars in the series sponsored by Human Resources through the School of Professional Studies.

On Thursday, January 18, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Charlotte business and civil rights leader Harvey Gantt, the city’s first Black mayor, will visit UNC Charlotte as part of the Niner Nation King Week 2024. The event, to be held in McKnight Hall, is exclusively for students, faculty and staff; Gantt will discuss Dr. King’s messages as they pertain to leadership today. Additional information and registration links will be available in Niner Insider on Wednesday, January 10. Please encourage your students to attend; extra credit will be available.

Across the Charlotte region, we are molded by the places we connect – our neighborhoods, schools, houses of worship, where we work, where we play, where we create – and the relationships we develop in those spaces.Be a part of the discussion and join the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, as well as national and local experts, on Thursday, February 1, 2024, to explore the spaces where we connect in the Charlotte region, asking how those areas foster connection or create barriers to economic prosperity. The event will be held in-person at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City in uptown Charlotte from 1-5:30 p.m. with a reception honoring the Gambrell Faculty Fellows will immediately follow the Forum. This year’s Schul Forum theme focuses on recent research by the Opportunity Insights team, led by Raj Chetty of Harvard University, which suggests the places that enable cross-class friendships may have a role to play in improving economic mobility.Leading up to the forum, the Urban Institute held two Schul Conversations discussing mixed-income communities and place-based initiatives, and exploring the impact of arts and culture on the community. Please join us on February 1 to continue the conversation. Register now.

The Great Decision lecture series, a national program of the Foreign Policy Association, will be held in a hybrid format January 31 through February 28, 6:30-8:00 p.m. The in-person lectures will be held at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center.

Pandemic Preparation 
Wednesday, January 31
Daniel Janies, Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics and co-director for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER) at UNC Charlotte

Science across Borders 
Wednesday, February 7
Damien Williams, assistant professor of data science at UNC Charlotte

NATO’s Future 
Tuesday, February 13 
Steve Sabol, professor of history at UNC Charlotte

U.S.-China Trade Rivalry
Wednesday, February 21
Cheryl Brown, chair and associate professor of political science and public administration at UNC Charlotte

Climate Technology and Competition 
Wednesday, February 28
Joshua Miller, assistant professor of political science and public administration at UNC Charlotte

Register for the lectures.

The Great Decisions lecture series, offered by the Office of International Programs is co-sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, Charlotte Sister Cities, Young Professionals of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte and the International House.

The Family Council 2024-2025 Scholarship is now open in the NinerScholars portal for UNC Charlotte students. Scholarships are $1,000 each and the deadline to apply is February 15. For more details on the scholarship requirements, please visit the NinerScholars portal. Learn more about the Family Council.

Spring into Success Teaching Innovation Workshops

The Center for Teaching and Learning hopes you had a restful winter break and a happy new year! We have already planned to help you prepare to start the 2024 semester. Register now for workshops!

Canvas Starting Fresh
This workshop covers how to build a Canvas course from an empty course shell. Explore the Canvas interface, learn how to set the home page, communicate with your students, and practice adding content and resources – including the syllabus – to your Canvas course. We will also guide you in basic settings, page creation, setting up assignments that report to the gradebook, and how to get on-demand support. 

  • Monday, Jan. 8, 9:00 am – 10:00 am | (Register)


Canvas Assignments and Gradebook
Ensure students can view their updated grades on Canvas and track their progress throughout the semester. Learn how to use the Canvas Assignments page to set up your Gradebook to calculate course grades in a variety of ways. You’ll also learn how to create and grade assignments, enter grades with SpeedGrader, and use rubrics for communicating expectations of quality. Gradebook settings that automate grading functions and save time are covered.

  • Monday, Jan. 8, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | (Register)


Part 1: Getting Started with ChatGPT
This hands-on workshop will cover an introduction to generative AI and ChatGPT. Participants will set-up a ChatGPT account, learn how Generative AI produces a response, practice prompting with ChatGPT, experiment with personalized learning techniques, and practice producing instructional materials that could be used in your courses.

  • Monday, Jan. 8, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | (Register)


Canvas Quizzing
Learn how to create Canvas Quizzes for student assessments and manage online quizzes in a time-efficient manner. Giving frequent low-stake quizzes is considered a great student-centered learning technique that facilitates students becoming accountable for their learning. We recommend this workshop for anyone new to Canvas Quizzing or who needs to learn about updates to the Canvas Quizzing Tool. Migration of Canvas Quizzes created with the classic quiz tool is covered.

  • Tuesday, Jan. 9, 9:30 am – 10:30 am | (Register)


Part 2: Student Study Skills with ChatGPT
Join this session to learn how to better support students’ study skills in the age of A.I.. We will demonstrate how to prompt A.I. tools (like ChatGPT) to develop self-study guides, practice assessments, and serve as a personal learning assistant for students. By the end of the hour, you will have an action plan for how to communicate these strategies to students in your course(s).

  • Tuesday, Jan. 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | (Register)


Part 3: Student Writing Skills with ChatGPT
Join this session to learn how to integrate AI tools effectively in writing projects. We will demonstrate how to chunk and scaffold project tasks for peer review and instructor support, as well as how to prompt A.I. tools (like ChatGPT) to enhance the writing process at each stage. By the end of the hour, you will have a planning tool and strategies for integrating AI into writing projects.

  • Wednesday, Jan. 10, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | (Register)


Part 1: Canvas Analytics for Early Intervention
Learn how to leverage Canvas Analytics for early student intervention! Course analytics offer data on individual and aggregate student activity, assignment submissions, and grades, as well as page views and student participation metrics across all of their devices. In this session, you’ll learn how to leverage Canvas as a tool for identifying students in need!

  • Thursday, Jan. 11, 10:00 am – 11:00 am | (Register)


Part 1: Teaching with Poll Everywhere
This workshop will introduce faculty/staff to Poll Everywhere, and how to use the student response software in classroom and other learning spaces. During the workshop participants will explore how to get registered and create polling content. We will also guide you on downloading your class roster from Canvas into Poll Everywhere. Once polling responses have been gathered, you will learn how to export grades from the polling responses into Canvas. 

  • Thursday, Jan. 11, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | (Register)


Part 1: Canvas Studio – Creating Video Assignments
Canvas Studio has replaced Kaltura Capture and My Media for instructional videos! This workshop will cover the basics of using Canvas Studio to create and share instructional media through your Canvas courses. Topics include: how to upload existing media, recording new media, captioning videos, editing media, embedding media on pages, understanding the video Library, and creating assignments that involve video submission and having students submit assignments involving videos.

  • Tuesday, Jan. 16, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | (Register)


Part 2: Active Learning with Poll Everywhere
Transform your classroom into an active learning experience. Explore Poll Everywhere’s features, design captivating poll questions, and incorporate interactive activities. Discover how to analyze data for valuable insights and explore best practices for seamless integration into your classroom. Don’t miss this opportunity to create engaging and participatory learning environments. 

  • Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | (Register)


Syllabus and Classroom Communication on AI
Join us for an exciting information session on student facing communication and  syllabus guidelines for AI Tools! Discover innovative strategies leveraging AI for student learning. Integrate cutting-edge technology ethically into your syllabus, empowering students and revolutionizing collaboration. Unleash the potential of AI in your classroom and revolutionize the way students collaborate and engage with course materials. Don’t miss this chance to transform your teaching experience and be at the forefront of educational innovation.

  • Thursday, Jan. 18, 9:00 am – 10:00 am | (Register)


Getting Started with Active Teaching and Learning
Active learning requires students to be engaged in their learning rather than being passive listeners. To enhance learning, students must speak, write, think deeply, and collaborate with others about the content and concepts presented in class. This workshop provides an introduction to active teaching and an active learning framework that can be used to move toward active learning engagement and strategies in your classroom.

  • Thursday, Jan. 18, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | (Register)

Please visit the Faculty Governance website for the latest news from the Faculty Council including: 

The dissertation defense is one of the ways a new scholar demonstrates readiness to join the academy and is an opportunity to share their research widely. View All Dissertation Defense Announcements.

For up-to-the-minute news from Academic Affairs (faculty awards, research, recognition, initiatives), visit the Academic Affairs Division News webpage.

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