January 22

The call for nominations is now open for faculty nominees for the 2025 O. Max Gardner Award. This award is given annually by the UNC Board of Governors to “that member of the faculty of the University of North Carolina who, during the current scholastic year, has made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race.” Nominees can be of any rank, “including instructors, engaged in teaching in any unit, institution or branch of service” in the University system. Past UNC Charlotte recipients of the award include Pinku Mukherjee, Department of Biological Sciences, and Diane M. Browder, Department of Special Education.  More details about previous campus nominees can be found on the Office of Academic Affairs website. Linked here is the UNC System announcement of the 2023 winner, Dr. H. Shelton “Shelley” Earp, from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Please forward the names of nominees to Jen Knight by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 19. Include in your nomination the individual’s name, rank, and department/unit. Please provide a brief description of this individual’s specific contribution(s) or achievement(s) and why they would make a good nominee.

The Division of Research is excited to announce UNC Charlotte’s Postdoctoral Hiring Program, which is intended to enhance our research excellence across campus. We are hosting two Zoom informational sessions. Sign up.

Daniel Janies, Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics and co-director for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER) will present “Pandemic Preparation,” 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 31. The hybrid lecture will illustrate the biology of spread of pathogens and the progress we have made in making pandemic response more predictive. The in-person lecture will be held at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center. Register for the event. 

The Great Decisions lecture series, a national program of the Foreign Policy Association, is offered by the Office of International Programs and 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 Office of International Programs will host a Globally Networked Learning info session which will address the process for embedding virtual exchange into coursework as well as faculty funding opportunities for the 2024-2025 academic year. Faculty are invited to attend the hybrid information session on February 2 from 3:00-4:00 pm either in person in CHHS 207 or virtually. Register for the session and you will be sent a zoom link by filling out the expression of interest form. As mentioned, you are welcome to attend in person in CHHS 207. More information.

Supporting Students as Difficult Events Impact Our World

Difficult news is everywhere recently—climate disasters, refugee crises, political unrest, the war between Ukraine and Russia, and the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas for example.  While these events can negatively impact our students’ ability to focus on academics, they can also create opportunities to engage in meaningful and honest discussions about difficult and important topics. This workshop is designed to provide faculty with the confidence, strategies, and resources to help students process their emotions and talk about the complex nature of these events with sensitivity to the diverse perspectives of all students.

• Tuesday, Jan. 23, 10:00 am – 11:00 am | (Register)

Strategies for Making Your Course Inclusive

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is the current buzzword of education. We hear about the importance of incorporating DEI strategies in our courses, but are never given practical strategies to do so. In this session, we will begin to expand our vision of DEI from a checklist to specific ways to ensure that all of your students have access in your course.

• Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | (Register)

Growth Mindset Activities for Your Class

Join our interactive workshop and discover five powerful activities that fosters growth mindset among your students, helping them overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Explore reflective journaling, collaborative problem-solving, effective feedback strategies, goal setting, and the influence of guest speakers and role models. Leave with practical tools and techniques to create a dynamic and empowering learning environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your teaching and inspire student growth.

• Thursday, Jan. 25, 10:00 am – 11:00 am | (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.

• Thursday, Jan. 25, 1:00 pm – 2:00 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.

• Thursday, Feb. 1, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | (Register)

Designing and Implementing Group Projects

Group work is a high impact educational practice and it can have a significant effect on student success. When implemented effectively, it provides a memorable learning experience that helps students develop valuable skills such as engaging in conversations that require higher order thinking skills and assuming responsibility for their learning. In this session, we will focus on the elements that make up effective collaborative assignments or projects and what is the instructor’s role in facilitating these learning experiences.

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