August 19

Categories: Weekly Digest Tags: 2024

On August 5, 2024, the Faculty Council approved the new UNC Charlotte Academic Policy: Teaching Effectiveness, as well as revisions to UNC Charlotte Academic Policy and Procedure: Student Feedback for Instructors.

On August 7, 2024, the Board of Trustees approved revisions to UNC Charlotte Academic Procedure: Post-Tenure Review.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these policy changes and share with your faculty and staff. If you have questions about the implementation of academic policy, please contact Leslie Zenk, Associate Provost and Chief of Staff.

Early Alerts are due for all 1000/2000 level courses by 12:00 p.m.on Friday, September 13.  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 a one on one or team session follow up training centered around your departmental initiatives. After completion of the training modules, make a follow up training requests. For more information contact Gary Martinez, Advising Systems Specialist, or LeeFredrick Bowen, Executive Director of Advising Systems.

Applications for the university’s Sustainability Ambassador program are open until September 11. The program includes monthly events to learn about the sustainability goals and practices of the university and take action. Faculty and academic staff were a substantial part of the first cohort, and the program is expanding to 50 participants to increase participation. Submit your application.

Applications for the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute’s sixth cohort of faculty fellows are now open. Gambrell Faculty Fellows research issues related to economic mobility and quality of life in the Charlotte region, with support from The Gambrell Foundation. This year, the Gambrell Faculty Fellows program will fund up to six projects with grants up to $18,000 each. The fellows will join a growing group of researchers contributing to our community’s ongoing search for solutions that could foster greater upward economic mobility and an improved quality of life for residents in our region. Previous cohorts of Gambrell Faculty Fellows include faculty from seven colleges and 22 different academic disciplines. More information.

Are you looking to engage undergraduates on a research, scholarly, or creative project? Have you thought about how an undergraduate student can help your scholarly research program? Have you had students asking you questions that would be interesting to further investigate? Are you looking to test a new question or try something new? Do you have a need for a student, but not the means? Yes? Yes. or Yes! The Office of Undergraduate Research can help! The OUR Scholars program can help you find and employ students in collaborative learning through undergraduate research, scholarly and creative activities. We are pleased to announce that the Office of Undergraduate Research is now accepting submissions for faculty project descriptions for the Spring of 2025 OUR Academic Year Research Program. Learn more or contact undergradresearch@charlotte.edu.

Ready to submit? Please note that we are using a new system this year that we hope will improve the process for all involved. We encourage you to get started early and reach out with questions or challenges so we can help. You will submit your project descriptions using the Spring 2025 OUR Scholars Mentored Project Proposal Form found at our new Internal Competitions Portal. You will login using UNC Charlotte SSO. The deadline for submission is September 16. This is step 1, so please encourage your students to apply for the program starting September 23. The program is FWS eligible, but not required.

Student Involvement invites you to make a meaningful impact on our students’ lives by becoming an advisor for one of our many student organizations. Serving as an advisor offers a unique opportunity to connect with students outside the classroom, providing guidance, mentorship, and support as they navigate their extracurricular interests.

Your level of involvement can be tailored to your availability, from providing occasional advice to being actively engaged in their activities. Whether you’re passionate about mentoring or simply looking to create more touchpoints with students, your participation can make a significant difference. In addition, our office offers the opportunity to present in your classes about the various ways students can get involved on campus. These presentations can be customized to your course and can help your students connect with organizations that align with their interests and career goals. If you’re interested in serving as an advisor or would like to schedule a presentation, please reach out to studentinvolvement@charlotte.edu. Your involvement helps to enrich our campus community and provides students with invaluable support.Thank you for considering this opportunity to engage with our students in new and impactful ways. Learn more.

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Grants: Call for Proposals is now open, and proposals are due October 1. Prepare yourself by participating in the SoTL Grant Writing Course. The SoTL Grant Writing Course is facilitated by Dr. Kim Buch and offers targeted guidance for developing a fundable Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research proposal. By enrolling in this course, you will have the opportunity to: 

  • Understand what SoTL Research looks like
  • Understand the goals and requirements of the SoTL Request for Proposals (RFP).
  • Brainstorm and receive tailored support for developing a successful SoTL Proposal. 
  • Attend consultations and receive writing feedback (both optional)
  • Write and submit your SoTL grant proposal directly through this course! (When ready). 

When: Monday, August 26 – Friday, August 30
Format: Facilitate Asynchronous Course
Includes:
One (1) Required Session: 

  • Monday, August 26th: 2:00 – 3:00 PM

Three (3) Optional Group Consultations: 

  • Tuesday, August 27th, 9:00-10:00 AM
  • Wednesday, August 28th, 2:00-3:00 PM
  • Thursday, August 29th 4:30-5:30 PM

Register by Thursday, August 22 to secure your spot.

The CTL Welcomes Faculty with Teaching Innovation, AI,  SoTL, and a Special Anniversary Celebration!

Innovate Your Teaching: Faculty Workshop Series

All faculty and instructional staff are invited to participate in start-of-the-semester workshops on high-impact and innovative teaching strategies to support student success and to prepare for the first weeks of class.

Generative AI Workshops

Overview of Gen-AI Tools for Education

Part 1: Introduction to Gen-AI and Prompt Writing (with MS Copilot)

Part 2: Student Study Skills with Gen-AI (with MS Copilot)

Part 3: Student Writing Skills with Gen-AI (with MS Copilot)

Ethical Considerations for Teaching with Gen-AI

Zoom AI for Teaching

Syllabus and Classroom Communication on AI Tools

Canvas Foundations Workshops

Canvas: Starting Fresh

Part 1: Canvas Studio – Creating Video Assignments

Part 2: Canvas Studio – Creating Video Quizzes

Active Learning Workshops

Getting Started with Active Teaching and Learning**

Part 1: Teaching with Poll Everywhere

Part 2: Active Learning with Poll Everywhere

Designing and Implementing Group Projects

Syllabus Strategies Workshops

Syllabus 101: Roadmap to Success

Syllabus and Classroom Communication on AI Tools

Teaching Effectiveness with Canvas Tools Workshops

Part 1: Canvas Analytics for Early Intervention

Part 2: Canvas Studio: Exploring Video Insights

Student Success Strategies Workshops

Growth Mindset Activities for Your Class

Orientation to Globally Networked Learning (GNL)

Reflections that Resonate: Transforming Classroom Learning

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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Deadline for submission is 11:00 a.m. every Friday.