What are faculty learning communities?
A faculty learning community (FLC) is a group of faculty and professionals from various disciplines who meet over a defined period of time to learn something together. The specific purpose of each FLC varies, but they all are based on the premise that the opportunity to work together in a supportive and collaborative environment contributes to successful faculty and staff development. FLCs can be topic or cohort based. Topic-based communities allow a group of faculty to explore their mutual interest in a specific area. Cohort-based communities focus on the unique needs of faculty and staff at a specific stage of their career (new, mid, or late career) or in certain roles (academic advisor, department chair, etc.). The learning community approach to faculty development is more structured, long-lasting, and goal-oriented than Brown Bag discussions, book clubs, and workshops. Being relatively small, learning communities are also flexible to meet the needs of their members. Most importantly, learning communities are a grassroots way to meet a wide variety of faculty development needs and interests.
For more information about faculty learning communities at Brockport contact the program director, Christopher Price, at cprice@brockport.edu or 395-5025. For more general information about FLCs visit the following website: http://www.units.muohio.edu/flc/index.php
Why have faculty learning communities at Brockport?
As reported in its May 2006 report, the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Faculty Development found that many faculty and staff report feeling isolated and disconnected from their peers outside of their department. The primary goal of the FLC program is to address this sense of isolation. FLCs address President Halstead’s initiative of “career span professional development for faculty.” While the cohort model obviously accomplishes this initiative, the topic model also gives faculty at various stages of their career a way to meet their needs. For example, FLCs for faculty going up for tenure or full professorship can be proposed. FLCs decentralize faculty development thus helping faculty and staff “own” their professional development in a way that programs run directly by CELT and other departments cannot.
Faculty Learning Communities and Facilitators
2008-2009:
"Using Research as a Teaching Tool" - Jason Dauenhauer (Social Work)
"Writing College Textbooks" - Amy Guptill (Sociology/Delta College)
"Active Learning" – Dawn Jones (Mathematics)
"Quantitative Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences" – Celia Watt (Health Science)
2009-2010:
"Conducting Qualitative Research and Analyzing Descriptive Data" – Douglas Feldman (Anthropology)
"Online Blended Learning: An FLC for Faculty of All Levels of Experience" – Pamela Haibach (Kinesiology, Sport Studies, & Physical Education)
"Exploring Service Learning" – Dale Hartnett (Communication)
"Dialogue on Diversity" – Chris Price (CELT Director)
2010-2011:
"Large Classes" - Craig Mattern (Kinesiology Sport Studies & Physical Education)
"Student Leadership" - Lauren Lieberman (Kinesiology Sport Studies & Physical Education)
"Popular Culture" - Merrill Melnick (Kinesiology Sport Studies & Physical Education)
"Technology and Comprehension" - Pat Maxwell (Drake Library)
"New Faculty" - Jason Morris (Mathematics)
2011-2012:
"The Sustainability Imperative: Investigating Approaches to Integrating Sustainability within the Brockport Curriculum" – James Cordeiro (Business Administration & Economics)
"Bringing Classes Alive with Case Studies" – Dale Hartnett (Communication)
"Maximizing the Student Internship/Practicum Experience" – Heidi Byrne (Kinesiology Sport Studies & Physical Education)
"New Faculty Learning Community" – Holly Perry (Recreation & Leisure Studies)
Emma Lazarus Exhibit on Display at Brockport's Drake Memorial Library
Death Penalty Discussion Takes Various Forms on Brockport Campus
Rev. James Netters delivers powerful address at Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Lecture
Prison Drama to Help Engage Brockport Campus in Discussion of Death Penalty
Workshop: iClicker 2 Demonstration
2:30 pm - 4 pm
Workshop: Online Teaching Information Session
8:30 am - 10 am
Brown Bag: Hybrid Course E-Poster Session, Faculty Panel
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Angel: Assessments Workshop
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Brown Bag: "Helping Students Learn about Other Cultures: Teaching the Middle East in a World Literature Class", Sevinc Turkkan (English)
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
