Faculty Development

MAY ON-CAMPUS’) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Faculty Development Committee has planned a series of professional development days designed to help instructors respond to the diverse needs of students as well as their own needs for renewal. As in the past, these days become special opportunities for participants to meet with colleagues from different disciplines.

Persons with Disabilities: Building Awareness

Monday, May 11

An interactive day to explore the barriers and issues facing persons with disabilities.

Integrated Approaches to Teaching and Learning Wednesday and Thursday, May 13 & 14

Several approaches to enhance student learning and teaching effectiveness primarily through the vehicle of interdisciplinary "learning communities" will be presented on May 13. "Learning Communities are curricular structures that link different disciplines around common themes or questions. They give greater coherence to the curriculum and provide students and faculty with a vital sense of shared inquiry." (Washington Centre).

On May 14, interested faculty, staff and administrators will ‘discuss ways to create opportunities to implement such approaches at the College and move towards a concrete action plan.

What Can the Counselling Department Do for You? Tuesday, May 19

This workshop day will address faculty concerns regarding stress, depression, and suicidal thinking among students as well as when and how to refer students to Counselling.

Overcoming Student Passivity: The Active Learning Antidote

Wednesday, May 20

Dr. Maryellen Weimer will explore the research basis for active learning and offer a variety of concrete strategies for getting students involved in discussions, group work, and other interactive activities. This interactive workshop designed to improve student learning will build on the concepts covered May 13 and 14. Dr. Weimer, Director of Instructional Development at The Pennsylvania State University, is editor of The Teaching Professor and author of Improving College Teaching.

Learning Styles and the Multicultural Classroom Thursday, May 21

Dr. Art More, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at U.B.C., will lead this workshop

designed to help faculty develop techniques for teaching students from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW)

Monday, May 25 to Thursday, May 28

Plans are underway to repeat the four-day Instructional Skills Workshop so successful last December. The ISW is an intensive twenty-four hour workshop conducted by college instructors for college instructors. Topics include presentation skills, curriculum design, lesson planning, evaluation techniques, and classroom management. Beginning instructors will be exposed to many time- saving preparation techniques, gain confidence in their instructional abilities and develop a support network within the college. Experienced instructors will be able to fine-tune specific instructional skills on which they wish to focus and experiment with new ideas, techniques or equipment in a supportive environment. Space is limited.

For further details about these workshops and to register, please look for the forthcoming brochure. Staff and administrators are invited to attend all the workshops.

SPRING GRANT RECIPIENTS

The Faculty Development Committee is pleased to announce that the following instructors have been awarded Professional Development Grants in the last adjudication round:

Mark Battersby, Philosophy: $486 to make a presentation at the American Philosophical Association meeting in Portland, Oregon. Jim Bizzocchi, Media Resources: $1,000 to present a paper at the Conference of the Canadian Association for Distance Education, in Ottawa, Ontario.

Reid Gilbert, English: $1,000 to present a paper at the Conference of the Association for Canadian Theatre Research at the Learned Societies meetings, University of Prince Edward Island. Penny Le Couteur, Chemistry: $260 to present a paper at the Chemical Institute of Canada’s 75th Conference in Edmonton, Alberta.

Nancy McMaster, Music Therapy: $640 to make a presentation at the Annual Conference at the Canadian Music Therapy Association in Montreal, Quebec.

Beverley Reid, Media Resources: $720 to make a panel presentation at the Yorkton Film Festival, Regina, Saskatchewan. Lois Rennie, Early Childhood Education: $779 to make a presentation at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, Denver, Colorado.

Matthew Speier, Sociology: $200 to attend the International Conference on the United Nations and Peace, Victoria.

Rob Welsh, Landscape Horiculture: $648 to present a paper at the Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. Conference, Kelowna.