Shared Interest Groups

2022-23

Civic Engagement and Service Learning

Civic engagement and service-learning are natural partners in the academic world. Many students and faculty are already intentional about making a difference in the civic life of our community, and others are eager to experience it. We can all further develop our skills, knowledge and values to promote the quality of life in the communities we serve. The Civic Engagement and Service Learning SIG will explore best practices in embedding service-learning into your curriculum while also addressing the logistics and possible challenges that arise. Facilitator: Rebecca Gibson

Inclusive Pedagogy

This group is intended to bring together instructors at all levels of experience with this type of
work. Together, we will share issues and problems in the classroom relating to inclusion and
equity and work together to find solutions. Members will also share successes in the classroom
that will help other instructors. Those who are just getting started can gain knowledge and
confidence, and those who are more experienced can benefit from new perspectives. Facilitator:
Jennifer Flitton Adams

Learning to Learn

Teaching is our business, but as legendary coach and teacher John Wooden once said, “We haven’t taught if the students haven’t learned.” As college instructors, we devote much of our energy to developing teaching pedagogies and strategies that we believe will help our students learn course content and how to read, write, and think within our disciplines. By contrast, we probably pay less attention to helping students actually learn how to learn what we teach them. The Learning to Learn SIG will explore theories and best practices in learning to learn and ask participating faculty to apply these to improving in an activity of their choice. Participants will discuss their progress in learning to learn and consider, together, how their experiences might impact the teaching and learning that goes on in their classrooms. Facilitator: Doug Enders

Mental Health and Well-being

Faculty and staff in higher education are at risk for excessive stress and burnout related to the multifaceted demands of academia, especially as we emerge from a global pandemic. Faculty and staff well-being is integral to job fulfilment, life satisfaction, and also to healthy campus culture and positive student outcomes. The Mental Health and Well-being Shared Interest Group will collaboratively explore challenges and brainstorm practical strategies related to prioritizing overall well-being while teaching and working in higher education. The underlying tenets for our work together are inclusion, non-judgmental observation, and curious exploration where we encourage participants to show up as their full selves and engage in finding what works best for them. Facilitator: Bronwen Landless

Radical Hope

If you believe that “When done effectively, teaching is by definition emancipatory and hopeful” (Gannon, p. 3), then this is the SIG for you! This SIG will use the book Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto to guide our discussion of issues ranging from impostor syndrome to cell phones in class to allegations of a campus “free speech crisis.” Together, we’ll experiment with the book’s tangible strategies and practices with a common goal of reclaiming / reinvigorating the essential role of teaching. Facilitator: Karrin Lukacs

Research & Writing

The Research & Writing SIG is a university-wide faculty interest group dedicated to helping its members foster a sustainable writing practice of which they can be proud. More specifically, it is a support group to share goals, frustrations, and successes related to the production of scholarly, creative, pedagogical, and administrative writing. Working in conjunction with Transformative Teaching and Learning, this group meets several times a year to write together and/or discuss members’ new ideas and progress. While no formalized workshop, editing, or review process is built into this group’s goings-on, such arrangements can be made among members. Facilitator: Jon Udelson

2021-22

Community Engagement & Service Learning

Community engagement connects faculty and students with local communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. This is a high impact practice with immense benefits for both students, faculty, and community partners. The Community Engagement & Service-Learning SIG will explore best practices in embedding community engaged pedagogy into your classes and scholarship while also addressing the logistics and challenges of doing this. Facilitator: Keith Jones Pomeroy

Creativity

The Creativity SIG is a collaborative community working to bring imaginative thinking and doing into any classroom. We seek to inspire faculty to take risks with novel exercises and materials by working through these ideas in discussions, workshops, and self-guided activities. Creative thinking is in the heart of every discipline; representatives from every school and major are encouraged to join. Facilitator: Hilary Sortor 

Cross-Curricular Classrooms (CCC): Challenges, Concerns, and Cheers

C6 is a university-wide interest group dedicated to fostering truly interdisciplinary courses across multiple curriculums. We discuss the benefits and drawbacks of CCC and will address the challenges that need to be overcome. More specifically, it is a think tank where we brainstorm ideas regarding classroom topics, goals, frustrations, challenges, and successes related to the implementations of CCC. Facilitator: Ally Degrassi

Flipped Classroom

With an increased emphasis on innovative higher education pedagogy, one method seems to keep emerging–flipped learning! The goal of this SIG is to investigate how flipped learning might assist Shenandoah students to achieve the desired course learning outcomes. This investigation is not limited to a certain set of courses or disciplines, but the intent is to throw a wide net and see how flipped learning might improve learning in a wide variety of disciplines. Facilitator: Eric Leonard

Global Experiential Learning(GEL)

This group will be a sounding board and idea incubator for faculty who are thinking about offering a GEL trip or have a concrete idea that they want to bring to fruition. Topics will include planning timelines, learning objectives and nuts and bolts of how to organize a GEL course. Facilitator: Bethany Galpineau-Konate

Inclusive Pedagogy

Most of us are interested in instituting more equitable practices in our courses, but aren’t sure how to proceed beyond that. This group is intended to bring together instructors at all levels of experience with this type of work. Together, we will share concrete examples for use in the classroom and discuss broader issues related to inclusion and equity. Those who are just getting started can gain knowledge and confidence, and those who are more experienced can benefit from new perspectives. Facilitator: Beth Cantwell

Playful Pedagogy

Playful Pedagogy is a university-wide interest group dedicated to creating, sharing, and discussing methods to bring fun into the learning environment. More specifically, it is a collaborative group who will look to create opportunities to explore and foster playful pedagogical techniques for both the instructor and student. We will discuss and talk through new ideas and the hope is that each member can try and share reflections on new techniques implemented at each meeting. Facilitator: Phil Liversedge

The Report Card Cadre: Alternatives to Traditional Grading

Do you find yourself frustrated with your current grading system? Are you interested in making grading easier and having students take more ownership of their learning? If so, this SIG is for you. Participants will explore alternative approaches to the traditional grading system that empowers students to be more motivated and self-directed towards learning and mastery of course objectives. Together we will learn how to transform our current course grading system into one that is more practical for student learning and professors. Facilitator: Stephanie Malone

Research & Writing

The Research & Writing SIG is a university-wide faculty interest group dedicated to fostering scholarship. More specifically, it is a support group to share goals, frustrations, and successes related to the research and writing process. It meets several times a year to help each other talk through new ideas, but we will not read or edit works in progress (although that can be arranged outside of meeting times). Facilitator: Andrea Smith

Transparency in Teaching & Learning (TILT)

The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) project aims to advance equitable teaching and learning practices that reduce systemic inequities in higher education through two main activities: (1) Promoting students’ conscious understanding of how they learn; and (2) Enabling SIG members to gather, share and promptly benefit from current data about students’ learning by coordinating their efforts across disciplines, programs, and schools. (For more about TILT in general: TILT Higher Ed). Facilitator: Karrin Lukacs

Trauma-Informed Education

This is a new SIG created after several SU faculty and staff attended an online training on Trauma-Informed Education earlier this year, but any faculty or staff member who is interested in learning more about trauma-informed education can join. We will start our time together reading and discussing What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey. We also plan to facilitate a screening of the documentary Paper Tigers for the SU community. Further readings/activities will be determined by the SIG members. Facilitator: Lynn Rechel

Virtual International Study Activities (VISA)

VISA is a university-wide interest group focused on ways to create international experiences for students through online learning. If you are interested in study abroad programs and/or innovative online pedagogy, this is the SIG for you! Facilitator: Alanna Tierno

Special Focus Ambassadors (AY 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23) facilitated Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) open to anyone interested in learning more about the topics.

2022-23
Jennifer Adams
Associate Professor of Costume Design
Inclusive Pedagogy

2022-23
Bronwen Landless
Assistant Professor of Music Therapy
Mindfulness/Well-Being

Before 2022-23, ambassadors were known as Special Focus Fellows. 

2021-22
Beth Cantwell
Associate Professor of Biology
Inclusive Pedagogy