Notes and News

This month the newsletter will cover a number of topics surrounding New Faculty. These also include resources for established faculty and administrators regarding their interaction with new faculty. A new faculty member at CMU, Rich Forest, describes his experiences since beginning work in August. Nick Von Glahn, a professor at California Polytechnic State University in Pomona, contributes a review of James Lang’s book, “On Course: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching.” Finally, a number of New Faculty-related resources are provided with links for easy access. 

Also, don’t forget to read the Blackboard Tip of the Month and check our Upcoming Workshops for events you might like to attend. There’s even a Mini-Conference to help you learn how to handle classes during a campus crisis.

The New Faculty Experience
by Dr. Richard Forest, Dept. of English Language and Literature, Central Michigan University

Eight weeks into the semester, being asked to submit a brief article from the perspective of a new member of faculty is a reminder – a reminder that I am, indeed, new faculty.

Certainly, I do occasionally notice this simple and obvious truth – when advising a student for the first time, wondering which form I need and how many copies; when taking minutes in my first committee meeting, wondering what exactly goes on record (and what doesn’t); when meeting colleagues from other departments at the Faculty Association meeting or meeting colleagues from my own department at an event. Yes, occasionally I encounter a small reminder that I am new. But it is remarkable, just eight weeks after joining the regular faculty of CMU, just how rare such moments have become. <read more>

Book Review
“On Course: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching” by James M. Lang
Review by Nicholas Von Glahn, Assistant Professor, California Polytechnic State University - Pomona

I received “On Course: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching,” by James M. Lang, during my new faculty orientation at Cal Poly Pomona last year. When I received this book I had already been teaching for three years as a graduate student and thought the book was going to be too remedial because the title explicitly states it is for the “first semester of college teaching.” But, instead, I found the book informative and insightful. Not only does this book discuss topics instructors need to think about throughout teaching a course (which is especially important for first time teachers), but it raises many pedagogical issues that will help refine the techniques of more established teachers as well. So, I do not think it is very accurate to call it a guide for your first semester teaching. <read more>

Invitation to Write an Article

Many times there is ongoing research, papers or presentations that would be interesting to our Central Michigan University faculty.  If you would like to share a synopsis of your material, contact Jim Therrell, FaCIT Director (therr1ja@cmich.edu) to discuss the content and timeline. 

Upcoming FaCIT Workshops

The following workshops are sponsored by FaCIT.  For more information regarding any FaCIT workshop contact Eileen Sanders (sande1em@cmich.edu) or telephone (774-3615) to register.

Complete descriptions can be found on the FaCIT calendar page.

November 6 – 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  ‘Developing Long-Term Memory:  Teaching-Learning Approaches that Stick’ presented by Jim Therrell

November 10 – 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  ‘What’s New in the Library’ presented by Tim Peters and Michael Lorenzen

November 12 – 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  ‘Blackboard@Lunch:  Organizing the Grade Center to Save Time’ presented by Ireta Ekstrom

November 12 – 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  ‘Education Continuity Mini-Conference’ presented by FaCIT staff – Learn about useful technologies in the case of a campus crisis!  You can even Register Online.

November 13 – 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  ‘Expanding Online Collaboration with Students and Colleagues Using Wimba’ presented by Dan Bracken

November 17 – 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.  ‘WRaP Up Your Course:  Promoting Active Learning Through Technology’ presented by Brian Roberts and Michael Garver

November 18 – 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  ‘OFIS Workshop:  Generating Reports’ presented by Carole Richardson (RSVP by November 9)

November 19 – 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  ‘Blackboard@Lunch:  Online Quizzes Made Easy’ presented by Ireta Ekstrom

November 20 – 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  ‘CRLT Players’ presented by Center for Research on Learning and Teaching from the University of Michigan

November 24 – 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.  ‘Research Posters:  Design Tips and Getting Free Professional Assistance’ presented by Kelly Preece

PREP FOR NEXT SEMESTER…

December 16 – 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  ‘Creating Significant Learning Experiences’ presented by Jim Therrell

December 17 – 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  ‘How Do I Improve My Course for Next Semester?’ presented by Kelly Preece and Ireta Ekstrom

December 17 – 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.  ‘Blackboard Tips and Techniques for Revising Your Course for Spring Semester’ presented by Ireta Ekstrom

Blackboard Tip: Removing a Column from the Blackboard Grade Center
Ireta Ekstrom, PhD, Instructional Designer, FaCIT

To remove a column in the Grade Center, click the down arrow next to the Column Name. Choose remove column. Click OK in the dialogue box. You will notice a “success” message at the top of the page when it has been removed.

On occasion, there is no “remove column” choice in the drop down list. This usually means that you created an assignment or quiz using those features in a content area. You must first remove the assignment or quiz from the content area. Then, the column will have a “remove column” choice in the menu.