Invitation to Participate
The Center for Faculty Excellence invites you to join this cross-disciplinary faculty learning community (usually 10-15 members) to engage in an active, collaborative, year-long program with the specific focus on enhancing inclusive teaching and learning through course design and reflection.
How do I know if this opportunity is for me?
Have you ever wished you had the time, space, and support to sharpen your class assignments or to shift and align your learning objectives and assessments? Have you wondered how technology could help you better create community? Have you considered that your class discussions could be enriched? Have you wanted to learn how inclusive teaching strategies can frame your overall course design? If you are interested in redesigning parts of an existing course or wish to create a new course, this opportunity can support you in your work.
What are the objectives of this Institute?
1) Create a community of reflective practitioners who intentionally strive for equity in student engagement and significant learning. 2) Apply research-based strategies to the multiple areas of your teaching. This includes your inclusive course and class design elements, learning activities, assessments, student study strategies, and spontaneous responses to emergent classroom challenges and obstacles. 3) Document the effects of ECEI content to either Spring/Fall 2022 target course. This product should focus on Institute principles and strategies that other IC faculty can implement. 4) Create local expertise in the area of inclusive course design, sharing methods you have discovered to improve student learning.
What specific ECEI activities are offered throughout the year?
Programs vary year to year depending on the interests of participants. Faculty should plan to (1) attend a mandatory half-day ECEI orientation, Tuesday, January 18, 9:30 am-12:00 pm; (2) read and discuss relevant resource materials; (3) attend one-hour Spring and Fall bi-weekly meetings (face-to-face or asynchronous equivalent); (4) apply inclusive course design principles to a target course; (5) analyze one’s own inclusive design changes in teaching; (6) collaborate with colleagues in applying course design principles; (7) participate in a reciprocal classroom coaching session; (8) assess student learning resulting from course design changes; and (9) document an aspect of the ECEI process.
What are the dates of ECEI meetings?
Bi-monthly ECEI dates will be determined through a schedule survey or poll. Overall, you will be dedicating 3-4 hours per month in small groups (bi-weekly face-to-face or asynchronous interactions with colleagues) plus time for individual course design planning. The full group will meet at the beginning and end of each semester.
What is the general overview of the timeline, stages, and tasks?
The ECEI is a group of reflective practitioners, each conducting individual teaching/learning inquiry and exchanging results through group discussions. Within this definition there is ample leeway for personal goals and modifications of the three stages and objectives proposed below.
Stage One: January-March Face-to-face and Asynchronous sessions
Establish community
- Uncover ECEI expectations, needs, and desires
- Analyze inclusive course design strategies
- Select seminar observation
- Identify course elements for (re)design
Stage Two: March-May Face-to-face and Asynchronous sessions
Design modifications to your Spring/Fall 2022 target course that consider:
- Specific learning outcomes for your students
- Thoughtfully designed inclusive learning activities that achieve those objectives
- Common challenges students have in your course, including student study strategies
- Efficient methods of assessing your teaching and student learning throughout the semester
Develop ways to assess the effectiveness of the changes to your course
Begin planning your ECEI documentation
Stage Three: Fall Semester Face-to-face and Asynchronous sessions
Implement your course redesign
- Visit an ECEI colleague’s classroom as a peer coach
- Collect classroom assessment data
- Explain your documentation project to our learning community
- Select completion date of ECEI project
- Share your results with other IC faculty
What are the criteria for participation in the ECEI?
Criteria include: (1) teaching a minimum of 6 credit hours of IC courses in both the fall and spring semesters, (2) a strong statement of interest and commitment to participating in the year-long institute, and (3) compelling student-learning challenges and obstacles to overcome.
Who can apply to join this Institute?
Ithaca College faculty, who have interest in making thoughtful, inclusive course alignment decisions in a community context are eligible (limited to 15 faculty). All interested should apply; preference will be given to early career faculty (teaching seven years or less)
When and where do I submit the application?
Applications are due electronically by 12:00 noon on date TBD using the online form. Use the launch button below.
Who is sponsoring the ECEI?
The Center for Faculty Excellence, Ithaca College
Who are the Institute facilitators?
Amie Germain, CFE Co-Director
Enrique Conty-Gonzalez, Dana Teaching Fellow
For additional information:
Any questions? Please contact Amie Germain, agermain@ithaca.edu