The following announcement was distributed to the campus community on October 7, 2020:

"Dear UMBC Community,

I am delighted to announce the establishment of UMBC’s Center for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT). A core recommendation of UMBC’s Strategic Plan, the Center will “provide support for research and training in best pedagogical practices.” At the heart of the Center’s work is UMBC’s distinctive commitment to, and engagement with, inclusive excellence. The new Center will not only perpetuate best practices, but also produce and support research-based initiatives designed to foster the learning and development of all students. Undergirding and informing this work is a dedication to learning analytics, assessment, and evaluation at the levels of course, program, and institution. CALT will act as both a central resource and a coordinating nexus for educational innovation, research, and student success.

Initially, the Center will incorporate and extend the work of the Faculty Development Center (FDC), which was established in 1999. Dr. Linda Hodges, who has served with distinction as the Director of the FDC since 2010, will serve as the inaugural Executive Director of CALT. Dr. Hodges directed the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University for six years before joining UMBC and her outstanding leadership has driven the expansion of staff and services, a new focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning, and support for pedagogical research.

The Provost will convene a task force of faculty and staff under Dr. Hodges' leadership that will make recommendations to the Provost on the development of the new Center. The task force members include:

• Diane Alonso, Psychology, the Universities at Shady Grove
• Sherri Braxton, Division of Information Technology
• Delana Gregg, Academic Success Center
• Anthony Johnson, Physics and Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Anita Komlodi, Information Systems
• Jeff Leips, Biological Sciences
• Tim Nohe, Visual Arts
• Orianne Smith, English, and President, Faculty Senate
• Donald Snyder, Media and Communication Studies
  

It is envisioned that upon completion of the task force report, an advisory Provost’s Project Advisory Board composed of key representatives of the Center’s collaborators will be established to provide coordination for aspects of the CALT’s work. Thus, efforts of numerous units on campus with similar goals will be efficiently communicated and/or coordinated to conserve campus resources and expedite success.

Provost Philip Rous"

Dear Colleagues,

How can we encourage students to maintain academic integrity when taking an online test during remote instruction? The Faculty Development Center's Promoting Academic Integrity in Online Testing during Remote Instruction webpage provides practical and pedagogical suggestions based on the research and from faculty best practices on ways to discourage academic dishonesty and encourage a focus on learning.

Please share this page with your colleagues.

The Faculty Development Center's (FDC) purpose is to support faculty in all aspects of their teaching role at the University. In addition to our services and consultations on evidence-based teaching, pedagogical research, and assessment of student learning outcomes, we also provide numerous programs throughout the year. 

Thank you so much for your help!

Best,

Linda

Photo by Anthony Lee on Unsplash

The Faculty Development Center has been hosting virtual programming since March to support you as you adapt to remote teaching and learning. During these sessions, you and your colleagues have shared valuable advice. We're creating a series of Faculty to Faculty tipsheets with these suggestions. The first two tipsheets are now available on Box:

1. Supporting Students in their Online Learning
2. Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Instruction

We hope that you find these resources useful. Please don't hesitate to share any comments, suggestions, or ideas that you have for these resources. We will be working on preparing tipsheets for additional themes as we go forward.

Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash

No matter how long you’ve taught, there is always something you can learn from your colleagues. And if you generally prepare and teach your classes in isolation, you may wish you had more opportunities to have the kinds of conversations with colleagues from across the disciplines that would enrich your teaching practice, help you improve student engagement, and deepen your sense of belonging to a community of scholars. Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) at UMBC fill this niche. The Faculty Development Center is pleased to announce four new proposed topics for Faculty Learning Communities for AY 2020-21:

What are FLCs? Faculty Learning Communities are groups of 6-12 self-selected faculty who are co-learners, joining together across disciplines for a year-long exploration of specific evidence-based teaching practices. FLCs support faculty in developing a new pedagogical approach, new kinds of assignments, and/or new ways to assess student learning. Participants who meet the attendance requirements (missing no more than 3 meetings over the academic year) receive a professional development award. 

Who is eligible? All current faculty, as well as staff who teach, are encouraged to participate. 

To apply: The application form contains descriptions of each of the proposed FLCs. Please submit your application to fdc@umbc.edu by Friday, May 29. Although you can only participate in one FLC, you may apply to more than one, ranking your choices on the application form. The FLCs that receive the greatest numbers of applicants will go forward as FDC-sponsored FLCs for 2020-21. 

To learn more about the FLC program: Please visit the FLC 2019-20 ThreadBox where you can check out and comment on the current year’s FLCs’ presentations of findings and takeaways. You can also find descriptions of next year’s FLCs in the ThreadBox and ask any questions about the topics that you might have. Further general information about the FLC program is available on our website.

On Wednesday, April 1, 22 faculty joined the 5 FDC staff to virtually crowdsource best ideas about balancing teaching and self-care during a Bring Your Biggest Challenge/Bring Your Best Idea session. In this handout available on Box, you will find their challenges and best ideas.

Assessing and grading student learning can feel especially daunting if the online environment is new to you. We’ve put together a few ideas on our new Keep on Grading webpage to help you move forward quickly, so you can support your students with feedback and continue to guide their learning. We'll continue to add to this webpage as good ideas and resources come to our attention.

Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash

FDC staff are available to consult about general strategies for adapting elements of your course to an online environment in a way that meets course learning outcomes. Please email fdc@umbc.edu to set up a consultation. For help with Blackboard and other online teaching tools, see the Division of Instructional Technology's Academic Continuity and Available tools & resources page or submit an RT through myUMBC Help.