Programs listed below offered at both campuses, unless stated otherwise. For future programs, find the registration link on the Current Programs page for your campus website:
CUW Current Programs
CUAA Current Programs
Summer 2023 Programs
Faculty Summer Book Group
Three Wednesdays: June 14, June 28 and July 12, Noon – 1pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern on Zoom
Led by: Kate Robertson
Book is included: Ritchhard, R. and Church, M. (2020). The power of making thinking visible: Practices to engage and empower all learners. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-1-119-62604-6.
Maximum participants 15. Registration deadline Monday, June 5.
“I want my MTV!” No, it’s not an 80’s throwback, it’s the shorthand that authors and researchers Ritchhard and Church use for “Making Thinking Visible.” In this book, we learn about why making thinking visible is so crucial for our students’ learning, as well as multiple routines to bring the strategies into the classroom. Each routine includes steps for incorporating it into your teaching, assessment ideas, illustrations and vignettes from teachers in action. Bring your lunch to our Zoom meeting space and let’s talk “MTV”!
Reading Schedule (complete before each book group meeting):
June 14 – Read Chapters 1-3
June 28 – Read Chapters 4-5
July 12 – Read Chapters 6-7; review Chapters 3-5
Concordia Faculty Seminar: Vittoria Sipone, Sara Casali
Thursday June 8, 11:00 am – Noon Central/Noon – 1:00 pm Eastern on Zoom
Please plan to join us on Zoom for an hour to learn about the research conducted by two Mequon faculty colleagues who recently completed their doctoral degrees: Vittoria Sipone and Sara Casali.
- Vittoria Sipone, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Mequon campus, recently defended her dissertation at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee toward a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. The title of Dr. Sipone’s talk will be “Dancing Bees, Singing Whales. The Impact of Idiosyncratic Information on Children’s Attitudes toward and Moral Reasoning about Animals.”
- Sara Casali, Assistant Professor of Social Work at the Mequon campus, defended her dissertation last year and received a Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. The title of Dr. Casali’s talk will be “Social Location: Why it Should Matter to Social Work Education.”
Concordia Faculty Seminars are informal interactive presentations and conversations on faculty and staff projects including grants, research, and service designed to promote scholarship, spark new ideas, provide opportunities for meaningful discussion, and increase collaboration. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend.
Engaging Students at a Distance
Tuesday June 13, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern on Zoom
With Susan Gallanis, Kate Robertson, and Elizabeth Evans.
It’s easy to think of student engagement in terms of live interaction with your students, but what are best practices for asynchronous engagement? During this session participants will learn about research-based, practical strategies to engage students asynchronously. This session is ideal for those teaching courses which include online interaction such as online or blended courses, including those in programs using a master course template. Those teaching face-to-face and virtual courses will learn how to expand engagement beyond live (synchronous) interactions.
Introduction to VoiceThread
Thursday July 20, 11:00 am – Noon Central/Noon – 1:00 pm Eastern on Zoom
Presented by VoiceThread Staff.
VoiceThread is an interactive collaboration tool connected to Blackboard that enables students and instructors to build online presentations with various types of media. Other users can then add comments right in the presentation. Participants will learn how to create presentations, add comments, and navigate the VoiceThread interface. The session also covers how to create a VoiceThread graded assignment and other set-up options. Those new to VoiceThread and those with VoiceThread experience are welcome to attend.
New and Returning Faculty Development Day
Wednesday August 16, 8:15 – 4:00 Central/9:15 – 5:00 Eastern
All sessions are via Zoom
Designing/Refreshing Your Course and Syllabus
8:15 – 9:45 am Central/9:15 – 10:45 am Eastern
Learn about and incorporate best practices in course design, and syllabus development. Discussion includes how to improve your objectives, align course objectives with assessments, the Concordia University syllabus template latest revision, and how to connect to program and Global Learning Outcomes.
Blackboard Basics
Learn how to add content, Blackboard Assignments (“dropboxes”) and set up the gradebook for a Fall course! This is an ideal session for faculty new to using Blackboard. The session is for those who set up their own Blackboard courses.
Engaging Your Learners
11:45 am – 12:45 pm Central/12:45 – 1:45 pm Eastern
Effective teaching fosters learning; students need to be engaged for learning to happen. This session introduces strategies to engage students in multiple instructional modes.
Blackboard Tests and Respondus LockDown Browser with Monitor
1:00 – 2:30 pm Central/2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern
The first half of this session will show how faculty can create Blackboard Tests using three commonly used question types. The second half of the session will cover Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor. Faculty will learn the difference between LockDown Browser and Monitor, and how to enable the appropriate settings based on where students take the test.
Faculty Resources – CELT and ORSP (primarily for full-time faculty)
3:00 – 4:00 pm Central/4:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern
Learn what resources are available to you as faculty, including research/scholarship support, where to find them, and who to contact if you need more help.
Program Assessment Leader Roundtable 23 on Zoom
Thursday August 17, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Central/12:30 – 2:00 pm Eastern on Zoom
For all program assessment leaders including faculty assessment committee members at each campus. This session will focus on a review of GLO #6 Analytical Fluency from the past year, including data submitted to date, and a look forward to 2023-2024 focus on GLO #3 Integrated Disciplinary Knowledge and GLO #1 Christian Faith. Leaders contribute to collegial conversations about assessment practices and experiences, their development in the phases of the assessment cycle, and share improvements made in the past year arising out of assessment results. Reminders about current year instructions, resources and support information available on the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes channel on the portal (faculty tab), and the October 1, 2023 deadline for reports for 2022-2023 from programs (majors/graduate programs/stand-alone certificates).
Mequon Adjunct Orientation (In-Person Classes)
Monday August 21, 5:00 – 6:30 pm Central via Zoom
Presenters: Susan Gallanis, Elizabeth Evans, Ty Landers, Jason Lane, Jan Chapman, Andrew Wahl
Are you ready for teaching the spring semester that begins August 28? During this session for Mequon adjuncts teaching in-person classes, we will share important policies and where to find them as well as many resources that address first day teaching, student support, Academic Resource Center services, classroom AV, faith and learning, Blackboard, and more.
Academic Program Change, New Program Proposal and Suspension/Discontinuance Starting September 2023
Tuesday August 22, 9:00 – 10:00 am Central/10:00 – 11:00 am Eastern on Zoom
Presenters: Brooke Johnson, Michele Hoffman
This session will walk through the new process programs will use starting September 2023 to initiate, change or discontinue programs as of the 2024-2025 academic year (beginning August 2024). Come to this program to learn about the tools and deadlines for these curriculum processes. This program is for all program directors, department chairs and academic staff involved in managing our complement of programs.
Academic Program Review (APR) Process and Purpose
Thursday August 24, 10:00 – 11:00 am Central/11:00 am – Noon Eastern via Zoom
Leaders: Leah Dvorak, Brooke Johnson, Michelle Hoffman and Elizabeth Evans
This session is for faculty and program leaders and focuses on our new process for Academic Program Review (APR) beginning in September. Topics include why this process is vital to a healthy program and the complement of academic programs at our university, and how the process will work. You will learn what information is provided by OIE and what information needs to be uploaded by program representatives. The system used for this process is new for APRST and will be explained in the August 22nd program on Academic Program Change. Those programs assigned to participate in September, October or November APR should send representatives to this session as well as the 8/22 session.
Fall 2023
Showing Up: Creating Comfort and Care on Campus
Fall Study Group for Faculty using the book Showing Up by Jen Marr
In-person at the Mequon Campus
Has a student ever shared a personal struggle with you, and you did not know what to say or do? How can you support your students and colleagues when you already have your own personal challenges? Join us to explore these questions and discuss evidence-based recommendations to improve your skills in comfort and care.
The book is included when you register for at least three of the four sessions. Maximum registration is 10 faculty per group. Deadline to register is August 30.
Option 1 Tuesdays from 2pm to 3pm
- Tuesday September 12: Foreword and Part 1: The Case for Comfort
- Tuesday October 3: Part 2: The Process
- Tuesday October 24: Part 3: Showing Up
- Tuesday November 14: Part 4: A Culture of Care and Part 5: Who Shows Up Best?
Facilitator: Holly Griskell
Option 2 Wednesdays from 3pm to 4pm
- Wednesday September 13: Foreword and Part 1: The Case for Comfort
- Wednesday October 4: Part 2: The Process
- Wednesday October 25: Part 3: Showing Up
- Wednesday November 15: Part 4: A Culture of Care and Part 5: Who Shows Up Best?
Facilitator: Vittoria Sipone
Faculty Workgroup & Application: “The Power of Making Thinking Visible”
Three Tuesdays: September 19, October 17, and November 14; 8:30-9:30 am Central/9:30 – 10:30 am Eastern
All take place on Zoom.
Led by: Catherine (Kate) Robertson
Book is included: Ritchhard, R. and Church, M. (2020). The power of making thinking visible: Practices to engage and empower all learners. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-1-119-62604-6
Maximum participants 15. Registration deadline Friday, September 8.
All are welcome! This is a continuation of this summer’s book group on the text: The power of making thinking visible: Practices to engage and empower all learners. The text outlines multiple activities for instructors of all content areas to use in the classroom. Now is your chance to apply one or more of these strategies from the text during your fall courses and share experiences about the process with colleagues. There are no specific reading assignments! Instead, be prepared to share student work samples as evidence of “making thinking visible,” and ask for feedback and suggestions from the rest of the workgroup. Again, you need not have participated in this summer’s book group to join us this fall.
Year-long Book Group with Ted Hopkins (CUAA only)
Rev. Dr. Ted Hopkins will lead a year-long book group, reading David Zahl’s book Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself). Zahl’s book will help us see how our native understandings (and our disciplines’ innate notions) of what it means to be human sometimes collide with the Bible and other times overlap. As we better understand ourselves and our students through this scriptural perspective, we can discuss with colleagues how this perspective shapes our relationships with our students and how we integrate faith and learning in the classroom. The book discussion will take place 11:05-11:55 am in the CMAX, bring your lunch, once a month on Wednesdays: Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6 in the fall; and Jan. 10, Feb. 14, March 13, April 10 in the spring.
The Successful Department Chair/Academic Program Director
Friday September 8, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern via Zoom
Presenter: Leah Dvorak
The audience for this program is Department Chairs and Program Directors. What are the expectations for the role of Department Chair or Academic Program Director? An effective chair or academic program director manages faculty, staff, programs, courses, and processes vital to student success. The effective chair also fosters a healthy departmental culture and establishes efficient, collaborative decision-making processes. A strong department chair or program director uses both management skills and leadership skills to create and sustain a successful department in which faculty and staff feel engaged and energized.
ChatGPT: Boon or Bane? (CUAA only)
ChatGPT has quickly become one of the most debated technologies in higher education. Some faculty value it as a pedagogical tool. Others worry their students will abuse the technology and not write their own work. In this session, faculty will learn how to embed ChatGPT into their classrooms and how to set parameters for student use. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunches. Light refreshments will also be served. Thursday, September 14th 12:00-1:00 pm in the CMAX.
Lunch ‘n Learn: Lutheran Spirituality: The Dynamics of Sin and Grace (CUW only)
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
12:10 to 1pm The Lakeshore Room, Mequon Campus
With Brian German and Sandra Jahns
One of a series of Faith and Learning sessions for faculty, this session features Brian German (Theology) and Sandra Jahns (Communication), sharing on the Lutheran understanding of spirituality as a “dynamic” of sin and grace, and how this might affect teaching and learning.
Update to ARC Practice and Policy on Accommodations
Monday September 25, 3:00 – 4:00 pm Central/4:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern
Facilitators: Jordan Beck, Elizabeth Polzin, and Erin Laverick
Recent changes to ADA law have impacted the ways in which CUWAA serves students through accessibility services. The Faculty Senate created an ARC Ad Hoc Committee dedicated to learning more about how these changes impact accommodations and faculty work. During this session, we will discuss the changes to ADA law, how the changes impact the accommodation process, and provide a summary from the Faculty Ad Hoc Committee. Time will be allocated for faculty questions, comments, and suggestions for further learning during the session.
Just in Time – Blackboard Grade Center Set Up
Wednesday October 11, 2:00 – 3:00 pm Central/3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern
Presenter: Susan Gallanis
Mid-semester is approaching so now is a good time to review your Grade Center. During this session we will discuss the difference between a points-based and percentage-based Grade Center. We will show how to set up a percentage-based Grade Center, including the import settings for any Grade Center such as setting the “external grade”. Bring your questions! We will answer as many as we can during the session.
Designing Effective Writing Assignments (CUAA only)
As ChatGPT becomes more and more prevalent, instructors need to consider how they design and implement writing assignments into their classes. This workshop will offer advice and tips about how to design effective writing assignments. Not worried about ChatGPT? This session is still relevant to those who teach writing intensive courses. Coffee and pastries will be served. Thursday, October 12th 8:00-9:00 am in the CMAX.
Pyramid Dashboard Training for Program Leaders/Chairs/Deans
Friday October 13, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern via Zoom
With Michele Hoffman and Katie Hause-Schott, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
During this session, get a tour of the Dean/Chair and Admission Dashboards so you can understand the reports and data elements on each and how to export lists of students. All program directors, department chairs and deans are encouraged to attend this session on accessing your program information through Pyramid. This program will be recorded for those who can’t attend; please register so you receive the recording and information.
Lunch ‘n Learn: Lutheran Spirituality: The Means of Grace (CUW only)
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 from 12:10 to 1pm
The Lakeshore Room
One of a series of Faith and Learning sessions for faculty, this session features Brian German (Theology) and Sandra Jahns (Communication), sharing on the Lutheran understanding of the Word and the sacraments, including how these play a foundational role in Lutheran higher education. Lunch is available from the dining hall for the first 20 faculty to register. The program starts at 12:10 so participants can bring their lunch from the dining hall.
Syllabus Issues, Alignment with Catalog, and Updates to Banner Course Information Forms
Friday October 20, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern via Zoom
With Elizabeth Evans and Allison Wolf
The audience for this program is faculty, department chairs, program directors, academic support staff, and deans.
The Academic Office has seen an increase in syllabi submissions that contain information misaligned with Banner Course Information (BCI) data. BCI data is used by the Registrar’s office to create the catalog and scribe Degree Works program audits. Syllabi provided to students should match the catalog information for the year in which a course is offered.
This session will focus on our need to provide students with syllabi that match the current catalog year, the submission of syllabi to the Academic Office by Department Chairs and Program Directors, and what to do when changes to a syllabus, and its BCI data, are needed. Other areas that need attention for improvement of syllabi will also be covered in brief, and an explanation and demonstration of the updated BCI mach form will be provided.
Facilitating Acute Care Competencies & Confidence in Physical Therapy Doctoral Students: Outcomes of a CITG Project (CUW only)
Wednesday October 25, 2023 from 12 – 1 pm HS 109 – SHP Simulation Lab
Stacy Stolzman & Physical Therapy Doctoral Students
Last year, the Concordia Intermural Teaching Grant (CITG) supported a teaching and learning project to expand student learning using the new School of Health Professions Simulation Lab. This presentation will show how DPT students gained acute care competencies and increased confidence in a graduate course taught by Dr. Stolzman which was supported by grant-funded faculty development at Mayo Clinic and grant-funded equipment used in the lab. See the students in action completing an acute care simulation scenario and learn the critical pieces of simulation learning. While food is not usually allowed in the Simulation Lab, you may bring your bag lunch for this event.
Classroom Observation of Faculty
Friday October 27, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern via Zoom
Leaders: Susan Gallanis and Catherine (Kate) Robertson
The audience for this program is Department Chairs, Program Directors, and Deans. During this session, we will review and discuss the teaching observation process and form used for summative faculty observations, primarily for in-person classes. We will also share effective strategies for the observation itself and the post-observation discussion. Best practices for sharing constructive feedback, and tips on how to use the form (link to observation form) for formative, peer observations will also be shared.
Service-Learning Experiences
Thursday November 2, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern via Zoom
Presenters: Julie Parve (Nursing), Robert Wahl (Computer Science), Heather Fortuine (Rehab Science), Elisabeth Bennett (Business)
The audience for this program is faculty. In alignment with CUW’s GLO “Service and Citizenship” you can now offer your students a chance to learn while serving others. Come join us and get inspired to add a transformative learning experience to one of your courses. We will discuss availability of grants for service-learning experiences and how to apply as well as examples of service-learning experiences that have been impactful to students and the community they served. Feel free to come share your ideas as well.
Getting Started with Panopto with Justin Frisque
Friday November 3, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern via Zoom
The audience for this program is faculty. Panopto is a tool used to record and share videos, including voiceover PowerPoint recordings. Participants will learn how to access Panopto to create recordings and integrate the Panopto tool in your Blackboard course. Also covered is the organization of videos within Panopto and setting viewing permissions.
Embedding Writing Instruction into your Classes (CUAA only)
Do you assign writing assignments or teach a writing intensive class? Are you frustrated when students do not turn in “what you’re looking for?” Attend this session and learn how to embed mini writing lessons into your course in order to ensure students find better success on their assignments. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunches. Light refreshments will also be served. Thursday, November 9th 12:00-1:00 pm in the CMAX.
Best Practices for Managing Blackboard Course Size
Friday November 10, Noon – 1:00 pm Central/1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern
With Justin Frisque, Tyler Shadick and Susan Gallanis
This session is for faculty. Blackboard courses have a finite amount of space before the maximum is reached. During this session, participants will learn best practices for sharing large files in their course such as videos and voiceover PowerPoints. We will also explain how using the course Content Collection can save additional course space and save you time when documents need updating or are shared in multiple locations within a course.
