Colleagues,

FACULTY RECOGNITION RECEPTION

Mark your calendars. The Annual Faculty Recognition Reception is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17 at 3:00 p.m. It will be held this year in the ballroom of the Rogalski Center. Upwards of 30 faculty will be recognized for their research, publication and or public performances over the past year. Much of their work will be on display so we can all see in detail the work for which these faculty are being recognized. It's a great way to celebrate the scholarship of our fellow faculty members, see some examples of the scholarly productions of our Ambrose colleagues and congratulate those whose efforts are being celebrated. Dr. Rogalski will be presenting recognition awards. This annual reception is sponsored by the Faculty Development Committee. (Of course, there will be refreshments.)

TEACHING CIRCLES

The Strongest Link teaching circle will meet for the last time this year on Monday, April 16, 2007 at NOON – Faculty Dining Room

The Teaching Circle, “Alternatives to Lecturing,” will meet on Wednesday, April 18th from 3:15 to 4:45 in Cosgrove 24 (Computer Lab). At the request of the members of our circle Donnie Ingram, of the Instructional Technology Department, will present and demonstrate the latest updates on Blackboard and new technologies for the classroom. Please put this on your calendar. I will send out more information at a later date. Please Contact Jessica Gosnell or Carol Lyon for more information. Thanks so much.

PUBLICATIONS RECENTLY RECEIVED

The Professor in the Classroom, 13:15 entitled "Using Recognition to Increase Student Achievement" and also includes Tips on grading and testing. This number includes 8 rules to follow in offering student recognition aimed at enhancing student achievement. These include recognizing effort and not only success, offer recognition to every student, recognize effort close to its expenditure, make it publicly, make it specific.

This one is worth a look.

The National Teaching and Learning Forum, vol. 16:2.

The Teaching Professor (21:2) for March 2007.

CTE periodical publications are available in the College of Business (with Allison Ambrose) and in the ACCEL program through Neala McCarthy as well as in the three wall pocket locations.

PROGRAM FROM THE CENTER FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE

The Center is presently underwriting the cost of having speakers come to campus to work with individual departments or clusters of departments that are interested in reviewing and (perhaps) modifying their teaching strategies. The first of these "teaching in the disciplines" seminars was held on January 11 when the three departments of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Nursing welcomed Kelly Sass of the University of Iowa for a seminar on teaching using the case method, especially in health-related fields. The program was a great success with faculty from the nursing, OT and PT as well as several faculty from other areas.

The second presenter on teaching in the disciplines was Dr. Bill Warren, Ambrose alumnus and professor of history who spoke at several venues on campus recently, met with the members of the History Department, presented a brown bag in the Library, consulted on the teaching of history and met with history education majors as well as history majors. From all I have heard so far his visit was very valuable to the history department and very interesting for SAU students.

The advisory board wants every department to be aware of this program being undertaken by the Center. Consider how your department or program might best make use of this opportunity to invite a presenter to campus to work with your faculty on alternatives to your current teaching styles and approaches.

Talk to any member of the advisory committee about your questions, ideas and suggestions for this program. The Center is planning to commit between $500 and $1,000 to each presentation or consultancy co-sponsored by the CTE.

CTE PERIODICAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE

Three other publications subscribed to by the Center are available in several places on campus.  The Teaching Professor, The Professor in the Classroom and the National Teaching and Learning Forum are available as they arrive in three wall pocket locations: in the old snack bar area in Ambrose Hall, in the Cosgrove Hall private dining room near the drink dispenser, and in the coffee shop on Harrison St.-- as well as in ACCEL and through Allison Ambrose in the College of Business.

Back issues of these publications are CURRENTLY kept in the shelves in the Library on the first floor, northwest corner (along with the Center's book collection). All of the Center's subscription materials are available during the hours O'Keefe Library is open. Soon the entire Center's book collection will be integrated into the general library collection.