1. UCET seeks an Assistant Director of the University Center for Excellence in Teaching
UCET seeks a half-time Assistant Director. Duties to be negotiated based on candidate’s strengths and interests and UCET needs, but may include responsibility for some institutes, book groups, workshops, and consultations as well as some administrative tasks.
This person should be a full-time senior faculty member (Senior Lecturer, Teaching Professor, Associate or Full Professor, including Clinical lines) with a passion for teaching and a campus reputation as an outstanding instructor. Experience in faculty development is a plus, but not required. Enthusiasm is a must!
The position includes release-time of two courses each semester for the fall and spring semesters and a small summer stipend of $3500 to cover preparation and participation in New Faculty Orientation. The position has a three-year term and would begin July 1, 2023, but can include a one-course release in Spring 2023 to shadow the current Assistant Director and ensure a smooth transition.
Those interested should submit a cover letter describing what they could contribute to UCET in this position, a teaching statement, a current vita that highlights teaching and faculty development, and a brief statement from their chair or dean in support of the course releases to ucet@iusb.edu by September 12, 2022.
For more information about this position, contact Jay VanderVeen jmvander@iusb.edu.
2. UCET: Back-to-School Week Workshops August 8, 9, and 11
Forget New Year’s—most academics make resolutions at the start of the school year! This is a great time to brush up on the best practices of teaching. Join the new faculty for these open workshops, all in the UCET classroom in Northside 245. We suggest that you bring a mobile device and a draft syllabus since most of these workshops will be hands-on.
Designing Your Course
Monday, August 8 1:30 – 4:30
Join Carolyn Schult and Jay VanderVeen to learn why you should design your course backwards, starting with student learning objectives. Jay will demonstrate multiple methods for Assessment. Come with a particular course in mind! Then Amy Pawlosky and Anna Michelle Martinez-Montavon will show you how to put Syllabus, Assignments, and Announcements into Canvas.
Assessing Student Learning
Tuesday, August 9 1:30 – 4:30
Carolyn will demonstrate how to develop and use rubrics to grade fairly and quickly. (Warning—cookies will be involved.) Then Anna will show you how to use Canvas tools such as Rubrics, Speedgrader, and Gradebook.
Career Planning
Thursday, August 11 9-12
Erika Zynda and others will talk about resources for research. David Blouin and Carolyn will talk about faculty expectations, evaluations, and how to document your teaching. Betsy Lucal will demonstrate the Student Engagement Roster. Jay and Lisa Zwicker will discuss mentoring. We’ll end with a faculty panel sharing “What I Wish I Had Known My First Year.”
Teaching Strategies
Thursday, August 11 1:30-4:30
Carolyn and Jay will show you how to use the first day of class to set a positive climate that will last the semester, and discuss a number of active learning strategies. Then Jason Sykes will demonstrate classroom technology and give you a chance for hands-on practice.
3. UCET Fall Book Groups
Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto by Kevin M. Gannon
The book-jacket blurb sums up the book nicely:
“In a time of precariously employed professors, crushing student debt burdens, and cynically manufactured campus outrages, Radical Hope is a much-needed practical and principled reminder of the promise and possibility of education for liberation.” Nikhil Pal Singh, author of Race and America's Long War.
This book group is being led by Anna Michelle Martinez-Montavon and Jay VanderVeen. Join your colleagues in reading and discussion a Manifesto for our times. Contact ucet@iusb.edu to sign up. Meeting times and modality will be determined by participants. Free books for the first 10 participants to drop us a line.
Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It by James M. Lang
Join Jay VanderVeen and Tammy Fong-Morgan to discuss Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It. Keeping students focused can be difficult -- which is why a renowned educator created a scientific solution to one of every teacher's biggest problems. Contact ucet@iusb.edu to sign up. Meeting times and modality will be determined by participants. Free books for the first 10 participants to drop us a line.
4. UCET SoTL Institute First meeting
UCET SoTL Institute First meeting, Tuesday August 16, 10:00 am - Noon in NS245
What improves student learning in your classroom? Does that new strategy you implemented make a difference? Join Sharon Jones and Carolyn Schult for the SoTL Institute, which provides structure and support as you design and carry out your own Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project. Your final product for the Institute will be a proposal for the next Midwest SoTL Conference on March 31, 2023. See the flier for the schedule and additional information. Email UCET@iusb.edu to register!
5. PTR Summit
The annual PTR Summit will be held on Tuesday, August 16th, from 1:00-2:00 PM, in EA 1010. We will be discussing the general PTR process, highlighting any changes or recent updates, and answering questions. The event is designed primarily for administrators and faculty (department chairs, PTR committee members, dossier managers, etc.) involved in various stages of the process. If you have any questions please be in touch with the UCET Career Mentor David Blouin (dblouin@iusb.edu).
6. Webinars: Getting Started with IU eText
New to IU eTexts or just want to want a refresher? Join IU eTexts Consultant, Noma Maier, for one or more of the following Getting Started with IU eTexts webinars in August and September.
- Getting Started with Engage: Best Practices for Instructors (August 9 at 11 or 2 pm)
- Getting Started with IU eTexts: Introducing Engage 2.0 – Be one of the first people to try out the refreshed e-reader interface! (August 11 at 11 or 2 pm)
- Getting Started with IU eTexts: The Basics (August 16 at 11 or 2 pm)
- Getting Started with IU eTexts: Are my course materials available through IU eTexts? (August 18 at 11 or 2 pm)
- ·Getting Started with IU eTexts: How to place an order for IU eTexts (September 8 at 2 pm)
Getting Started webinars page.
7. Travel grants to teaching conferences
UCET supports travel to teaching conferences. Go to our Awards and Funding page for more information.
8. Teaching/Learning Partnerships
A form of co-mentoring and peer review of teaching. Partners from any rank or discipline pair up to visit each other’s classes and learn more about teaching from each other. UCET support for Teaching/Learning Partners includes assistance in locating a partner, assistance in locating information on teaching strategies, and $100 each to spend on teaching related materials. Learn more at this website.
9. New IU Bookstore Portal now live for purchasing Textbooks
Follett Discover — the digital portal for course material selection run by Follett Higher Education Group, which will soon be Indiana University’s new bookstore manager — is now active in One.IU.
This is the first step in a larger transition that will bring several bookstore enhancements for faculty, staff and students, including a streamlined course materials process; upgrades to the online IU store; and updates to physical retail locations on the IU Bloomington, IUPUI and regional campuses.
Here’s what the change means for faculty and staff who order course materials:
- If your class begins May 24 or later, submit your order via the Follett Discover portal, which went live March 31. Find the portal by searching “Order Texbooks/Course Materials (Faculty)” inside One.IU.
- Please note: If you’ve already placed an order for a late-summer or fall class through the Barnes & Noble portal, submit a new order through the Follett portal. However, you do not need to cancel any late-summer or fall orders submitted via Barnes & Noble.
- Follett recommends faculty submit late-summer orders by May 20 and fall orders by June 3.
Additional information is available in an FAQ, which will be updated throughout the transition process. Follett will also offer training and support, both virtually and in person. Further details will be shared once those training opportunities are available.
IU’s partnership with Follett was announced in March, after university administrators followed a thorough review process that included a committee of key university stakeholders for review and selection.
“Follett’s innovative approach to campus retail, e-commerce capabilities and affordable course materials will help support a successful higher education experience for IU students,” said Valerie Gill, associate vice president for business partnerships at IU. “Our partnership with Follett will directly support student success.”
Follett has nearly 150 years of experience in the education industry, with more than 1,100 campus store partnerships across the U.S and Canada. During the 2020-21 academic year, Follett said students within its network saved more than $113 million through its text rental program and $127 million through its digital options.
The IU campus bookstore has been operated by Barnes & Noble since 2007. The transition does not affect IU Fort Wayne.
2. Other News
1. Register for the 2022 IU Online Conference, October 26-28, 2022
Register Now
