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The Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) uses a colleague-to-colleague model to promote excellence and innovation in teaching and learning. Through one-time and multi-part workshops, professional development events, and special opportunities, we help faculty network with others in collegial settings to develop strategies that promote student success and cross-disciplinary understanding. CAFE is a resource that serves and supports all faculty (part-time, term, tenure track) on all five UAA campuses.

Learn more about CAFE
 

CAFE shares announcements and brief items of interest on best practices in teaching and learning via FACEBOOK.  We'd love to see you there.  

 

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CAFE Events

  • Faculty Learning Community: EXITO Student Mentoring

    October 6, 13 & 29 | 9:30-11:30 AM | LIB 214 | Register Here

    Training offered for faculty and grad student mentors of undergraduate researchers

    The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) provides training and support for research mentors and mentees across the researcher lifespan.  In association with the NIH-sponsored BUILD initiative, NRMN has developed a curriculum specifically for mentoring undergraduate research students.   

    Through UAA’s participation in BUILD EXITO, and in collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarship, the NRMN training is available to UAA faculty.  This will be the first time it has been offered to faculty or graduate students beyond the EXITO program.  

     This fall, a 3-part training is offered on 3 consecutive Friday mornings: September 29, October 6, and October 13, all 9:30-11:30, LIB 214.  Seats for non-EXITO mentors are limited.  It is recommended for all faculty members associated with the Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarship or who supervise undergraduate researchers.

  • Faculty Learning Community: Adjunct Teaching Support
    September 28  | 5:30 - 7:00 PM | LIB 302A & via distance | Register Here

    What has gone well in your classes?
    What are some areas where you need support, assistance or suggested resources?  
     
    In August, over 30 adjunct faculty joined us for an an adjunct-focused session at our Fall Teaching Academy. These September sessions represent a continuation of our support for those who are teaching part-time at UAA. Any interested adjunct faculty member is  welcome to attend or call in. 
     
    The session will explore specific evidence-based practices in teaching and learning (registrants will receive a link to a brief reading as a springboard for discussion), and will respond to questions raised by participants. Note that these two sessions are being offered in the evening and on different days (a Wednesday and a Thursday) as a way to enable broader participation across the part-time faculty community.
     
    Not an adjunct? This session may be appropriate for GTAs, Postdocs, and others who interface with students but may not be as able to connect as fully with CAFE resources as full-time faculty. 
  • Faculty Learning Community: Fostering Student Success with Open Educational Resources
     September 28 | 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM  | (9/11 GHH 105)  (9/28 LIB 214) | Register Here

     
    Open Educational Resources (OERs) can be one way for faculty to see a big impact in their courses. Students using OER resources are more likely to have access to required course materials, perform better in courses, and take more credits. Come learn how OER can improve student accessibility and course success. This session will be the first in a series on finding, creating, and using OER resources.
     
    This session will review research surrounding student metrics of success when using OER -- academic performance, retention, persistence, and course load.
     
    Learning outcomes:
    Participants will learn what OER resources are, the evidence-based impact OER can have on student learning, and learn where they may find pre-created open resources using services like the Open Textbook Library, Creative Commons, and Merlot.
     
    Is this session for me? 
    Open to all faculty. This information will be most helpful to those who are teaching GER courses involving substantial numbers of our students.
     
    Questions may be directed to 
    Veronica Howard, Psychology, 907-786-6128
    Co-presenters are 
    D'arcy Hutchings, UAA/APU Consortium Library
  • Faculty Learning Community: Accessibility in Higher Education

    October 13, 20, & 27 | 11:30 AM - 1 PM | LIB 214 | Register Here 

    In a cooperative venture with Disability Support Services (DSS), CAFE is offering UAA faculty the opportunity to meet three times during the fall 2017 semester to discuss best practices for ensuring access for all students and implementing the principles of Universal Design. There will also be one lab session in which hands-on assistance will be available. Faculty Fellows who are selected for the program will attend all three sessions, receive the book The Guide to Assisting Students With Disabilities: Equal Access in Health Science and Professional Education, and may be invited to showcase the results of their work at CAFE's Faculty Development Celebration in April (see application criteria below).
     
    Eligibility:
    All UAA faculty are eligible to apply for the Fellowship, with the understanding that you must be able to:
    • Read and discuss the text, The Guide to Assisting Students with Disabilities;
    • Attend all three sessions; 
    • Bring a course or series of assignments to the sessions and adapt them to conform to ADA requirements;
    • Share the outcome of your efforts with your colleagues in Spring 2017, in your department, at the Faculty Development Celebration, or both.
  • Converstations with the Provost & Chancellor

    All Faculty | October 4 | 3-4:30 PM | LIB 307 | Register

    Deans & Directors | October 23 | 9-10 AM | LIB 307 | Register

  • Faculty Networking Mixers

    October 20 | 4-6 PM | Varsity Grill - Alaska Airlines Center | Register 

    November 17 | 4-6 PM | Varsity Grill - Alaska Airlines Center | Register 

 

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Teaching

  • Teaching Tips
    Monthly Teaching Tips
  • Difficult Dialogues
    Difficult Dialogues is a national program designed to promote and protect academic freedom and religious, cultural, and political pluralism on university campuses. Originally launched by two UAA/APU Ford Foundation grants, this project equips UAA faculty with the skills, knowledge and support to proactively and effectively introduce controversial topics into the classroom and, where necessary, field unanticipated controversy that arises.
  • SoTL/Making Learning Visible
    SoTL is scholarly inquiry into student learning which advances the practice of teaching by making research findings public and open to critique and evaluation. The intent is to create a community of “scholarly teachers” who add to the body of knowledge about teaching and learning as well as benefiting from the SoTL research of others. Check out UAA's version of SoTL - Making Learning Visible.
  • Team-Based Learning TBL
    Team-Based Learning™ (TBL) is a highly interactive, results-based educational strategy developed in the business school environment which has spread to other academic disciplines over the last decade. TBL can be used in classes as large as 200 and as small as 12. It transforms instruction into active learning and promotes the development of professional competencies in interpersonal skills, teamwork and peer feedback.  

Career Support

 

Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence
907-786-4644
uaa_cafe@uaa.alaska.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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