News & Events

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

Join us for an interactive session about how to make sense of student feedback. Student course evaluations are a notoriously flawed instrument, and often students translate their own experience of challenge or disappointment into distorted accounts of the course design or the instructor. How can we sort out the bias and meanness and glean useful information from our students? When do we know we’re hearing something that should be acted upon? What do our students’ responses contribute to the evolving story of our teaching? Sign up here, and put on your calendar here. 

Monday, March 24, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
McClurg meeting room 206ABC (upstairs)

We want to open up a space for some conversation about what it’s like to teach right now, when current events loom large over our classrooms. Whether you’re finding it difficult to stay the course, working to adapt to the demands of the political moment, or just hoping to talk with colleagues about the challenges of going about our daily work with so many questions swirling about the future of higher ed: come enjoy some collegial time and solidarity with other educators (and as always this includes coaches, advisors, mentors, anyone who is charged with teaching students). The CfT will cover your lunch at McClurg - just add your name to the list at the front desk! Add this to your calendar here. 

• Monday, March 17, 2025 - Rae Manacsa (Politics) & Leslie Todd (Art History)

• Tuesday, March 18, 2025 - Shuler Hopkins (Mathematics) & Eric Ezell (EES/Sustainability)

• Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - Stephanie Batkie (English/Writing Center) & Andrew Moser (Philosophy)

• Thursday, March 20, 2025 - Clint Smith (Biology) & Melody Lehn (Rhetoric/WGS)

• Friday, March 21, 2025 - Open, come-as-you-are celebration! Drop in for lecture-slide karaoke, student quotes, a warm-fuzzies wall, decorations, and special lunch

This year, eight Sewanee faculty will each give a 15-20min "slice" of a course that they're currently teaching. Each slice will feature a different disciplinary approach, teaching style, and student engagement techniques. Use the links below to add any/all dates to your calendar!

More details

What's in a "slice"?

• It's up to the faculty member! It'll be something that they're already doing in a class, pitched for a general audience, and engaging to their students (i.e., YOU!)

Can you give a few examples?

• An exploration of the ecology of sandworms of Frank Herbert's Dune

• A "writing hacks" activity that helps frame students' thinking about how to change how their writing sounds

• An intriguing analogy that helps set the stage for a class discussion

• ...and more!

Can I go to more than one slice?

• You can come to both every single day! Or you can pop in for just one slice (of the two possible each day) on one day. Each slice will be different and fun.

• Slices are every day during lunch hour, all week -- so you can easily drop in

• These are unique and rare opportunities to sit in on a bit of a class from outside your discipline, so you can enjoy new disciplinary content as well as generalizable teaching strategies & approaches

Can I come to the end-of-week open celebration, even if I don't attend any slices?

• We hope you do! We'll have balloons, lunch, and appreciative/bolstering words from students!

• We will also have lecture-slide karaoke, where volunteers attempt to "teach" slides they haven't seen before. If anything, you can enjoy Lauryl & me making fools of ourselves and surprising each other with unexpected powerpoint animations.

I already love this idea! Can I do a "slice" next year?

• Sure! As this is a new approach, we didn't have as much time as we'd hoped to make a general call. That said, we'll be opening it up to more volunteers next year - stay tuned :)

Monday, March 3, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

Are you ready to submit your midterm grades to the Registrar? Did plans change and now you need to adjust the gradebook? Are you students complaining they “can’t see” some grades after you post them?

Come join the ‘Brightspace guy’ Adam Hawkins over a casual lunch to cover best practices using the gradebook in our LMS. Bring your laptop for individual help and get your ‘grades’ in shape by fall break! Slots limited! Lunch provided! Sign up here. Add this to your calendar here.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching 

Panelists: Maddy Leone (moderator), Cedar Bettis, Sophie Daniel, Lily “Stooks” Stooksbury, Camile Pfister

Co-sponsored with the Order of the Gown. Students will share some experiences and perspectives on queer identities in the classroom at Sewanee and discuss what faculty can do to make our classes inclusive for all of our students. Sign up here by noon on Monday 2/24 to reserve a lunch, and add this event to your calendar here. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2025
12:25-1:10 PM 
Center for Teaching

Presenters: Clint Smith, Teri Terigele, Ali Raeber, Ross Sowell 

Are you curious about ways to integrate AI into your STEM course? If so, please join us for a panel discussion. You'll hear a few ways that colleagues from the Departments of Psychology, Chemistry, Math and Computer Science, and Biology have used AI to support student learning and to challenge students to consider the limitations of AI. Sign up here, and add to your calendar here.

Friday, February 21, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

What is Community-Engaged Learning (CEL)? Do all CEL courses look the same? Could CEL work in your discipline and in your own courses? Join this year's CEL Faculty Fellows for a CfT lunch hour in which they share their own experiences integrating CEL into a variety of courses in diverse departments. Their flash presentations will be followed by open-ended discussion about how CEL might work in any discipline and in any context. There will also be discussion about how community engaged teaching interfaces with promotion and tenure, and resources that are available through the Office of Community Engagement. If you are even just a bit curious about CEL, please join the event and/or spread the word to others about it!

Thursday, February 20, 2025
12:30-2:00 PM
Center for Teaching

The CfL has invited Cathy Carlisi, C'89 (President Emeritus and Managing Director at BCG Brighthouse), to offer a workshop (hosted in the Center for Teaching) for faculty and staff seeking to strengthen their ability to inspire and guide others with clarity and purpose. They describe the opportunity this way: “You’ll gain practical tools to craft a compelling vision, set meaningful goals, and create a plan that moves ideas into action. Cathy brings insights on how to lead confidently. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your approach or bring new energy to your work, this session will provide strategies you can apply right away.” Sign up here by February 17!  

Wednesday, February 19, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
McClurg meeting room 206B (upstairs)

Have you ever ended up teaching in a space that didn’t quite fit the bill, either with the shape, furnishings, tech, or some other issue? How did you make it work? What did you do to adapt to the space you were assigned, or how did you find what you needed? What happened if you couldn’t? Come if you have a successful classroom-hack story to tell or a tale of woe, or join us if you just want to hear one of either. The CfT will cover your lunch at McClurg - just add your name to the list at the front desk! Add this to your calendar here. 

Friday, February 14, 2025
 12:00-1:00 PM

Liz Norell, the associate director of instructional support at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of Mississippi, will read some passages and answer questions about her book, The Present Professor, which argues for the importance of self-awareness and authentic presence of faculty in the classrooms, and she will lead attendees in an exercise related to mindfulness. Come join us for this interactive lunch session and take the opportunity to learn about Dr. Norell’s ideas. Sign up here by Wednesday 2/12 at noon, and add to your calendar here. 

Wednesday, February 12, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

Our regular D2L/Brightspace workshops are back! How did your semester launch go? Did everyone find the syllabus? What about the textbook and the course materials? Has a student said “My Brightspace doesn’t work”? Want to find out why?

Join our Brightspace administrator Adam Hawkins for an open workshop/sandbox session on best practices in course design. We’ll share three best practices with you (homepage utility, gradebook visibility settings, quiz/exam question writing) and then invite your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas over a casual conversation. Bring your laptop to get individual support! Slots limited! Lunch provided! Sign up here. Add this to your calendar here.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025
12:30-1:20 PM
Presenters: Fran Speer and Diane Dekker

ADHD is a prevalent diagnosis among college students. As such, both Wellness Commons and Student Accessibility Services are committed to providing support to those students in order to help them be successful in college. We are also committed to helping faculty and staff have a better understanding of how ADHD can impact students in both their academic progress and their emotional wellbeing. Join this session to learn more about ADHD and resources available to help students navigate and better manage ADHD. Sign up here by Friday 2/7 at noon to reserve lunch, and add to your calendar here. 

Wednesday, January 29, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM
Facilitated by Lauryl Tucker & Kate Cammack

Join us for a conversation about something that we tend to assume is fundamental in our classrooms, but doesn't always seem to come across as we intend: a growth-mindset. What does it mean to think with one, and what prevents us and our students from maintaining an orientation toward growth? What practical steps can we take to let our students feel their potential to learn and succeed?  Click here to add this to your calendar, and sign up here.

Thursday, January 23, 2025
12:30-1:30 PM
McClurg meeting room 206B (upstairs)

Please join us for a lunch time conversation on the topic of getting students to read–and read well–for class. Multiple articles have appeared in recent months (here, here, here, and here) bemoaning a decline in students’ willingness and/or capacity to read. What are you encountering in your classes? Are you noticing changes in students’ approaches to reading? Is your own approach to (assigning) reading changing–if so, how? What strategies are you using to support and encourage students and to help them build the capacity to read deeply, reflectively, critically? Bring your questions and your ideas! The CfT will cover your lunch - just add your name to the list at the front desk! Add this to your calendar here. 

Wednesday, November 20, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

The Department of Equity and Equal Opportunity would like to invite faculty and staff to lunch in the Center for Teaching. This lunch will serve as a listening session to discuss support around pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions as we work on increasing our support options. We invite all genders, sexes, abilities, and stages of life to share information with us they believe would be beneficial as we develop this support. Sign up for lunch here.

Monday November 18, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

What are your students doing for finals? In person timed-exams? Group Presentations? Multimedia projects? Interpretive dance? Believe it or not, you can use our LMS, Brightspace, for all of this! In time for final exam prep season, join “the Brightspace guy” Adam Hawkins for a casual lunch and interactive workshop on designing finals with our LMS. Bring your laptop and class materials to begin prepping your final assessments in person. Slots limited! Lunch provided! Sign up here.Add this to your calendar here.

Thursday, November 14, 2024
12:30-1:30 PM
Center for Teaching

Are you a faculty member in a non-science field who would like to serve as a mentor to a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF), but you are not quite sure how it would work? Join us for lunch and a discussion with faculty members who have successfully served as SURF mentors. Andrew Maginn (History), Alison Miller (Art History), Susanna Weygandt (Russian), and Jessica Wohl (Art) will share their experiences, and we will discuss ways that you can develop a summer plan for research, scholarship or creative activity that will be beneficial to both you and your student(s). If you are interested in attending this event, co-sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarship and the Center for Teaching, please register and select your lunch here no later than Monday, November 11, and add it to your calendar here.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

Sewanee Wellness is committed to supporting faculty and staff who must navigate situations with students experiencing mental or emotional distress. The Purple Folder initiative is a resource to help faculty and staff recognize, respond, and refer students to appropriate campus resources. Join this session to discuss concerns about student wellbeing and to learn more about the Purple Folder and other resources that might help you assist students in need. (Presenters: Leigh Collins and Elise Tarhan) Sign up for lunch here by Monday, November 11, and add it to your calendar here. 

Monday November 11, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
McClurg meeting room 206 

Whatever has happened on Tuesday will probably start to come clear by next Monday, one way or the other; it’s likely that the strong feelings and deep divides around the election will have had some impact on your classrooms. Come to just talk about how it’s going, what you’re hearing from your students, and what you’ve been doing to batten down the hatches and keep the ship upright amid the present maelstrom. Join for some collegial time whether or not you felt stirred by the naval metaphor in the previous sentence; as may be clear, its author has only ever been metaphorically “at sea.” (Sign in at McClurg’s front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar via this link.

Monday, November 4, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

Co-sponsored with the Order of the Gown. Students will share some experiences and perspectives on queer identities in the classroom at Sewanee and discuss what faculty can do to make our classes inclusive for all of our students.  Sign up here by noon on Friday 11/1, and add this event to your calendar here.

• Thursday, October 31, 2024
• Thursday, November 7, 2024
  8:30-9:15 AM 
  Center of Teaching

This is a biweekly, informal gathering for faculty and staff who want to talk over the challenges of teaching/talking through this semester's election season. It’s a drop-in/drop-out meeting for anyone whose course content or professional interactions with students might be inflected by divisive national political debates in some way: a place where people can workshop ideas, share/hear concerns/worries, and perhaps receive support and guidance from others, across disciplinary and divisional lines. Take it from us: this group is a spot of joy in a stressful time–join in! Add it to your calendar using this link.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

How does your current AI policy line up with your course goals and pedagogical principles? Not sure how granular or sweeping an AI policy should be? Interested to hear about other strategies and approaches? Come have lunch and talk with colleagues about what goes into an effective AI policy! Bring a current policy that you might want to share or tinker with, or start from scratch–we will look at a range of different policies and think about the various things that this little paragraph on the syllabus might communicate. By the end of the session, we hope you’ll have a better sense of what kind of AI policy is best suited to your course and your classroom. Sign up here by noon on October 29th to order your lunch.

• Monday, October 28, 2024
  12:00-1:00 PM 
  (G4, G5); add to your calendar using this link.
• Monday, October 28, 2024
  3:30-4:30 PM
  (G6, G7) add to your calendar using this link.

Next Monday is the last chance to participate in workshops centered on improving our approach to General Education. In groups, faculty will engage in guided conversation focused on one of the two objectives for the day, with opportunities to share ideas, questions, and successes. Coming up in the next two weeks, there are sessions focused on all of the Gen Ed attributes in different combinations. Click on this form to see the full array of workshop opportunities and to sign up for any of them. (For afternoon sessions there isn’t lunch, but instead participants will receive a $5 gift card to Stirling’s.) Bring a current syllabus with you! 

Wednesday, October 23, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
McClurg meeting room 206 

Conversation at our next Teachers’ Table of the semester will be focusing on the interplay between academics and athletics. Coaches have been invited to join us as we consider the successes and challenges for students committed to both endeavors as well as our common goal of helping students succeed. (Sign in at McClurg’s front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar via this link.

Thursday, October 17, 2024
12:30pm-1:30 PM
Center for Teaching

Are you ready to submit your midterm grades to the Registrar (Oct.22)? Did plans change and now you need to adjust the gradebook? Are you students complaining they “can’t see” some grades after you post them? Come join the ‘Brightspace guy’ Adam Hawkins over a casual lunch to cover best practices using the gradebook in our LMS. Bring your laptop for individual help and get your ‘grades’ in shape by fall break! Slots limited! Lunch provided! Sign up here. Add this to your calendar here.

• Monday, October 14, 2024
  12:00-1:00 PM 
  (G7, G1), Center of Teaching
  Add to your calendar using this link.
• Wednesday, October 16, 2024
  3:30-4:30 PM
  (G2, G3), Center of Teaching
  Add to your calendar using this link. 

Over the next several weeks, faculty are invited to participate in workshops centered on improving our approach to General Education. In groups, faculty will engage in guided conversation focused on one of the two objectives for the day, with opportunities to share ideas, questions, and successes. Coming up in the next two weeks, there are sessions focused on Gen Ed attributes G1 & G2, G3 & G4, and G5 & G6. Can’t make these, but interested in making the assessment process more meaningful? Click on this form to see the full array of workshop opportunities and to sign up for any of them. (For afternoon sessions there isn’t lunch, but instead participants will receive a $5 gift card to Stirling’s.) Bring a current syllabus with you! 

Don Asher, guest of the Office of Career Readiness and Student Success

Tuesday, October 8, 2024
12:30-1:30 PM
Center for Teaching

Don Asher, author of Graduate Admission Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice, has interviewed thousands of graduate students and admissions directors to determine the strategies that are most successful in getting students into graduate programs. For faculty, he will provide guidance in advising students about graduate school options (who should go to law school; why we need more MDs; should we encourage borderline applicants) and in writing effective letters to support their applications (how to tell the Sewanee story). Sign up here by noon on Monday October 7. Add this to your calendar using this link. 

• Wednesday, October 2, 2024
  3:30 – 4:30 PM
  (G1, G2), Center for Teaching
  Add to your calendar using this link. 
• Monday, October 7, 2024
   12:00-1:00 PM
  (G3, G4), Center for Teaching
  Add to your calendar using this link.
• Wednesday, October 9, 2024
  3:30-4:30 PM
  (G5, G6), Center of Teaching
  Add to your calendar using this link.

Over the next several weeks, faculty are invited to participate in workshops centered on improving our approach to General Education. In groups, faculty will engage in guided conversation focused on one of the two objectives for the day, with opportunities to share ideas, questions, and successes. Coming up in the next two weeks, there are sessions focused on Gen Ed attributes G1 & G2, G3 & G4, and G5 & G6. Can’t make these, but interested in making the assessment process more meaningful? Click on this form to see the full array of workshop opportunities and to sign up for any of them. (For afternoon sessions there isn’t lunch, but instead participants will receive a $5 gift card to Stirling’s.) Bring a current syllabus with you! 

Tuesday, October 1, 2024
2:00-3:00 PM
Center for Teaching 

ADA Director Matt Brown will explain Universal Design for Learning can help students succeed in their courses and improve their ability to learn. By addressing and removing barriers up front, faculty can create a culture of access where all ability and learning types can thrive. Add this to your calendar here.

Thursday, September 26, 2024
12:30-1:30 PM
McClurg meeting room 206B (upstairs)

Join a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues. Our conversation will focus on that sticky wicket, class participation. How do we create an atmosphere where all students feel encouraged to join in? What new forms of participation have you explored and invited? What strategies do we have for assessing it? Bring your questions and your ideas! The CfT will cover your lunch - just add your name to the list at the front desk! Add this to your calendar via this link. 

Wednesday, September 25, 2024
12:00pm-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

Our regular D2L/Brightspace workshops are back!

How did your semester launch go? Did everyone find the syllabus? What about the textbook and the course materials? Has a student said “My Brightspace doesn’t work”? Want to find out why?
Join our Brightspace administrator Adam Hawkins for an open workshop/sandbox session on best practices in course design. We’ll share three best practices with you (homepage utility, gradebook visibility settings, quiz/exam question writing) and then invite your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas over a casual conversation. Bring your laptop to get individual support!

Monday, September 23, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
Center for Teaching

This is the first in what will be a series of sessions about AI and teaching this year, and we’ll use this time to get our bearings; learning about AI can feel like drinking from a firehose–there are many, many “takes” and it can be difficult to sort out what will be most helpful to you right now. Our goal is not to recommend specific policies or learning activities here, but to help participants develop confidence in devising an approach to AI that aligns with their own pedagogical aims and practices. We’ll begin by surveying your current feelings about AI and current level of knowledge about it, and based on those reflections, we’ll provide each participant with three or four individualized resources that are geared to help you move forward with confidence. 

Add this to your calendar via this link.

Thursday, September 19, 2024
 12:30-1:20 PM
Center for Teaching

Research shows that hazing activities can negatively impact mental health, academic performance, and organizational cohesion. Because faculty engage with students more frequently than many other members of the community, they are well-placed to assist in hazing prevention efforts. This workshop will help faculty understand how to identify hazing, understand how hazing impacts their students and find the appropriate channels to assist hazing prevention efforts. Sign up here by Wednesday 9/18, and add it to your calendar using this link.

Friday, September 13, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
McClurg meeting room 206C

Join a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues. The topic before us will be how we are encountering, using, and discussing AI tools such as ChatGPT in our teaching. This event will be just the first in what we hope will be a sustained area of emphasis in the CfT’s programming and support. Whether you’re incorporating these tools into your classes or are unsure how they will bear on your work at all, you are welcome–Just tell them at the front desk you’re attending the Teachers’ Table, and join us upstairs! Add this to your calendar via this link.

Thursday, September 5, 2024
(and every other following Thursday through the election)
8:30-9:15 AM

This is a biweekly, informal gathering for faculty and staff who want to talk over the challenges of teaching/talking through this semester's election season. This we were imagining as a kind of drop-in/drop-out meeting for anyone whose course content or professional interactions with students might be inflected by divisive national political debates in some way: a place where people can workshop ideas, share/hear concerns/worries, and perhaps receive support and guidance from others, across disciplinary and divisional lines.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024
11:15 AM-12:15 PM
Center for Teaching

Our students enter our classrooms with a variety of backgrounds, identities, and life experiences. How do we ensure that each of our students knows what we want them to do, and how to succeed? Join Kristen Cecala (Biology) & Kate Cammack (Psychology & Neuroscience) for a fun & impactful demonstration. They will then share resources & activities -- which you can plug right into your own courses -- from their new course on equity & belonging, taught for the first time this past spring. Sign up here, and add this to your calendar here. Bring a friend, come to meet new colleagues, or remain in denial that the semester has started -- we hope for a big crowd!

Wednesday, 28 August, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM
McClurg meeting room 206B (upstairs)

What do you want to be different about the teaching and learning in your classrooms this semester? Come talk about your half-formed hopes, the new idea you've been kicking around (whether or not it's classroom-ready), or the different approach you're excited to debut this fall. Whether it's a new thing you're trying or something you're not sure how you'd change but just wish could be different, join us to talk about it at our first Teachers' Table for the semester.
For our new colleagues: Teachers' Table is an opportunity to get together and chat informally around a topic of shared interest. There is no presentation or formal program, and all faculty and staff are welcome. (We're all teachers, whether or not our teaching happens in the classroom.) If you're looking to meet new people, this is a great way to do it! The CfT will cover your lunch - just add your name to the list at the front desk. Add this to your calendar via this link. 

Monday, August 26, 2024

12:00-1:00 pm
Center for Teaching

This session, led by Lydia Reinig, Director of Dialogue Across Difference Programs, will provide guidance in co-designing ground rules in the early days of class so as to set the stage for productive classroom interactions and discussions for the semester to come. While serving faculty who frequently facilitate discussions around difficult topics, this process can be adapted across disciplines to set expectations for collaborative learning and classroom engagement. Discussion will include concerns surrounding difficult moments in the classroom. The lunch order for this session has already been made, but feel free to bring your own lunch and join us even if you didn't sign up in advance!

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

What are my options for setting up an exam in BrightSpace? How do I know what my students see in BrightSpace's gradebook? Planning ahead for the end of the semester, Associate Director of ILIT Adam Hawkins offers this workshop on assessments in BrightSpace. The brief presentation on LMS best practices for quizzes and grades will be followed by workshop time - so bring your laptop! Add this to your calendar here. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Tuesday, April 9.

Monday, April 8, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

What has the Honor Council heard about AI on our campus? What would members of the HC look for in a case concerning AI? (There has been one case thus far.) How might the HC help educate students about principles and concerns related to AI? Join us for a conversation with members of the Honor Council. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Friday, April 5.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Co-sponsored with the Order of the Gown, this panel will share some perspectives on the experience of student athletes in the classroom and help us to think about what faculty can do to make our classes supportive for all of our students. Add this event to your calendar here, and sign up for lunch via this form by noon on Wednesday, April 3.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Do you wonder whether your students are actually reading what you put in Brightspace? Did you know that Brightspace keeps track of all their interactions? Did you know you can see how long students spend on each question of a test? Would you like to show your students the class average on an exam? What about the average class grade per question? Join Associate Director of ILIT Adam Hawkins for a casual demonstration of some Brightspace analytics - how to access them and what to do with them. Lunch provided! Spots limited! Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Monday, April 1.

Monday, March 25, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

McClurg 206

Do you make use of small group work in your classes? Would you like to? Having students engage with each other can give them a comfortable setting to try out their ideas. It can also take a substantial amount of class time. Let’s talk about the benefits and challenges of this pedagogical practice over lunch! (Sign in at McClurg’s front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar via this link. 

Thursday, March 21, 2024

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching 

ADA Director Matt Brown will explain Universal Design and Learning can help students succeed in their courses and improve their ability to learn. By addressing and removing barriers up front, faculty can create a culture of access where all ability and learning types can thrive. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Wednesday, March 20.  

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Does any of this look familiar to you? Don’t give up! Brightspace Grades can still work for you! In this semester’s first Brightspace U workshop with Associate Director of ILIT Adam Hawkins, you are invited to come and ask your questions about the Brightspace Grades tool in a casual setting. Bring your laptop, your syllabi, and any and all questions about how you’d like to use Brightspace grades. Seats are limited! Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Monday, March 4.

Monday, March 4, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Given our campus conversations around inclusive access and textbook affordability, you may be wondering about ways to lower the cost of your courses. Open Educational Resources (OER) are course materials that are openly licensed, adaptable, and renewable - and are usually either low cost or no cost for your students. Are you interested in using Open Educational Resources but not sure how to start? Deon Miles (Chemistry), Teri Terigele (Psychology) and John Willis (History) will talk about their experiences using Open Educational Resources, low-cost books, or no textbook at all! Lunch provided for the first 20 to sign up! RSVP here (by noon Friday, March 1) Co-sponsored with LITS and Sewanee’s OER Group. Add this to your calendar here.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Sewanee students are fortunate to have caring and dedicated teachers and mentors. An unfortunate consequence of this can be that there are many demands on the time and energy of faculty members and staff. This session, led by UWC therapists Fran Speer and Hannah Clark, will explore how to set appropriate boundaries and create meaningful self-care practices. Heads up: this means more than just bubble baths! Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Monday, Feb 26.

Friday, February 23, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching 

A tool for good or evil? Let’s test it out! We invite you to come play in our “sandbox” where you will have access to the paid-for versions of these AI writers to see how they respond to your prompts. If you have never tried out an AI writer, this is an easy opportunity to give one a try! Bring your laptop. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Thursday, Feb 22.

Friday, February 16, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Does any of this look familiar to you? Don’t give up! Brightspace Grades can still work for you! In this semester’s first Brightspace U workshop with Associate Director of ILIT Adam Hawkins, you are invited to come and ask your questions about the Brightspace Grades tool in a casual setting. Bring your laptop, your syllabi, and any and all questions about how you’d like to use Brightspace grades. Seats are limited! Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Thursday, February 15.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

We all have experience in working with student accommodations, but what do we know about the range of what students cope with? In this session, Molly and Brooke will focus on common neurodiverse diagnoses and discuss ways to support neurodiverse individuals inside and outside of the classroom. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Tuesday, Feb 6.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

McClurg meeting room 206 

Conversation at our first Teachers’ Table of the semester will be focusing on the interplay between academics and athletics. Coaches have been invited to join us as we consider the successes and challenges for students committed to both endeavors as well as our common goal of helping students succeed. (Sign in at McClurg’s front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar via this link.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching, duPont

As Anna Mills wrote in the Chronicle of Higher Education, access to AI writers presents “many unknowns but also simple steps we can take to move forward.” In this workshop, we’ll take time to think collectively and constructively about our writing assignments, with some prompts from Anna Mills’ article as well as this article: ChatGPT Has Changed Teaching by Beth McMurtrie and Beckie Supiano, also in the CHE. You are encouraged to read at least one article in advance, and we're hoping you'll go away with some concrete ideas for how to think about your writing assignments for this semester (and in the future). Add this event to your calendar here, and sign up for lunch via this form by noon on Wednesday, Jan 24.

Friday, January 12, 2023

9:30am-3:30pm

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the South Cumberland Plateau and the nonprofit organizations that work to assist local community members? Have you thought about conducting community-based research or embedding community-engaged learning into a course, but you need more information on community partners? The Office of Civic Engagement invites faculty to join some staff members on a tour of Plateau community partners. Sign up here.  Questions? Ask Amy Patterson.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

12:00pm-1:00pm

Center for Teaching

There are many ways in which one can sense disconnection rather than belonging. Your sense of belonging can be affected by the way your name is pronounced, spelled, or even disregarded. Is this something that “just happens” as a human error or is it deeper than that? In this session, we explore several questions around naming, belonging, and culture. Add this event to your calendar here, and sign up for lunch via this form by noon on Wednesday, Jan 10.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

12:00pm-1:00pm

Torian Room, duPont Library

Will Davis, director of the PodLab at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, teaches courses on podcasting in the Communications Department (for students seeking careers in media) and in the Honors College (for students seeking programming experience to augment their liberal arts degrees). Davis is a public radio veteran and a skillful producer of impressive podcasting episodes and series. This opportunity for faculty and staff is sponsored by the Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation, Library and Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching. 

Seats are limited. Please reach out to the Roberson Project to reserve a seat. A light lunch will be served. Please indicate if you wish to have lunch and any dietary needs you have. We apologize in advance for the limited number of seats available.

Monday, December 4, 2023

12:00pm-1:00pm

Center for Teaching

Teaching in the First-Year Program is a richly rewarding experience that allows instructors to try novel pedagogies, expand their own knowledge, and discover unexpected interdisciplinary connections. Most FYP faculty started by wondering how their own expertise might fit within the program and how to frame the idea of “place” but ultimately found avenues that they had never anticipated. In this session, Jessica Wohl (Art, Art History, & Visual Studies), Jennifer Matthews (Theater & Dance), and Rob Bachman (Chemistry) will share their challenges, successes and questions in developing their courses and participating in the program. Add this event to your calendar here, and sign up for lunch via this form by noon on Friday, Dec 1. 

Thursday, November 16, 2023

12:30pm-1:30pm

McClurg meeting room 206 BC

What have you observed with respect to ChatGPT in your classes this fall? What has been your experience in the new AI landscape? What guidance are you giving your students? Join us for a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues. Add this to your calendar via this link.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

12:30pm-1:30pm

Center for Teaching

What are my options for setting up an exam in BrightSpace? How do I know what students see in BrightSpace’s gradebook? Planning ahead for the end of the semester, Associate Director of ILIT Adam Hawkins offers this workshop on assessments in BrightSpace. The brief presentation on LMS best practices for quizzes and grades will be followed by workshop time - so bring your laptop! Add this event to your calendar here, and sign up for lunch via this form by noon on Monday, Nov 13.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Center for Teaching

11:00am-12:00pm What is Neurodiversity? with Kayleigh Perlotto, Molly Ellson, and Brooke Moody from the University Wellness Center. Learn about the impacts, history, and ways to support neurodivergent students and colleagues.

1:00pm-2:00pm Universal Design and Learning with Diane Dekkker, Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services. Universal design and learning help create learning environments where all types of learners can thrive. Diane will share ways to help design courses in a way that empowers all kinds of students.

Tuesday, November 7, 2022

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Co-sponsored with the Order of the Gown, this panel will share some perspectives on the experience of international students in the classroom at Sewanee and help us to think about what faculty can do to make our classes inclusive for all of our students. Add this event to your calendar here, and sign up for lunch via this form by noon on Monday, Nov 6.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

12:00 pm -1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Last year, 1 in 3 CAPS clients reported experiencing suicidal thoughts at some point during the year. This program is designed to engage participants in conversation about mental health, suicide, and the importance of connection. This program will empower participants to offer effective, compassionate support to others experiencing suicidal thoughts. Participants will also be made aware of mental health and crisis resources on campus and beyond. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Tuesday, Oct 31.

Monday, October 30, 2023

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Do you use an expensive textbook in your classes? How do you feel about your textbook choice and how it influences students’ college life and their academic success? To begin a discussion and provide some resources about these issues, Sewanee’s OER team invites you to a workshop offered by the Open Education Network. Participants will have an opportunity to write a short review of an open textbook for either a $100 stipend or $150 in professional development funds. Add this to your calendar here, and register here, where you can indicate your interest in reviewing a textbook for a stipend and request lunch. Note that a Zoom option is available for remote attendees. Email Pat Dover at prdover@sewanee.edu with any questions. 

Wednesday, October 25,2023

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

McClurg meeting room 206

What do we really mean by "rigor"? From a faculty point of view, academic “rigor” may mean high expectations for student engagement in critical thinking, whereas students may be thinking more along the lines of how much work is required and what support is available to succeed. What does “rigor” mean to you? How do you help students rise to meet a challenge while being supportive? Join us for a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues. Add this to your calendar via this link.

Monday, October 23, 2023

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

In recent years, the idea of "ungrading" has attracted an increasing amount of interest and discussion. Although for some educators "ungrading" means dispensing with grades entirely, for others it denotes a wide variety of different approaches to assessment ("grading for growth", "contract grading", etc.) that seek to emphasize student learning and development. In this session, Stephanie Batkie (English & Creative Writing), Kristen Cecala (Biology), Kati Curts (Religion), Anne Duffee (Mathematics and Computer Science) and Sid Simpson (Politics) will share their experiences of using a variety of different alternative assessment practices, and the successes, challenges, and questions that they have encountered in doing so. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up for lunch here by noon on Friday, Oct 20.

Monday, October 9, 2023

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Most Sewanee faculty are familiar with student requests for accommodations, but many have questions about how best to deal with these requests. In this session, our new Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services Diane Dekker will talk about some of the most common accommodations that are requested at Sewanee and what faculty can do to support our students in these cases. This will be a mostly informal session with plenty of time for questions and discussion! Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Friday, Oct 6.

Thursday, October 5, 2023

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

McClurg meeting room 206BC

When students struggle academically, both faculty and staff can find themselves struggling to find ways to offer support. What are the most effective ways to help students stay afloat? What resources are available? Join a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues while we talk about strategies for supporting our students. (Sign in at the front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar via this link.

Wednesday, October 4, 203

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

What’s the difference between an availability date and a due date? Should I use quizzes or assignments to administer my take-home essay test? How do I create a question pool with randomized questions? Just in time for midterms, Associate Director of ILIT Adam Hawkins offers this workshop on assessments in BrightSpace. The brief presentation on LMS assessment best practices will be followed by hands-on work creating, modifying, and/or setting parameters for tests in BrightSpace. Bring your laptop and your midterms to start getting set up in BrightSpace! Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Tuesday, Oct 3.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

The LSLdb is an initiative to collect and share information about monuments and memorials linked to slavery, the Civil War, and the Confederacy on college and university campuses. Woody Register, the Director of the Roberson Project, will demonstrate the LSLdb’s features and discuss how to incorporate this innovative digital humanities resource into your classes. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Monday, Oct 2.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Maria Falikman (Psychology) taught a course on neurophilosophy this past spring where students leveraged the power of machine learning to delve into questions of mind, cognition, and the potential for machine consciousness. Her presentation is intended to illustrate productive uses of AI chatbots that can be implemented for a wide variety of course content. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up for lunch here by noon on Wednesday, Sep 27.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Do you want your students to make real-life connections to the content they're learning? Interested in how to connect your courses to the broader community? Curious about how you might integrate civic engagement into a new or existing course? Join us for brief flash presentations followed by conversations with the Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows (Kate Cammack, Katy Morgan, Sid Simpson, and Jennifer Matthews). Add this to your calendar here. Sign up for lunch here by noon on Tuesday, Sep 26.

Don Asher, guest of the Office of Integrated Advising and Career Readiness

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Don Asher, author of Graduate Admission Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice, has interviewed thousands of graduate students and admissions directors to determine the strategies that are most successful in getting students into graduate programs. For faculty, he will provide guidance in advising students about graduate school options (who should go to law school; why we need more MDs; should we encourage borderline applicants) and in writing effective letters to support their applications (how to tell the Sewanee story). Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Monday, Sep 25.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Center for Teaching

Leigh Collins, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Executive Director of the Wellness Center, will provide an overview of mental health trends on our campus and offer suggestions for how faculty might support students experiencing mental health struggles. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Tuesday, Sep 19.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

McClurg 206 ABC

In a week where we will be hearing about student mental health (see below), we want to include some conversation about our own! What strategies have you used to maintain balance? Join a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues while we talk about setting boundaries. (Sign in at the front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar here.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Center for Teaching

Adam Hawkins, the Associate Director of ILIT and Instructional Designer, will demonstrate these BrightSpace tools that enhance inclusivity. NameCoach allows students to record their names so faculty know both preference and pronunciation. Ally offers PDF OCR conversions that increase accessibility to course materials. Faculty will be invited to insert these tools into their Brightspace courses during the workshop. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Wednesday, Sep 13.

Andrea Del Balso, Director of the Office of Global Citizenship, is ready to assist faculty who are interested in designing and leading short-term study away/abroad programs for Sewanee students. This workshop will discuss program models for fall, spring, and summer; the proposal process; budget development; and the timeline. Time will be set aside during the workshop for faculty who are currently in the planning process to begin working on their proposals and budgets. Add this to your calendar here. Sign up here for lunch by noon on Monday, Sep 11.

Wednesday September 6, 2023   

12:00pm-1:00pm

McClurg 206 ABC

Do you allow laptops in your classroom or not? Could we, should we help students step away from the screens? While computers are necessary at times, what techniques can we use to encourage some balance?

Join a casual session over lunch time to share ideas and connect with colleagues while we talk about strategies. (Sign in at the front desk for the CfT to cover your meal.) Add this to your calendar here.

Thursday, August 31, 2023   
12:30pm-1:30pm   
Center for Teaching

As faculty, we hope to lay the groundwork for students to identify and pursue their interests and goals, whether they major in our field or not. As college progresses, many students find their interests and goals shift in unexpected ways. And while students often ask us about The Future (e.g., potential careers, first jobs) as graduation approaches, what if those conversations started sooner? How do you approach these conversations when they happen? Do you invite these big-picture reflections in the classroom? What stories, reassurances, or pieces of advice do you like to extend?

Come join the conversation led by the new Faculty Fellows for Purpose and Career Lauryl Tucker (English), Rae Manacsa (Politics), and Kate Cammack (Neuroscience/Psychology)!

Sign up here for lunch by noon on Wed Aug 30, and add this to your calendar here.