April

Lead a Faculty Learning Community next year

Contribute to excellence in teaching and learning at MSU Denver. Submit an FLC proposal before May 15.

By Cory Phare

April 26, 2018

Proposals to lead Faculty Learning Communities, a longstanding opportunity to encourage engagement and dialogue at Metropolitan State University of Denver, are being accepted until May 15 for the 2018-19 academic year.

“In grad school, I imagined professors had lunch with each other three times a week to talk about teaching, but that’s not the reality when you enter the professoriate,” said Jeff Loats, director of the Center for Faculty Excellence.

“Faculty Learning Communities are supportive and effective ways to have these kinds of conversations on a regular basis.”

Loats said the center is encouraging submissions focused on teaching and learning, pointing to “Developing a Student-Growth Mindset for Academic Success” as an example offered in the 2016-17 year.

“One of the ways the CFE connects with campus is by partnering with faculty who want to specifically work around teaching with colleagues – it extends the reach of the Center,” he said.

Another approach Loats emphasized was working to find logical partnerships for those FLCs not explicitly focused on teaching and learning. For example, a proposal that focused on research topics could suggest co-sponsoring with the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs. Co-sponsored proposals don’t have to have the partnership fully formulated or budget-sharing finalized. 

“We really just want people to think about being on the same page, thinking about some kind of coordination and contribution,” Loats said. “The faculty expertise around learning communities is what makes them useful to the University community, and we encourage those interested to apply.”

Though the communities are faculty-led, attendance and participation are open to all faculty and staff at MSU Denver.

“If a potential facilitator wants to talk through some ideas before submitting, I’d be very interested in having that conversation,” Loats said.

For any questions, please email Loats.