Academy News
     September 6, 2017
StephanieWhalen
Welcome from the New Academy Chair
As we welcome you to the Fall 2017 semester, I want to share a little with you about why I think Harper College and the Academy for Teaching Excellence are so wonderful. When I was growing up in a small town in New York state, the center of activity was our K-12 public school. I was fortunate enough to participate in an enrichment program called Odyssey of the Mind in which teams of students selected a problem to solve over the course of a year and had to present a solution with a creative demonstration; we also had to address spontaneous problems provided to us on the competition day with limited resources. We were continuously challenged and encouraged to think outside the box; time spent synthesizing ideas in these groups was enthralling. My experiences at Harper have brought back positive associations of working as part of a team where all members bring their talents, creativity, and dedication to finding innovative and effective solutions to improve the many integrated functions of our institution. Continue reading... 
Identifying Inequities in Our Schools Workshop & Dinner 
"The Art of Teaching for Equity" Community of Practice is hosting a workshop and dinner to generate awareness of structural, curricular, and pedagogical practices that may be serving to disenfranchise students at Harper and our neighboring schools. This equity literacy workshop, "Identifying Inequities in Our Schools" will provide an opportunity to explore the particular issues that students may face, develop a shared lexicon for discussing these concerns, and draft action plan ideas so that attendees may continue this important social justice work. Learn more and RSVP.   
Harper College, The First 50 Years
In a Fall 2017 Faculty/Staff Orientation Week event on August 16, Trgyve Thoreson, retired Harper English professor and author of Harper College: The First 50 Years, presented about the history of the faculty experience at Harper with a special focus on the formation and work of the Faculty Senate. Learn more.

View ideas for infusing the book into your course.
Download the free e-book.
Deafhood and Allies in Creating Dialogues Workshop
The Deafhood and Allies workshop is making its way back to Harper! Due to the incredible feedback we received last year, we are offering additional materials and extending the time of the workshop to allow more dialogue and activities as part of this interactive learning process. At Harper, the idea of collaborating across groups to address students' needs is becoming a growing trend. We want to continue with these dialogues-please join us! Learn more and RSVP. 
Adj Fac Teaching & Learning Conference 2017
Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference
Thank you to everyone who attended the fourth annual Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference on August 16! We had a great time collaborating with more than 100 attendees and we'd also like to extend a big "thank you" to all of our fantastic faculty facilitators for hosting engaging breakout sessions and roundtable discussions! View photos from the conference. 

The conference focused on Communities of Practice: Learn more about Communities of Practice at Harper College (how to join a CoP, start a CoP, etc).
We have some extra good bags from the conference! Stop by the Academy (Building D, Room D281) to pick up a bag filled with resources, goodies, and important information from campus departments.
Syllabus Template & Checklist 
Have you seen the Harper College Syllabus Checklist or Template yet?

The Harper College Syllabus Checklist can be used as a tool when developing your course syllabus and will assist you in preparing a document that includes both required and best practice information for Harper College students.
The Harper College Syllabus Template was created to meet all of the best practice and recommended items on the Harper College Syllabus Checklist. The template is also designed to meet accessibility guidelines for MS Word documents.
  • Example syllabi for face-to-face and online courses using the template
  • Grab-and-Go college policy verbiage that you can copy and paste into your syllabus
  • Language for student support services
  • and more!
title ix
Title IX: It's On Us 
All members of the Harper College community, including students, employees, guests, and visitors, have the right to be free from gender-based or sexual misconduct in their educational pursuits at Harper.

Please share this video with your students. Watch it in class. Post a Blackboard announcement with a link to the video.

Questions? Visit the Title IX webpage on the Harper College website or contact one of the Title IX Coordinators: Travaris Harris (ext. 6846) or Beverly Riley (ext. 6218).
Assessment Conference 
Join us for the 9th Annual Assessment Conference and Share Fair to find out more about how assessment can improve student learning.

Take a look at the agenda, attend all or part of the day. 
  • Date: Friday, September 29, 2017
  • Time: 8 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.
  • Location: Wojcik Conference Center
  • CEUs: 0.5
  • Register
Featuring keynote speaker and workshop presenter Dr. José Antonio Bowen, author of the award-winning book, Teaching Naked. Attendees will have several changes to win Bowen's newest book, Teaching Naked Techniques.
cornerstone series-F17
Cornerstone Series
Explore the foundations of engaging and effective face-to-face and online classrooms with our new Cornerstone Series!

The series consists of four hands-on workshops:
  1. Enhancing Distance Course Design Using the OSCQR Rubric
  2. Making the 4 Connections in Your Classroom
  3. Making an Impact with Collaborative Learning
  4. Creating a Course Orientation with Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
Every workshop has two parts, and each part is offered twice (once in the morning, once in the evening). In addition, one of the workshops is offered fully online. Faculty who attend both parts of a workshop (or fully complete the online workshop) and demonstrate an innovation they've made to their online or face-to-face classroom at a Series Showcase can earn CEUs or a stipend. Learn more and register. 
Talking Teaching & Learning
Getting to Know Students From Day One
Written by Stephanie Whalen, Chair
What does your first day look like? Our former Academy chair, Pearl Ratunil, sometimes asks students to write about they wanted to be when they were 10 years old and then facilitates a lively discussion as students share their early ambitions; she reveals to her students that she wanted to be a writer at that age. I begin each new class by asking students about any challenges that may pose as barriers to having a successful semester and have them write it on an attendance card to share as part of introductions; I describe my current challenges to them as well. Continue reading...  
Upcoming Programs & Workshops
calendar
What's Happening @ Harper?
Save the Date
October 2017: Disability Awareness Month Events
October 23 - 29, 2017: "Doing More Together" Giving Back Week: 50th Anniversary Event
Saturday, April 14, 2018: Community Day: 50th Anniversary Event
Friday, April 20, 2018: Faculty Development Festival
Academy for Teaching Excellence | 847.925.6174 | Building D, Room D281
Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
The mission of the Academy for Teaching Excellence is to create a vibrant teaching and learning culture for full-time and adjunct faculty that cultivates professional development in support of student success.
Harper College enriches its diverse communities by providing quality, af f or dable, and accessible education. Harper College, in collaboration with its partners, inspires the tran sformation of individual lives, the workforce, and society.