Leadership Series

CEL Advisory Council

R.I.S.E. Scholars

LinkedIn Learning

Innovative Pedagogies Series

Leadership Series - Staff Administrator Development

Did you know that university leaders have met monthly for the past two years to further hone their leadership skills and ensure positive working relationships across campus? For example in the month of May, Sarah Leassner and Sara Wiedman facilitated discussion in their respective staff administrator groups on the topic of Establishing and Repairing Trust. Sarah Leassner provided some practical tips for recovering from a hard conversation. First, give yourself 24 hours before responding to the difficult conversation; try not to just react on your initial impulse. Over the next 48 hours, make a plan of action. Ask yourself, “what is the best way to respond to this conversation”? And finally, within 72 hours, take action on the plan that you created. Apply these tips when you find yourself in a difficult conversation. 

Watch the recording now!

Thinking beyond our perspectives in a deliberate manner can be very useful as we use the P.A.G.E.S. approach to solve problems.



Laura discussed five tips for divergent thinking while using the P.A.G.E.S. problem solving approach:

1. Association: Free connection that the mind takes when it wanders. This happens when we have great ideas while exercising or taking a shower.
2. Combination: Bringing two ideas or concepts together. For example, the escalator, came from two ideas – the stairs and elevator.
3. Analogy: Look for similarity, dissimilarity, patterns, and concept similarity. For example: a concept similarity could be “bathtubs” and “bank accounts”. They are dissimilar, but they both fill up and also drain (unfortunately).
4. Recategorization: Place problems into new categories, zoom in/out, look for opposites. For example, computers, they started as a tool and then they were re-imagined as an entertainment device which helped widen the customer base. 
5. Collaboration: Seek out others that you do not typically call on for discussion.

Next time you find yourself trying to solve a problem explore the P.A.G.E.S. problem solving approach and let us know how it turns out!

As part of the Q2 Going the Distance initiative, in conjunction with the Lindenwood Learning Academy, the Center for Experiential Learning is seeking participants for our inaugural Advisory Council for Experiential Learning. Faculty members on the CEL Advisory council will act collaboratively with Academic Colleges, the Center for Experiential Learning, students and outside organizations to facilitate the expansion of experiential learning (EL) opportunities at Lindenwood University.

Faculty Advisor roles will include the following:

• Identify areas of cooperation between the CEL, faculty, students and outside organizations regarding the direction and future initiatives for EL.
• Consult with fellow faculty outside the committee who seek to expand EL opportunities into course(s).
• Promote professional development opportunities to faculty and staff in the field of experiential education

As a member of the CEL Advisory council, members will:

• Participate in Advisory Council meetings in cooperation with CEL staff
• Serve as moderator, presenter, etc. for planned Fall 2021 Experiential Learning Informational Event in conjunction with Experiential Learning Month
• Engage with other members of the council with the aim to build partnerships throughout the campus community and beyond
• Identify areas of opportunity to expand EL and increase impact of EL on campus
• Have access to membership resources through the National Society for Experiential Education (https://www.nsee.org/) throughout the remainder of calendar year 2021

For faculty members interested in joining the Advisory Group, fill out the survey.

Complete the nomination form to nominate a fellow faculty member.

The Learning Academy is thrilled to introduce the faculty members who have been selected to serve as R.I.S.E. Scholars for the 2021-2022 academic year. R.I.S.E. Scholars will become resident experts on the R.I.S.E. framework after spending the summer learning more about research-based pedagogical strategies associated with enhancing student learning through rigor, inclusiveness, support, and engagement. Scholars will bring the R.I.S.E. Project to their respective colleges by serving as roundtable session leaders, college point persons, and peer consultants. They will provide support to their colleagues by being available to discuss ideas, suggest resources, share or review materials, observe teaching or Canvas shells, collect informal feedback from students, and help to translate teaching practices across disciplines, courses, and student populations. R.I.S.E. Scholars were chosen for their demonstrated dedication to teaching, continuous improvement, and the R.I.S.E. values as well as their ability to work well with their colleagues to enhance teaching and learning at Lindenwood. We welcome and congratulate these scholars and look forward to benefitting from their leadership! 

She has presented her research at both national and international conferences, including 33rd Annual Congress of the European Accounting Association, Southern Finance Association, and Academy of Economic and Finance. In addition, Dr. Farooqi has published her research in Journal of Investing, Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Quarterly Review of Economics, Journal of Economics and Finance, Review of Accounting and Finance, and International Journal of Accounting.

Currently, she is the program chair of finance and teaches finance, both graduate and undergraduate level, at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. Dr. Farooqi also co-teaches Investment Application (Student managed portfolio of $100,000) which she established through the generous donation made by Lindenwood Universities Board of Trustees.



I cannot express how thrilled and honored I am to be selected as the R.I.S.E scholar for Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship. I believe the best way to learn something is by teaching it. This is my opportunity to learn how to excel at teaching by teaching others how to excel. I’m excited to be a part of this amazing project and all the opportunities and possibilities that it brings with it. 

As a lifelong learner, Ana is dedicated to continuing her formal and informal education whenever possible. Blessed to work in a strong community of excellent faculty, Ana’s goal is to continue to modify, modernize, and strengthen her pedagogical skills. In addition, Ana is deeply committed to Lindenwood University and its mission and has served on most standing committees. Currently, she is a member of the Faculty Council, the First Year Writing Committee, and the Promotions in Rank Committee. Ana was one of the recipients of the ROAR award in 2020 for her agility in adapting to the challenges of the pandemic.

Ana has taught in a plethora of settings ranging from prisons to honors classrooms, from community colleges to Lindenwood. In each setting, Ana strives to use her experience, passion for teaching, and expertise to guide students to find their voices and unique styles. Writing as an ongoing recursive process is emphasized in her composition courses. In literature and theory courses, Ana strives to help students see the magic of the written word and make both contemporary and classic works something to which students can relate and with which they can engage. In all courses, Ana’s goal for students is that they develop and operationalize real-world power skills such as critical thinking, time management, and teamwork.



I am honored and humbled to be selected as this year’s RISE Scholar for the College of Arts and Humanities. I’m looking forward to working with a community of colleagues to explore and refine theories, methods and techniques that will aid us in integrating the balance of rigor, inclusivity, support, and engagement in all of our courses university-wide. 

Dr. Woltz became interested in pedagogy while completing a Certificate in Teaching College Science during her graduate work. Ever since, she has continually explored new ways to use active learning to enhance student comprehension and engagement in her courses. Dr. Woltz joined Lindenwood University in 2015 where she regularly teaches biodiversity, ecology, writing for biology, biology in society, and the biology capstone. 

During her first year of teaching full-time, she realized that helping students learn how to learn and successfully navigate college is just as important as covering subject matter. She begins her courses with an overview of successful study strategies and then embeds course content into activities in which students work collaboratively to practice scientific skills like quantitative reasoning, hypothesis testing, and graph interpretation. Over the last few years, Dr. Woltz has become aware of research demonstrating that student identity and stereotype threat affect student performance in courses across all disciplines. As a result, she is now exploring methods to increase inclusivity in her courses to better serve students of all backgrounds and identities.



Being a teacher is about so much more than telling students important information about your subject. Teaching involves helping students become independent and self-confident learners and creating a classroom that decreases achievement gaps caused by systemic inequalities. I am incredibly excited and energized to have this opportunity to dive more deeply into pedagogical research on rigor, inclusion, support, and engagement. More importantly, I am honored to be given the opportunity to help other faculty find ways to increase R.I.S.E. in their own courses, in ways that they are comfortable with and that are compatible with their content.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Johnson is the author of student study guides, teacher resource manuals, instructor test banks, and text supporting websites for Educational Psychology, Introduction to Teaching, and Educational Research texts for Pearson. Her publishing efforts include student and instructor supplements for the Educational Psychology text used at Lindenwood University. Dr. Johnson was awarded the St. Charles County 40 Under 40 Award, St. Charles County Ring of Excellence in Teaching Award and The Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She is recognized as a Lindenwood Distinguished Mentor and was promoted to the rank of full professor in August 2006. Dr. Johnson is a site evaluator for Character.org and the Missouri Schools and Districts of Character. She recently completed certification as a National Evaluator for Character.org and had the privilege of evaluating a middle school in Harlem and a high school in New Jersey.

I am really excited and honored to be a part of the RISE scholar program. The faculty here at Lindenwood is comprised of so many talented and creative professors and I cannot wait to learn from and alongside them!

Managing the inherent tension between the friendliness that encourages rapport and the assertiveness that is required to be effective can be tricky. In this course, adapted from the American Negotiation Institute podcast Negotiate Anything, Kwame Christian discusses with Hamilton Chan how to build rapport, stand your ground, and manage the flow of information. Hamilton is the head of executive education and visiting professor of business and technology at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and CEO of Coaching for Startups LLC. He explains why rapport is so powerful and provides tips to stay strong at the negotiation table. Plus, learn why it’s so important to understand your options before you start difficult conversations.

This semester, we have used the Innovative Pedagogies series to spotlight faculty who are using unique or cutting-edge strategies or tools in their course design, assignments, or classroom instruction to facilitate exceptional learning experiences for students. We hope that hearing about what your colleagues are doing will inspire you to try something new or to share your own innovative pedagogical approach! This month, we feature Don Heidenreich, Professor of History, for his use of guest lectures in an online class.

Over the last two years, Dr. Heidenreich has conducted video interviews with many members of the Lindenwood faculty who are experts on the topics he wants to emphasize. These interviews also highlight for students the diverse expertise of the Lindenwood faculty; allowing students to hear from multiple voices and learn from varied perspectives. Many students have told him that these 5-10 minute video interviews are one of the most enjoyable parts of class. Students enjoy the opportunity to see their professor acting as interviewer and posing questions that they themselves might ask. The interview format helps students become more comfortable asking their own questions. 

These video interviews allow Dr. Heidenreich to showcase a diversity of ideas on a given topic.  He will, when appropriate, adjusts his lecture to present a slightly different perspective from the interviewee to ensure that students are exposed to multiple ideas instead of re-enforcing his own perspective. To ensure the students engage with both the lecture and interview, students are expected to incorporate the interview into the weekly discussion topic. He has incorporated these interviews into almost every week of his online classes.



Dr. Heidenreich has found these expert interviews offer several advantages. They highlight other faculty members, which encourages students to take classes from those featured faculty. They introduce students to other programs in which they can pursue minors or even double majors. The success of these interviews has led him to begin to incorporate them into his on-ground courses. He is considering expanding the pool of experts by including interviews with the authors of the books used in the class. He did this for the first time recently and is not yet sure how well it is working. Overall, these expert interviews have proven to be successful in enhancing student interest and engagement with a topic. 

Resources for Creating Your Own Video Interviews or Podcasts

Interested in doing something similar to what Don does? Lindenwood has the resources! We have two podcast studios in KCLC. Together they are called the “KCLC Digital Content Labs”. The first lab, the “KCLC Podcast Lab” is a traditional four-seat audio podcast studio, equipped with ElectorVoice RE27 microphones and a computer that has Adobe Audition recording software. The second lab, the “KCLC Live Stream Lab” is a video lab equipped with

• Sony lavalier microphones,
• three GoPro Hero7 cameras,
• a green screen,
• a plug-and-play 1080p HD webcam,
• professional lighting, and
• software that allows you to live stream your video to Facebook Live, Twitch, or YouTube Live (or you may choose to use the software to capture your video for later editing).  

Lindenwood Learning Academy

LARC 009

209 S. Kingshighway

St. Charles, MO 63301

636-949-4408