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Campus Security Authorities | |
Campus Security Obligations Under Federal Law | |
Lindenwood University has previously required all employees to complete the Campus Security Obligations Under Federal Law course on an annual basis for compliance purposes. This requirement is now under review. Moving forward, only Campus Security Authorities (CSA) will be required to complete the course. You will be notified late in October if you have been designated a CSA and therefore are required to complete the course. Please disregard former emails from SkillSoft regarding the Campus Security Obligations course. For more information on roles and responsibilities of a CSA, check out the CSA guide. | |
2021-2022 Employee Fellows | |
Cayte Billman: Service Excellence
In collaboration with the “Q2- Every Student Counts” campaign, I will be hosting student focus groups to collect feedback on their total experience at Lindenwood as a traditional undergraduate student. We will be analyzing 5 elements as it relates to student satisfaction and engagement. From this data, an interactive student roadmap will be developed which will assist students, faculty, and staff in knowing all the services provided at each touchpoint in a student's journey at Lindenwood.
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While developing this roadmap for student success, I will be meeting with Q2 champions and divisional leaders to share the feedback gathered from students as it relates to their department. By going through this process, we have an opportunity to unify our service standard and provide a seamless journey for our students to be successful. | | |
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Myron Burr: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
CapABLE provides Lindenwood a programmatic approach for developing employees who adapt, build, listen, and engage in creating a more equitable and inclusive university culture. An eight-week synchronous diversity development program, CapABLE is built on the foundation of Intergroup Dialogue Theory, which suggests individuals benefit greatly from active and engaged learning, structured interaction, and facilitated learning environments.
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The primary objectives of CapABLE are: 1) participants will understand the educational and organizational value of diversity; 2) equip participants with the necessary tools to impact the culture of equity and inclusion at the university. Through intellectual and experiential opportunities that combine support, challenge, collaboration, theory, empathy, and practical application, CapABLE participants partake in self-other dialogical exercises, navigate institutional concerns, and consider their role in promoting a more equitable and inclusive Lindenwood culture and climate. | |
Nancy Messina: Leadership
The goal of this fellowship is to show employees that everyone can be a leader. For this fellowship, I would like employees to read and reflect upon the book Everyday People, Extraordinary Leaders by James Kouzes. We will take time to look, reflect, and discuss the 5 practices of exemplary leaders and how we can apply them to our daily lives and our workplace. My hope is that through learning these practices, everyone will see how to be more humble, hungry and smart in the workplace.
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Not all process improvements and projects are created equal; when juggling many initiatives, using a framework like the priority matrix can be a useful tool to determine precedence - what needs to be at the top of your to-do list and what could wait or possibly even drop off completely. Rather than rushing into a new project or improving a current process, consider the following steps:
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Objective: Define a clear objective.
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Brainstorm: Think of all the current changes required to achieve the objective.
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Position: Assess the impact and effort of each project/process improvement and position on the matrix. The Low/Low quadrant on the bottom left of the matrix represents small, incremental and targeted improvements. Typically, these tasks do not require a lot of effort, but they do not offer many benefits either. On the opposite end of the matrix, the High/High combination encompasses bigger improvements that promise major returns. Most desirable is the combination of high impact and low effort on the upper left. And finally, there is the low impact/high effort quadrant at the bottom right — the so-called money pit or thankless task.
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Action Plan: Identify actions and assign responsibilities and timeframes. Start with quick wins and major projects.
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Share: Share the outcomes of the planning session, including the action plan, to relevant stakeholders.
Keep in mind, while the framework is easy to understand, distributing priorities correctly can prove to be a difficult task. Project management consultant, Itamar Gilad, who has worked with Google, Ikea, and other major companies says that we need to get comfortable with the idea that 60-90% of our project opportunities could very well fall into the bottom two quadrants (low impact/high effort). Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman (1974) pioneered the concept that people put too much stock in human judgement. Gilad agreed saying, most people aren’t able to consistently and accurately project the cost and time needed to improve processes, especially as the projects grow in complexity. Gilad suggests that our priority matrix will actually look more like the following image and that we need to be aware of our own biases when determining effort and impact of each project.
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To read more on overcoming our biases, click here to read Tversky and Kahneman’s Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. When you apply these concepts to your next planning session, let the Learning Academy know about your progress, we’d be thrilled to feature your success in an upcoming issue of The Learning Log. | |
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Our work moves fast, and project management moves faster. While most of us at Lindenwood do not carry the title of “Project Manager”, many of us lead or work on projects consistently. So how can you get better at project management? This series helps you improve your skills, learn useful tips, and get answers to common project management questions—in short videos you can watch on your lunch break or listen to on your commute. Get quick and easy ideas for building a project plan, effectively communicating with your team, leading project meetings, and integrating agile practices. Learning these tips from Instructor Daniel Stanton will help all of us—new and experienced project leaders alike—be more successful in our roles. | |
How to Use Digital Commons to Share Your Work | |
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Date: September 28, 2021
Time: 12:30 – 1 p.m.
Location: This is an online event.
Register today!
During this micro-workshop, we will share information about the new LU Digital Commons and how this strategic resource will benefit your overall research, scholarship, and creative activity goals. In addition to sharing news about how LU faculty, staff, and students can use the LU Digital commons, this session will include information about how Digital Commons handles copyright and Creative Commons licensing.
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Using Problem-Based Learning to Increase Rigor | |
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Date: September 28, 2021
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Location: This is an online event.
Register today!
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an excellent teaching method to help instructors create challenging and meaningful learning experiences. Join Dr. Amy Estlund (Public Health) as she shares what she learned during a 3- day PBL workshop and how she created and facilitated a 2-part PBL learning activity for her online Global Health course. In this Learning Academy session, Amy will discuss what she learned at the workshop, how she created this new type of assignment, and what her students thought about the assignment. Come learn about a fun and different way to increase rigor and critical thinking in small or big ways in your courses!
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The Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference | |
RIGOR in the Classroom by Dr. Javeria Farooqi | |
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Rigorous coursework in a college classroom is a big way in which faculty members can battle social inequalities. Certain subsets of our society have been more privileged than others. According to a study conducted by The Education Trust, Black and Latino students are not fairly represented in advance course work at the elementary, middle and high school level. This means that many minority students being admitted to universities have insufficient prior preparation. However, lowering our standards will only continue the inequalities the students have already experienced (Foote Schwegler, 2019).
Faculty have the opportunity to level the playing field to a certain extent. Individuals who have not been exposed to rigorous learning experiences have not had the opportunity to develop higher order learning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking skills. These attributes are critical in the professional job market; the lack thereof renders a significant disadvantage in advancing careers and/or income level. This perpetuates the cycle in future generations. Rigorous courses give the students a chance to develop these skills which are vital for students who have previously not been given this opportunity. Research suggests that rigorous courses help first generation, female, and minority students (Bowman & Culver, 2018; Padgett, Johnson, & Pascarella, 2012; Steele, 2003). Faculty can create an equitable society by creating rigorous courses.
Javeria is our R.I.S.E. Scholar Expert on Rigor. Read more about the importance of rigor in the classroom on the LLA website.
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R.I.S.E. Rigor Roundtable #1 was a Hit! | |
The R.I.S.E. Team would like to thank everyone for their participation during the first Rigor Roundtable! Scholars kicked off the event by distributing a handy R.I.S.E. notebook to all attendants. | |
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During this first roundtable, we discussed: 1) what rigor is (and isn't); 2) why academic rigor is important; and 3) how we currently teach with rigor. Scholars also reviewed several strategies to enhance rigor in any course and have a big impact on student learning. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and included appreciation for the presentation and the amazing R.I.S.E. Scholars. Here are just a few responses from the post-roundtable faculty survey:
- These have been some of our more meaningful pre-semester meetings.
- The presentation was great, engaging and brought forth some laughs.
- Your RISE presentation last week was very well done. I was impressed with how well organized and relevant it was.
- She was a great facilitator! She shared her mistakes, presented the materials in an easy way, and made us feel part of the process.
At the end of the roundtable, faculty were given a few moments to plan "small teaching" changes to implement in their courses over the next few weeks based on their roundtable discussion. Faculty seemed eager to apply what they learned and identified several changes that they wanted to implement over the coming weeks. In the post-roundtable faculty survey, professors shared the following plans:
- I'm going to look at my learning objectives and make sure my assessments and teaching methods are aligned with what I want them to know.
- Connecting student learning activities to Bloom's Taxonomy; the students do not make these connections on their own, and many times do not even know the level to which they are learning.
- I think I tend to instinctively apply Bloom's, but, as the keynote suggested, it might be good to explain to students the purpose and value behind the structure of the course.
- I've added how the assignments meet course goals. I've also added goals for each session--this helps me make sure I'm not just filling time!
- I plan to practice interleaving concepts.
- Alternative assignments to replace standard research papers.
- Ask better questions!
Some faculty members went one step further and consulted their college’s R.I.S.E. Scholar for help implementing changes in their courses. After consulting with some colleagues regarding their plan to use Bloom’s Taxonomy in their courses, one R.I.S.E. Scholar had this to say about the experience:
My colleagues’ requests indicate that they were inspired to teach
their students Bloom’s levels as a way to make rigor more
transparent in their classrooms, indicating that they benefited from
the 1st Rigor Roundtable presentation.
While some may feel that consultations with a R.I.S.E. Scholar can be intimidating, the R.I.S.E. Scholars know how to put everyone at ease. After meeting with a R.I.S.E. Scholar, one faculty member had this to say after the consultation:
It was a pleasure meeting with you! I was feeling a bit overwhelmed
coming to our meeting, but you have a great talent for imparting new
ideas in a supportive manner. Thank you for the books - I’m looking
forward to reading them once my show is open.
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More R.I.S.E roundtables to come! | |
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R.I.S.E. Scholars will lead several roundtables within college or department faculty meetings throughout the year on this schedule:
- August – October: Rigor Roundtables
- October – December: Inclusiveness Roundtables
- January – March: Support Roundtables
- March – May: Engagement Roundtables
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Were you unable to attend the 1st Rigor Roundtable? Would you like to learn more about the strategies presented during the roundtable? If you answered yes to either of these questions, the R.I.S.E. Rigor Guides are the answer! These on-demand guides are available on the R.I.S.E. Project website (see the navigation on the right side of the page). These guides cover largely the same information as the roundtable sessions – definitions of each pillar, research demonstrating its benefits, and teaching strategies for enhancing rigor in a course – but with more detailed information. These guides also contain practice tasks for which faculty can receive feedback if they contact their R.I.S.E. Scholar or the Learning Academy. Check out the R.I.S.E. Rigor Guides when you have a chance! | |
Schedule a R.I.S.E. Scholar Consultation Today | |
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Remember that the scholars are ready to talk with their colleagues about rigor, inclusiveness, support, and engagement! You can contact your R.I.S.E. Scholar to talk over ideas or teaching strategies, to request feedback on something, to request to view their teaching materials or observe their classes, to have them observe your own, or even to request that they collect informal feedback from your students on your behalf.
Contact a R.I.S.E. Scholar today!
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Make your classroom your laboratory! | |
Participate in R.I.S.E. Research Study #1. Interested in examining how your small teaching changes can impact your students’ learning? If so, come join us for R.I.S.E. Research Study #1 as we aim to: connect the dots between faculty development and student learning, test the utility of the R.I.S.E. framework, and validate particular pedagogical strategies. Interested in learning more or participating? Check out the Faculty Guide to R.I.S.E. Research and contact Shenika Harris at sharris@lindenwood.edu. | |
Student Spotlights coming soon! | |
As part of the R.I.S.E. project, we will spotlight various Lindenwood students. The goal of student spotlights is to provide faculty with insight into the experiences and needs of the Lindenwood student body. This is a chance for students to share with LU professors about what their learning experiences are like, what facilitates their learning and success, and what hinders it. With the help of various faculty and staff, we have 8 amazing students that have agreed to participate in this part of the project! | |
Andrew Smith and Brandon Perkins, along with their student teams, are guiding these efforts. Be on the lookout for the first student spotlights which will be shared with faculty at the October 19th faculty meeting. | |
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R.I.S.E. PLCs and Workshops | |
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Throughout the year, watch for R.I.S.E. related events in the Digest, the Learning Log, and on the Learning Events Calendar. Faculty are encouraged to form professional learning communities to explore the R.I.S.E. pillars and associated teaching strategies in more depth and to share with colleagues how they teach with rigor, inclusiveness, support, and engagement in their classes. There are currently two R.I.S.E. PLCs in progress and one upcoming workshop.
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College of Arts and Humanities: Teach Students How to Learn (R.I.S.E. Launch Keynote Address Dr. Saundra McGuire’s book)
- Diversify the Pride Team: Socially Just Design in Postsecondary Education (A series presented by the Gardner Institute)
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Upcoming Virtual Workshop: Using Problem-Based Learning to Increase Rigor by Dr. Amy Estlund (Sept. 28 from 3:30-4:15. Register today!)
If you’re interested in joining a PLC, but don’t know others who are, contact your R.I.S.E. Scholar or Brittany Brown for help coordinating or getting connected to a PLC.
Visit the R.I.S.E. Project website for information and resource.
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"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you” – B. B. King. | | | | |
