Bandwidth Recovery Series
Students are experiencing increased stress as a result of the pandemic and the social and political unrest in response to recent events; this series is designed to provide faculty with strategies to help students conserve bandwidth so that they can successfully engage in learning under these tense and trying circumstances. Each session will provide attendees with a greater awareness of the underlying causes of bandwidth depletion and concrete, multi-disciplinary strategies to increase students’ cognitive and emotional bandwidth.
- September: Bandwidth Recovery Strategies: Helping Students Maximize Learning Potential
- October: Anti-Racist Pedagogy: Conserving Bandwidth for Our Students of Color
- November: Understanding Latin@ Campus Experiences: Student Panel
- December: Let’s Pause Right Here: Addressing Microaggressions in the Moment
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Week of Engagement: September 21 - 25
Harper is launching our Strategic Plan. The theme for these next four years will be “Forward Together.” The Week of Engagement, September 21 - 25, celebrates the four overarching themes that provided the direction for this new plan: College Culture; Equity; Excellence in Teaching and Learning; and Partnerships and Outreach.
Throughout the week, faculty, staff and students will have the opportunity to learn about each of our six strategic goals, give back to the community and attend virtual events focused on equity, diversity, social justice, anti-racism, anti-bias, reducing ableism and learning how to be an ally. Everyone is invited to take part in our Week of Engagement and learn more about how you can become involved and help ensure our Strategic Plan is a success.
The week's activities include:
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Meet the Academy's New Inclusive Instructional Design Specialist: Robert Hill
The Academy is pleased to introduce our new Inclusive Instructional Design Specialist, Robert Hill!
As Inclusive Instructional Design Specialist, Rob will work with instructors on a variety of course design and facilitation topics through one-on-one consultations and workshops and other professional development programming. They will support faculty and staff in creating inclusive course climates that promote equitable learning. Rob uses they/them/their pronouns.
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Equity Pedagogies and Practices: Last Chance to Register!
This interactive application course, taught by Dr. Shanté Holley, English and Interdisciplinary Studies, is designed for participants to create materials and design experiences to foster transparent and inclusive environments and experiences for all students. The course will also provide instruction, models, and discussion of the approaches necessary to foster equitably engaging and enriching learning experiences and environments. Practitioners will then participate in guided work sessions in which they develop materials and tools that promote inclusive spaces, welcoming interactions, responsiveness to students’ needs, development of awareness and self-efficacy, and relevance to students’ lives.
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Lunch & Learn with the 20-Minute Mentor Series
The Academy is partnering with Harper faculty to showcase a few of the 20-Minute Mentor videos offered by Magna Publications in our second season of the Lunch & Learn series. Each session will provide an opportunity for attendees to watch one of the videos as a group. Faculty leaders will then engage the group in discussion and brainstorming on how to apply what they saw in the video to their classrooms.
- September: How Can Online Instructors Better Manage Their Workload?
- October: What 5 Play-Based Activities Can I Use to Create an Active, Learning-Centered Class?
- November: What Are the Secrets to Providing Highly Effective Feedback to Students?
- December: How Can Preparing to Teach Online Improve My Face-To-Face Teaching?
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Become an Ally Advocate: Improve the Accessibility of Course Materials with Ally for Blackboard
We’re excited to announce a new tool available in your Blackboard course called Ally. Ally provides you guidance on how to correct accessibility issues with your digital course content, which means your learning materials will work better on mobile phones and tablets as well as with assistive technologies. Ally provides visual indicators (that only you can see) next to your course files for detailed feedback about how to correct the accessibility issues with your files. Your students will also be able to download “alternative formats” of your files by clicking the drop-down icon next to the file name, and choosing a version of the file most appropriate for their device and need. During this workshop we will demonstrate the features of Ally and guide you through the workflow for identifying and correcting accessibility issues.
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Online Instruction Support & Resources
The Academy is here to support all full-time and adjunct faculty. Please review the resources below and let us know how we can continue to support you!
Please continue to submit support requests using the Online Instruction Support form. An Academy team member will follow up with you within one business day.
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Respondus is offering a free webinar which will show you how to use LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor to address exam integrity. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use. Learn more and register using the link above.
Two sessions are being offered to help you get started with the promotion process. Learn how to find and submit your Indication of Promotion Eligibility Form, what items should be included, what to expect with the interview process, and more. Use the link above to see details and information to join the session(s).
Summer may be fading away into a memory…but the "HEAT" and other resources remain. While many of us continue to work remotely this fall semester, the Harper Early Alert Team, or HEAT, and the Student Conduct team continue to meet and work to assist Harper students, employees, and the greater Harper College community with guidance and responses to incidents of concern and possible violations of the Harper's Student Code of Conduct. Learn more using the link above.
Any student or employee who suspects they may have COVID-19 or have tested positive must notify the college. Students are to inform their faculty; employees are to notify their dean/supervisor. Learn more.
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When a student discloses to you that they may have COVID-19 or have tested positive, please complete the COVID-19 REPORTING FORM (available on the Student Development site on HIP). A copy of the information will be sent to Vicki Atkinson, dean of student development, and the division dean, as applicable.
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Employees who may have COVID-19 or have tested positive are to inform their dean/supervisor who will contact Angela Bowling, manager of benefits and compensation.
Reporting suspected or confirmed cases as quickly as possible will initiate contact tracing and cleaning/safety procedures and help us provide a safe campus.
Want to add copyrighted videos to your online courses? Are you wondering how you can adapt your research assignments to the online format? Do you know about curbside services and course reserves for fall? Did you know synchronous chat is available 24/7? Learn more about the many new resources and services provided by the Library using the link above.
If you know a student who needs technology, please encourage them to submit a library technology loan request. The college purchased an additional 1,000 Chromebooks for students. Help us get them in the hands of students. Learn more using the link above.
Exercise improves blood flow and memory; it stimulates the brain to enhance your mood and thinking. Exercise changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills. Get some exercise in the Campus Rec live virtual workouts. Formats include Zumba, Yoga, HIIT, Core Strength and more. Learn more using the link above.
The following online resources are available to you for no cost: Illinois Community Colleges Online (ILCCO), Illinois Online Network (ION), Magna Publications (including 20-Minute Mentor on-demand videos), National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), and Online Learning Consortium (OLC). Use the link above to learn more and view login information.
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12th Annual Assessment Conference: September 25
Submitted by the Learning Assessment Committee
Join us for the 12th Annual Assessment Conference and Share Fair, featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Tia Brown McNair, Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC.
The schedule of events includes:
- Keynote - “Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Equity”
- Workshop - “Assessment Through an Equity Lens”
- Session 1 - “Assessing Outcomes in a Remote Environment”
- Session 2 - “General Education Assessment Update”
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The World Anew: Creating New Spaces for Internationalization at Community Colleges
The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) and College of DuPage (CoD) invite you and your interested colleagues to attend the upcoming webinar on Friday, September 25.
Moderated by Dr. Richard Johnson, Director of International Education at Harper College, we bring together leading voices in community college international education to discuss how today’s unprecedented challenges require educators to re-imagine the relevance, priorities, and methods of internationalization efforts.
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Meet Ana Contreras
Ana Contreras is a member of the newest class of Harper’s full-time faculty, but she is not new to Harper.
Ana has been teaching English at Harper for three years as an adjunct faculty member. During that time, she became a Level II adjunct faculty member and the first adjunct to chair a Shared Governance Committee (Diversity and Inclusion). In addition to her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, Ana is keenly interested in teaching in online and blended environments.
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Advisors and Faculty Working Together to Support Student Success |
Submitted by Student Development
Online learning can be challenging for many students. It is more critical than ever for faculty and advisors to work together, and keep communication lines open so that we can support student success during these challenging times.
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Starfish is an important tool that supports student’s academic success by allowing faculty to communicate with the student’s assigned advisors if a student is struggling in a course. Faculty can raise a Starfish flag or kudo for any student in their course, alerting advisors that an outreach is needed. Starfish surveys are another way to provide student feedback and alert advisors when a student might need extra support.
The first set of Fall 2020 Starfish Progress Surveys launched on Monday, September 14, and are due by Sunday, October 4. Please be sure to complete this survey so that we can provide the necessary support to students who may be struggling in an online learning environment.
- What happens when you raise a flag?
- What types of concerns do advisors address?
- What types of concerns are best addressed by the faculty member?
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Upcoming Professional Development Credit Opportunities |
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September 17 - November 5 (GECs: 3) registration closed
September 17, 3 p.m. (CEUs: 0.1)
September 21, 9 a.m. (CEUs: 0.2)
September 23 - October 28 (GECs: 3)
September 24, 2 p.m. (CEUs: 1.0)
September 25, 9 a.m. (CEUs: 0.35)
September 25, 1 p.m. (CEUs: 0.15)
September 28, 12 p.m. (CEUs: 0.1)
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What's Happening @ Harper? |
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Academy for Teaching Excellence | 847.925.6174 | Building F, Room F317
Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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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. |
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Accessibility: Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation or who have questions about physical access may contact the event host or Access and Disability Services at ads@harpercollege.edu, 847.925.6266, at least two weeks in advance of the event date.
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Harper College enriches its diverse communities by providing quality, affordable, and accessible education. Harper College, in collaboration with its partners, inspires the transformation of individual lives, the workforce, and society. |
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