Academy News - September 29, 2021
Equity Teaching Academy
Equity Teaching Academy: Reflect on Equity

"Reflect on Equity” is the second course in a series of the inaugural offering of the Equity Teaching Academy this semester. This course, taught by Dr. Joseph Flynn, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Associate Director of the Center for Black Studies at Northern Illinois University, guides faculty through experiences for deep reflection on their course design and facilitation.

You do not need to complete the first course in the series in order to take this course.

Learn More & Register (register by October 5)
Krista Greear
Blackboard Ally: Strategies and Tips to Fix Your Content

As you may know, a new accessibility tool called Ally has recently become available in all Blackboard courses. To support faculty during the first semester of access to Ally, an Accessibility Expert from Blackboard is offering an instructor training designed to provide an overview of Ally’s functionality, common accessibility issues, and tips and tricks to help fix those issues. However, there will be a special emphasis on more advanced content remediation strategies, touching on how to handle STEM content.


Also, now is your chance to become an Ally Advocate and earn a digital badge. If you would like to become an Ally Advocate, here are the steps to get started. Want to learn more about Ally? Visit the Academy's Ally Support page.
HyFlex Roundtable
HyFlex Pedagogy: Engaging Students, Assessing Student Learning

Join us for the second Hybrid-Flexible Teaching Roundtable discussion on October 14. The purpose of this roundtable series is for faculty to share their experiences, address challenges, and discuss any aspects of interest related to HyFlex. Whether you are newer to HyFlex or have been using hybrid and/or flexible models for quite some time, we welcome you to come discuss lessons learned, current practices, and future possibilities and limitations with us.

As a HyFlex opportunity, participants can attend on campus or remotely. Please register to either attend in-person or virtually; in-person seats in the Academy classroom are limited to 8 faculty participants.

Diversity Symposium 2021: Mental Health Awareness

​​​Given the year we have had and the circumstances of the times, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee felt an acknowledgement of mental health awareness would be a fitting theme for the Diversity Symposium 2021. This year’s topics are focused on four categories: employee mental health, student mental health, socioeconomic inequities with mental health, and media and the impact on mental health. We have also been privileged to have non-Harper individuals take the time to share their personal stories of their battles with mental illness.

The symposium will be a virtual event, taking place over three days, October 4-6. Learn more and add the dates to your calendar.
janet woods swivl
Academy & Blackboard Support: How to Get Help

The Academy is here to support all full-time and adjunct faculty. During the Fall 2021 semester, we will continue to be available remotely during our normal business hours. In addition, Academy staff will now be available (on a rotating basis) on campus Monday through Thursday for drop-in support: View Schedule and Details.

Additional resources and links to assist you this semester:
The next town hall will take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12. See login information and add it to your calendar using the link above.

A Technology Summit will take place at Harper on October 22. Learn more on this flyer and use the link above to register.

Use the link above to view Spring 2022 priority registration dates. Please share this information with students and encourage them to register early. The spring schedule of classes will be posted online October 15.  

Online or on campus, the Library has you covered! If your class meets on campus, a librarian can do an in-person session with you and your students. On campus capacity is limited, though, so if it doesn’t meet your needs or if your class is entirely online, the Library still has a wide variety of virtual options including an embedded librarian (personal librarian for your class in Blackboard), live online presentations in Webex or Collaborate, and asynchronous videos to meet student needs “on demand.” None of those work for you? Maybe you’d like to assign students to make research appointments with librarians to receive personal library instruction without sacrificing class time. Learn more about the possibilities and how to request library instruction.

The Fall 2021 version of the Harper College syllabus template is available on the Harper Syllabus webpage. This version supports a variety of course modalities. It contains several important updates, including the Student Support Resources section to reflect the current student success, wellness, and safety resources available on campus and virtually for the fall semester. You can download the Fall 2021 syllabus template here or visit the Harper Syllabus webpage for more information. Also check out the Fall 2021 Resources page for information about the Fall 2021 Blackboard Course Template as well as other resources to help you in your fall course preparations.

Your Harper ID card can give you campus benefits such as borrowing items from the Library, utilizing employee copy machines, authorized access to specific rooms on campus, and obtaining discounts at the Box Office. The ID card office in Building J, Room J135 is open five days a week. See hours and more information using the link above.
Student Learning
professional development
2021 Assessment Institute: October 24-27

Submitted by the Learning Assessment Committee
 
The Assessment Institute, focused on assessment and improvement, is the oldest and largest higher education event in the United States. Last fall, the conference was held virtually, and registration exceeded 10,000 registered attendees. This year’s conference will also be held virtually, and registration is complimentary.

Learn More & Register (advance registration will close on October 11)
Faculty Experience
adjunct faculty level 2
Congratulations, Level II Adjunct Faculty!
 
Congratulations to the 2021 cohort of Level II Adjunct Faculty!
 
These faculty members completed the Reflective Educator Graduate Equivalency Course during the summer semester and developed a comprehensive ePortfolio documenting their reflective practices, college service, and professional development that was reviewed by a committee of peers.

A total of 17 adjunct faculty were awarded the Level II designation in this cohort, representing 5 divisions and 13 departments.

Online Learning
flower darby_acue
Managing Your Online Presence

Being visibly present in your online and hybrid courses is imperative for positive student learning experiences. Flower Darby, featured speaker at this year’s Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference on September 23 and Assessment Conference on September 24, offers a few effective ways to establish instructor presence in this 3 minute video (featured in ACUE's Back to School Toolkit).


Watch the upcoming Academy News for recordings and resources from Flower Darby's presentations at the Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference and Assessment Conference!
Upcoming Professional Development Credit Opportunities
October 1, 10 a.m. (CEUs: 0.2)

October 4-October 17 (GECs: 1) registration deadline: September 30

October 14, 3:30 p.m. (CEUs: 0.1)

October 19-November 23 (GECs: 3) registration deadline: October 5

October 19, 2 p.m. (CEUs: 0.15)
What's Happening @ Harper?
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.
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.
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.
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.