December 2023

As we approach the end of another semester, I want to take a moment to reflect on the progress we have made together this fall. CETL has been honored to serve as a hub of collaboration, innovation, and inspiration, and I am immensely proud of the strides we've made as a community as we continue to expand our services.

Our dedicated faculty members have shown unwavering commitment to excellence in teaching. Your passion for fostering a dynamic learning environment has been truly commendable. The engaging and interactive learning experiences you've created have not only enriched the academic experience for our students but have also set the stage for lifelong curiosity and intellectual exploration.

As we look ahead to a well-deserved break, I encourage everyone to take time for self-care and rejuvenation. CETL will continue to be a resource for professional development, fostering innovation, and promoting effective teaching practices. I invite each of you to explore the resources and opportunities we offer, and to engage in the ongoing conversations about how we can enhance the learning experience for all.

On a personal note, as we come to the end of my first full semester at Reynolds, I would like to thank each and every one of you for welcoming me to the flock and for your support of my amazing team here at CETL. 

Have a wonderful end of the semester, a happy holiday season and remember, we at CETL are always here to help. 

Bri Jackson

Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

Spring 2024 Canvas Course Sites

Spring 2024 Canvas course sites have been created and you should see them within Canvas. Please remember, if you are scheduled to teach a spring 2024 course and do not see it within Canvas, reach out to your Dean or Program Head to ensure that you are listed as the instructor of record in SIS. If you have confirmed that you are listed as the instructor of record and you still do not see your course listed in Canvas please email canvas@reynolds.edu. Student enrollment will be turned on the first week of January, meaning you will not see students in your spring 2024 course until that time.

If you would like to request your courses be combined into one Canvas course site you must first email your Dean for authorization. They will then email canvas@reynolds.edu with their approval. CETL cannot combine any courses without your Dean’s approval and all requests to combine courses must be received by January 8 for any course beginning on January 16. 

Date/Time: Wednesday, Dec 13 | 1PM

Location: Parham Road Campus, Massey Library Technology Center (LTC) Room 240, CETL "Triangle" and Conference Room

Save the date! Join us in CETL's main offices in the Massey Library Technology Center (LTC) on the Parham Road Campus for some goodies in celebration of the completion of the end of the semester. This event will highlight faculty successes and allow us time for collegiality and fellowship.

Hope to see you there!

Keep a lookout for the launch of CETL's new Faculty Learning Opportunity (FLO) Calendar. Integrated with the Reynolds Events Calendar that will help broaden our outreach and scope, our new FLO calendar will display all of our upcoming offerings in a more polished and clear format. Each FLO will also have a dedicated page to make sharing events with colleagues a breeze, as well as the option to save registered FLOs directly to your work calendar.

Links to our FLO calendar remain the same on the CETL website: both on our landing page and the left-side navigation.

We are excited for these upcoming changes and hope they will make the process of finding FLOs you are interested in more streamlined and clear.

Join your colleagues this upcoming spring semester as we read together and discuss strategies to cultivate inclusive and equitable approaches to teaching in our classrooms.

This spring we’ll read Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms by Joe Feldman.

If this book interests you, we encourage you to join our reading group and participate. All discussion sessions take place via Zoom. Join for one session or more - share your ideas and experiences.

Zoom discussions of the book will be held over three sessions, with exact days/times to be determined in early January based on participant availability:

• Chapters 1-5 during the week of Monday, Feb 12
• Chapters 6-10 during the week of Monday, Mar 25
• Chapters 11-15 during the week of Monday, Apr 22

If you’d like to participate, please email cetl@reynolds.edu to receive a copy of the book and the links to participate in the Zoom sessions.

VIVA is pleased to announce the new round of VIVA Open Course Grants! VIVA Open Course Grants are meant to support individuals and teams as they write new course materials, including test banks and assignments, curate a variety of materials together to meet the needs of a course, or adapt openly-licensed resources to help achieve pedagogical goals.

Open Course Grants will be awarded in four categories: 

• Content Creation Grants
• Open Pedagogy Grants
• Open Ancillary Grants
• Large Scale Adoption Grants

More information about VIVA Open Course Grants, including a description of each grant category, can be found at on the VIVA Open Course Grants webpage. VIVA now handles the publication work for content creation projects, including providing copyediting, book design, platform, and illustration services for awarded projects. 

Applications for VIVA Open Course Grants are due March 1, 2024, and are available on the VIVA website.

To learn more about the changes to the VIVA Open Grant program and to get a detailed look at the application process for Open Course Grants, please register and join VIVA for a webinar on December 1, 2023, 1:00 pm.

As always, questions are welcome at vivaopen@gmu.edu.

Date/Time

• Wednesday, December 6 at 2 pm
• Tuesday, December 12 at 12 pm

Description

This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.