Faculty Development Institutes

Judy Ableser, ableser@oakland.edu
Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) 

This Faculty Development Institute supports new and emerging faculty as they navigate the transition into academic life. The goal is to provide support as you balance teaching, scholarship, service and life responsibilities. The cohort provides a rich opportunity to build professional and social networks. This mentoring group supplements individual departmental mentoring. It is open to all faculty in their first three years. 

Learning Outcomes

• Apply strategies and reflective practice that supports teaching and acclimation into campus life as an academic
• Form professional and social networks and connections with other faculty who are also new/nearly new to teaching at a university
• Provide an opportunity to extend, practice, reflect and reinforce skills and knowledge that are introduced during the “Nuts and Bolts of Teaching” workshops

Judy Ableser, ableser@oakland.edu
Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) 

This cohort provides special lecturers a “place and space” to network, collaborate and share highlights and challenges. It is an opportunity for Special Lecturers from different disciplines across campus to share ideas with each other.

Learning Outcomes

• Special Lecturers from different disciplines will network and share ideas with each other
• Develop a greater sense of connection and belonging to OU and colleagues
• Address challenges and issues that Special Lecturers may encounter

Fabia Battistuzzi, battistu@oakland.edu
Associate Professor Department of Biology and CETL Faculty Fellow

This Faculty Development Institute (FDI) will explore, analyze, and apply teaching strategies centered around concepts of inclusivity and belonging. The focus of the FDI will be on STEM courses because these, traditionally, have lower diversity and retention of under-represented minorities. The participants will start by exploring language that can be used with peers, mentees, and students to foster a sense of belonging in the classroom and will continue with the development of strategies to be applied in large and small classes. The goal is to provide a supportive environment to learn best practices in fostering an inclusive environment in our classrooms. We expect that this learning experience will provide evidence-based knowledge of Universal Design Learning strategies that faculty will be able to use to design courses and broader impact activities aimed at creating a more equitable environment in STEM.

Learning Outcomes

• Develop and apply a shared language to foster inclusivity and a sense of belonging
• Design (or revise) STEM courses by applying inclusive teaching practices
• Apply Universal Design Learning strategies to promote a sense of belonging in STEM

Chiaoning Su, chiaoningsu@oakland.edu
Assistant Professor, Communication, Journalism and Public Relations

This Faculty Development Institute (FDI) will examine social media as an instructional tool to encourage social learning, engagement, and collaboration. The playful praxis of social media enhanced pedagogy may be especially important as students transition to a post-COVID learning environment. This year-long program will introduce various social media platforms and social media usage behaviors, especially among Gen-Z students. Built upon this foundation, participants will then explore how to use social media as an instructional tool, how to design social media inspired assignments, and how to further
their own professional growth through social media. Through group discussions and one-on-one tutorials, participants will be able to develop a concrete, tailored plan to integrate social media into their classrooms and professional lives.

Learning Outcomes

• Integrate and use social media as an instructional tool
• Design social media inspired assignments
• Build a professional brand, intellectual networks, and collaboration opportunities via social media