Before the start of the semester, faculty huddled together to prepare themselves to give their best to their students and new classes. At the opening breakfast of the 2017 Faculty Hui, they shared what they did over the holidays and the classes they would be teaching. The gathering came to order with prayer and an ‘oli, which quietened the room and focused the faculty on the purpose of their individual curricula in light of Marianist educational values.
During the two-day gathering held January 11-12 on campus, Bro. Bernard Ploeger, S.M. presented his presidential address with an open forum to discuss the state of the university. Divisions met to hone their strategies and goals to ensure student success. In addition, Janet Davidson was announced as associate provost of Academic Affairs. Faculty Development and Assessment with Brian Richardson (Faculty Center director), Cari Ryan (Assessment specialist) and Makana Mattos (Institutional Design) will be led by her.
Breakout sessions were well-received. Faculty shared with their colleagues on innovative ways to teach, scholarship and research involvements, and the distinctiveness of a Marianist education. Faculty genuinely enjoyed exchanging ideas and expertise with one another. Sessions included:
- Google for Education – Elizabeth Park
- Writing Learning Outcomes – Brian Richardson and Candice Sakuda
- Speech Choir Performance of Forgiveness for English Language Learning – Eva Washburn-Repollo
- Experiential Learning – Gail Grabowsky
- Grant Writing Strategies – David Carter
- Yale Summer Fellowship: Why Should We Teach Slave Narratives? – Allison Paynter
- Teaching Students the Value of Using Evidence in Practice-Based Professions – Julie Elting
- The Larger Perspective of Video in Education – Tom Galli and Allison Paynter
- Strategies for Interdisciplinary Pedagogy: A Report from the Watery Field – Scott Wylie, Katrina Roseler
- Strategies for Using Rubrics – Brooke Carlson
- Breakout Edu – Makana Mattos
- Train the Mind and Cultivate the Heart: Marianist Education – Dave Coleman, Edna Magpantay-Monroe, Charlie Peterson
Discussions inspired at the Faculty Hui carried into the first week of classes as faculty continued to ponder new ways of teaching. It was a great start to a new beginning.
