POD Network News - Summer 2002
President’s Column
Faculty and administrators not directly involved with teaching and learning
centers may assume that summer is a down time for academic development work.
Those of us who do this work know this is not the case. In addition
to preparing for programs and events during the upcoming academic year, many
faculty developers are busy consulting, offering institutes and workshops,
conducting research, and writing publications. I hope you will also
take some time this summer for personal and professional renewal. Please
keep in mind the POD Network as a companion for your support and renewal.
How can the POD Network be of assistance to you? The POD Web site, accessed
from the domain names www.podnetwork.org or www.podweb.org, can help you
locate resources and maintain contact with others in our profession.
I want to mention just a few current items on the POD Web site:
• “The Value of a Teaching Center” is an article written
by Connie Cook and Mary Deane Sorcinelli in response to the closing of the
Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
This article, which is a thoughtful reflection on issues that influence every
center (and our profession as academic developers), can prepare us to be
proactive so that other centers are not eliminated.
• Pertinent information is available for POD’s 27th Annual
Conference, “Hold Fast the Dream,” to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on October
9-13, 2002. I want to thank the Texas-Georgia conference planning committee
and Sally Kuhlenschmidt, our conference program chair, for their outstanding
work in preparing for this important upcoming event.
• Overview and ordering information is found for A Guide
to Faculty Development: Practical Advice, Examples, and Resources (2002),
as well as other POD publications that can help us stay current with the
professional literature in our field. We can then share this literature
with faculty and administrators on our campuses.
• You can register for the POD listserv and send emails
to POD headquarters and Kay and Frank Gillespie, our co-executive directors.
• There are useful links for faculty development programs
at a range of colleges and universities, organizations that share common
interests with POD, upcoming conferences and workshops, and “bright ideas,”
creative faculty development practices that can be searched electronically.
• Lists of representatives and committees who are working
to make POD a more effective organization are readily accessible.
We are all struggling with the aftermath of 9-11, reduced funding for higher
education and other public programs, and tough decisions that influence the
current operations and future prospects of our institutions. There
has never been a time when the “spirit of POD” was more important than it
is now. This spirit of caring, sharing, connectedness, diversity, support,
and development is embodied not only in our relationships and sense of community,
but also in our convictions and commitments for all of higher education.
Roger Sell
RogerSell@smsu.edu
The Dream of Becoming a Multicultural Organization
Many of us have had experiences of being pressed into filling out surveys,
questionnaires, inventories, and profiles for someone else’s research agenda.
We bite back the “not again!” and comply. It is rare that we hear that
same voice offer to share, “This is what we found out about you/your zip
code/your age group. . . .”
As a part of our commitment to being a multicultural organization, the Diversity
Commission asked participants at the Saturday dinner at our 2001 Fall conference
in St. Louis to respond to a brief writing exercise. The two questions
were, “When do you most feel a part of POD?” and “When do you most feel on
the outside of POD?” Respondents were also asked how long they had
been members of POD.
Through this exercise, we gathered a “snapshot” of members’ perceptions about
the efforts to make POD an inclusive organization. While I caution
against making overly-broad generalizations about the data, some messages
emerged consistently across cohorts by years of membership in POD.
The 195 and responses collected that evening were sorted by years of membership,
typed verbatim, aggregated, and reviewed for important themes by members
of the Core Committee and the Diversity Commission, and by other POD members
with longstanding commitments to diversity-related issues. What did
we learn?
Overall Themes. First, and perhaps most obvious, the respondents
clearly value their participation in POD and the collegial environment it
provides. In the context of an overwhelmingly positive response, several
areas of concern emerged, as well.
Annual Conferences. Across all cohorts, the annual conference
is clearly “the glue that binds” us together. This is especially true
for new members. Regardless of years of membership, many participants
report being “most a part of POD” when, at the conference, they felt respected,
appreciated, and engaged in meaningful contributions to the organization
(e.g., during meals, in interactive small group sessions, and when undertaking
an organizational task).
The caution offered by some respondents is that these same situations were
also those that could leave them feeling most “outside” of POD. Examples
of exclusion included behaviors such as in-group jargon or humor and not
being invited into conversations at a reception or meal.
The first-year individuals, in particular, define their status by their perception
of “knowing enough people.” It is interesting that every single group
mentioned feeling excluded at some point or another by others perceived to
be the “in-group.”
Diversity. All cohorts expressed interest and concern about
POD’s commitment to diversity, an issue related to social identities, as
well as communication styles and practices of inclusion. For example,
participants note that we need to sustain engagement with issues for gay
and lesbian members, Canadians, and other non-United States members.
Listserv. The listserv is arguably our most powerful tool for
cultivating and nurturing a sense of organizational affiliation. Many
respondents remarked on how useful this mode of communication is and how
valuable a resource it has been for them. However, it was voiced that
certain aspects of the listserv culture may alienate. For example,
some respondents were concerned about the volume of messages and the “volume”
of the conversation (the lack of diverse perspectives among the most dominant
voices). At all levels, there was interest in strengthening the listserv
to make it more accessible, representative, and inclusive.
We expect an ongoing dialogue about what we can do as individuals and as
an organization to sustain and enhance POD’s inclusiveness. What suggestions
do you have for what we should do next? We welcome recommendations,
suggestions, and ideas from POD Network News readers. Please forward
responses to Matt Ouellett at mlo@acad.umass.edu or by mail at 301 Goodell
Building, Box 33245,140 Hicks Way, University of Massachusetts, Amherst,
MA 01003.
POD Conference Corner
With this issue, we begin a new feature that will address a variety of issues
relating to the annual POD conference. The conference is a very significant
and important event for the organization and it is beneficial for members
to understand its complexity.
Direct costs greatly influence the conference’s quality and budget.
Direct costs include everything from the strings on the name tags to site
visits to the hotel, hourly bartender charges for receptions, and the mailing
of supplies and materials.
The largest direct cost for the conference has become audiovisual equipment.
Last year in St. Louis, POD’s audiovisual bill was nearly $25,000 (after
discount). Other organizations are also dealing with the issue, and
some have adopted a policy of limiting the audiovisual equipment provided
at no cost to presenters. It behooves us as members, and as conference
presenters, to consider what we really need and request for our presentations.
If you have any specific questions about POD conferences, please send them
to Frank and Kay Gillespie, Executive Directors, at
podnetwork@podweb.org
.
POD Core Committee Self-Nominations
Membership on the POD Core Committee offers an opportunity to help guide
the future of POD and to meet wonderful colleagues. Please consider
serving POD in this important role. You may nominate yourself to the
2003-06 election slate according to the instructions at the end of this newsletter.
POD will launch several innovations in this year’s nomination process:
1) Candidates must have been POD members for at least three years before
self-nominating, 2) Candidates’ statements will be posted on the Web
site, not mailed out on paper in regular mail, 3) A word limit of 300
words has been established for the two ballot statements, and 4) statements
shall be submitted electronically to the central office with the option for
sending them also via regular mail submission (see nomination form).
Nominations are due by November 1, 2002. The central office will post
the information and then send ballots out in mid-November. Elections
will be reported by the end of December.
As a reminder, the key elements of the role and responsibilities as a Core
member and the nomination process are outlined below.
Role. Each year the POD membership elects five new Core Committee
members to serve for three-year terms. The Core Committee, a committee of
no more than 18 members, functions as the board of directors for POD.
Many Core members also take the lead on at least one POD Committee (e.g.,
Diversity, Grants, Policy, etc.).
Meetings. New Core members first join the Core Committee at
the fall meeting (prior to the annual conference) for a day and a half and
then in the spring (usually in conjunction with the AAHE meeting) for a day-long
meeting. Core Committee members receive the agenda, committee reports,
action items for discussion, and pertinent reading materials for decision-making
at the Core meeting prior to Core meetings. Between meetings, official
POD discussions and business are conducted through telephone conference calls
or electronic mail.
Financial Support. Core members receive $150.00 per day toward
expenses for the days on which the Core Committee meets.
POD Grant Recipients
The POD Grants Committee is pleased to announce that two outstanding grant
proposals have been selected for funding through the 2002 POD Grants Program.
Descriptions of the projects are listed below. The two teams of researchers
will provide summaries of their completed work through this newsletter, the
POD Web site, and the POD conference. We look forward to hearing more
about their work and congratulate them on their successful proposals!
Watch for the 2003 Grant Program RFP in the fall newsletter and on the POD
Web site.
Multimedia Support for Faculty Peer Review, Nancy Van Note Chism and
Sharon J. Hamilton, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
The objective of this project is to draw upon the intellectual and experiential
resources of the members of the university faculty teaching academy to improve
the process of peer review. This university-wide academy includes members
from all eight campuses and is comprised of distinguished teachers who were
nominated by their peers and selected through a peer review process including
observation and review of a course portfolio and reflection on their teaching.
The product is a multi-media CD-ROM that can be used by both faculty members
and faculty developers individually or as part of a department workshop.
It can be used to increase faculty members’ understanding of the peer review
process and to prepare potential reviewers to conduct good reviews through
interactive materials that are designed to sensitize them to those aspects
of teaching that can be assessed, methods for conducting reviews of classroom
performance, materials, scholarly writing on teaching, portfolios, and other
sources of evidence. Preparation for conducting both formative and
summative reviews, as well as advice for planning departmental or school
policies and procedures, will also be included.
Mentoring as a Two-Way Street: The Impact of Campus-Wide Cross-Cultural
Mentoring on GTA Development, Janelle Voegele, John Armbrust, and Devorah
Lieberman, Portland State University
The following research questions will be investigated: 1) What is the
relationship between cross-cultural mentoring and TA’s and ITA’s intercultural
awareness in the instructional context? 2) What is the relationship
between cross-cultural mentoring and intercultural instructional skills?
and 3) What are the challenges and benefits of participation in cross-cultural
mentoring? The findings will result in 1) Continued modification of
the current model used for the campus wide cross-cultural mentoring program,
and 2) Specific guidelines and recommendations that can be used by a wide
range of TA Development Programs in order to utilize peer mentoring as a
vehicle for increased cultural awareness.
The National Teaching and Learning Forum
Submitting Manuscripts
Have you been thinking about writing about some aspect of your teaching?
We encourage you to sit down and do it. The National Teaching and Learning
Forum (NTLF) welcomes the variety of interesting manuscripts on teaching
and learning we have been receiving, and we know there are more of our readers
and POD members with valuable things to say.
Articles may address any aspect of the topic(s), and may be discipline-specific
or general in nature. However, it is important to keep a diverse readership
in mind. Submissions may not exceed 1500 words (six ordinary typed
pages), except in unusual circumstances, and should be shorter whenever possible.
Manuscripts may be submitted in typescript, double-spaced, 250 words per
8.5 x 11 page. Please include a copy on computer diskette, as well.
Submissions in electronic form (including email) are highly encouraged.
Editorial submissions should be sent directly to Dr. James Rhem, Executive
Editor, The National Teaching and Learning Forum, 213 Potter Street, Madison,
WI 53715-2050, jrhem@chorus.net.
Section Editors Needed
Last year, POD and the National Teaching and Learning Forum entered a partnership
to develop an on-line library: “Selected Resources on Teaching, Learning,
and Faculty Development.” Although there are many Web sites with collections
of resources on teaching, learning, and faculty development, most of them
are not organized as data bases, and none of them provide the kind of comprehensive,
integrated, professionally-reviewed body of material that we are trying to
create.
The resources will be organized as two “streams.” One stream will consist
of materials that are useful for post-secondary teachers who need information
about methods, techniques, approaches, and theories of teaching and learning.
The other stream, for faculty and instructional development professionals,
will consist of materials that relate to their work. Of course, some
materials will appear in both streams, and there will be “see-also” links
to make it easy for users to move from one topic or category to another without
having to back out of the stream and start again.
We have been recruiting volunteers to serve as section editors-people who
have strong special interests and experience in particular areas of faculty
development (e.g., the scholarship of teaching, Web-based instruction, cooperative
learning, etc.) and who are familiar with the best resources on these topics.
Section editors are responsible for searching out new materials, monitoring
the literature on their special topics, and writing reviews of materials
they select for inclusion in the online library. (Section editors will
be prominently identified at the head of each section for which they are
responsible, thereby insuring fame, if not fortune.)
If you are interested in becoming a section editor, please contact Ed Neal
(ed_neal@unc.edu) for a detailed description of the project, section editor
responsibilities, and a list of the section topics that are still available.
Pre-Conference Workshops
POD members will have received by now the registration information
for the fall conference. As co-chairs of the pre-conference workshops,
we are impressed with the quality and range of workshop topics and urge all
members to seriously consider coming a day early to attend one or more of
them.
The workshops offer one of the few opportunities we have to devote extended
periods of time to learning about a focused topic for our own professional
development. This year, the workshops will address the topics listed
below. (The actual titles may be slightly different in the POD Conference
Program.)
Faculty developers in their early years
• Getting Started in Faculty Development
• Engaging Faculty
• Designing Effective Workshop Sessions
Organizational change
• Using Kegan & Lahey’s Seven Languages for Personal
and Organizational Transformation
• Faculty Involvement as Change Agents
• Leading Academic Change: Why some efforts work
and others don’t
Large institutions
• Faculty and TA Development Partnerships: Theoretical
insights and real applications
Small colleges
• Small college approaches to faculty learning and teaching
Special ways of teaching
• Dreaming of increased student engagement with the material?
Act up!
• Team Learning: A special way of using small groups
Personal development
• Conceptual frameworks for shaping one’s philosophy of
teaching
• Managing Time, Paper, and Information: Dream, nightmare,
or reality?
Special program activities
• Faculty Institutes for Integrating Technology into Teaching
• Using Assessment to Realize Dreams for Students
• Evaluating the Return on Investment of Faculty Development
We hope you will come and take advantage of this great opportunity for your
own professional development.
Arletta Knight and Dee Fink,
Pre-Conference Workshops Chairs
Books by POD Members
Rankin, E. (2001) The Work of Writing: Insights
and Strategies for Academics and Professionals. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Addition
The spring issue of POD Network News listed a new book for Nira Hativa, Teaching
for Effective Learning in Higher Education, and one for Nira and P. Goodyear,
Teacher Thinking, Beliefs, and Knowledge in Higher Education. Contact
and purchasing information for the books is available from the publisher,
Kluwer Academic Publishing, at www.wkap.nl.
Bright Idea Awards
The Bright Idea Awards, a long-standing POD tradition, will continue at the
annual fall conference in Atlanta. This exciting event is about sharing
and learning from one another. Awards are presented to participants
who have implemented creative ideas for teaching improvement or faculty development.
Highlights of the process:
• E-mail submission of Bright Idea entries prior to the
Atlanta conference
• Poster session in Atlanta presented by all 2002 award
recipients
• Awards ceremony at the Saturday evening banquet
• Recognition Candles and the Bright Idea Traveling Lamp
Award
• Award Certificates
• Award letters to recipients’ campus officials and public
affairs offices
• A Web site featuring past and current Bright Ideas,
www.podnetwork.org
Bright Idea Awards 2002 Guidelines and Application Instructions are included
in this newsletter. Entries must be submitted via e-mail by September
9, 2002.
New POD Web Address Established
The POD web site location has been moved and can now be accessed at
http://www.podnetwork.org
POD Bright Idea Awards 2002 Guidelines
See application instructions in this newsletter
Do you have a bright idea? Submit your entry by September 9, 2002!
Purpose
At the annual conference of the POD Network, the Bright Idea Awards are presented
to participants who have implemented creative ideas for teaching improvement
or faculty development. Recipients are recognized at the Saturday evening
banquet with either a Recognition Candle Award or the Bright Idea Lamp, a
traveling trophy. These awards seek to (a) encourage participants to
share their ideas with colleagues in the POD Network, and (b) recognize innovators
working in faculty development through the conference award ceremony and
through award letters subsequently sent to officials at each recipient's
institution.
Eligibility
We encourage all new and not-so-new attendees at the annual POD conference
in Atlanta (October 9-13, 2002) to submit an entry. We will notify
recipients of the Bright Idea Recognition Awards by October 1, 2002; they
are required to (a) present a poster session at the POD conference and distribute
a handout describing their Bright Idea, and (b) attend the Saturday evening
banquet and awards ceremony.
Selection Process
A committee of POD Network members representing various programs and institutions
will select up to seven (7) entries that are judged to be strong using the
following criteria:
1. Originality - Is the Bright Idea an adaptation, a new
synthesis, or uniquely new?
2. Scope and Impact - Is the Bright Idea for one session/long-term,
select group/campus-wide? What was the Bright Idea's
impact in reaching intended goals?
3. Transferability - Is the Bright Idea adaptable to other
programs and contexts?
4. Effectiveness - Is the Bright Idea cost and time effective?
Suggested Bright Ideas Categories of Interest
• Teaching and Learning
• Consulting with Faculty
• Workshops, Seminars, Conferences
• Organizational Development
• Teaching Assistant Development
• Faculty Development Using Technology
• Other
Bright Idea Application Instructions
Due Monday, September 9, 2002 (Midnight your time)
Submit the application electronically either in the body of an e-mail or
as a Microsoft Word attachment to Cynthia Desrochers at cynthia.desrochers@csun.edu.
Write Bright Idea in the subject line of the e-mail. If using an attachment,
name the file: Last name - Bright Idea.
Please Include the following in your Bright Idea application:
A. Contact Information
1. Your Name and Your Position or Title
2. Name of Center/Department/Program
3. Institution and Address
4. E-mail and Phone Number
5. [Optional] Center/Department/Program Web address
B. Bright Idea Description
1. Title of the Bright Idea
2. Category of Bright Idea (choose all that apply)
• Teaching and Learning
• Consulting with Faculty
• Workshops, Seminars, Conferences
• Organizational Development
• Teaching Assistant Development
• Faculty Development Using Technology
• Other ________________________
3. Abstract of Bright Idea - 1-2 sentence description of
the Bright Idea
4. Description of 500 words or less. Please note that this Bright
Idea must be a practice you have already implemented and evaluated, at least
informally.
Use the following five headings to organize
your description (avoid acronyms):
• Goal
• Originality
• Scope and Impact
• Transferability
• Effectiveness
(Time and Cost)
5. [Optional] Where relevant, provide a Web
address to support your Bright Idea entry.
6. Kindly do not include additional materials or attachments.
C. Campus Contact Information
Please include the names, titles, and addresses of up to three individuals
on your campus whom you want notified if you are an award
recipient, including contact information about your Public
Affairs office.
Remember, if you are selected as a Bright Idea Award recipient, you must
be prepared to present a poster session in Atlanta! We look forward
to many submissions! Join in!
See previous Bright Idea Awards at http://www.podnetwork.org
.
If you have questions, please contact the Bright Idea Award Committee Co-Chairs:
Cynthia Desrochers - California State University-Northridge, cynthia.desrochers@csun.edu
Charlynn Ross - University of North Carolina-Charlotte, cross@email.uncc.edu
POD Core Committee Self-Nomination
The election process for 5 Core Committee members will be somewhat different
this year than in the past. Candidates' statements are to be submitted
electronically and will be posted on the website for members' review.
Please send your self-nomination in the body of your e-mail and not as an
attachment. The election itself will, however, be conducted by mail. If for
some reason you are unable to send your statement electronically, you can
mail it to the POD office to arrive no later than November 1.
To nominate yourself, please complete the information below and provide your
answers to the two questions in no more than 300 words each. Then send
your candidate's statement to the POD office at podnetwork@podweb.org.
Statements must be received by November 1, 2002.
Please note that statements received after November 1 will not be included,
and statements longer than 300 words will be returned to the candidate for
editing. Your statement will be reproduced exactly as submitted.
Please do not include any graphics. Also, you should have been a member of
POD for at least three years.
Your statement should include:
Name:
Title:
Institution:
What is your background in professional and organizational development (no
more than 300 words):
What would you like to see POD accomplish over the next three years?
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the POD office
(see the address on the back of this newsletter), or contact the chair of
the POD Nominations and Elections Committee, Mary Deane Sorcinelli (msorcinelli@acad.umass.edu)
To contact the POD office:
It is our goal at the POD office to respond to members’ questions, concerns,
needs, and interests as courteously and promptly as possible. Please contact
us at the address below if we can assist you.
Frank and Kay Gillespie, Executive Directors
POD Network News is published by the Professional and Organizational Development
Network in Higher Education as a member service of the POD Network.
Member contributions are encouraged and should be sent directly to the Editor.
Editor: Mary Everley, Relocation Assistance Program
Office of Human Resources
University of Minnesota
319 15th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0106
(
everl001@umn.edu
)
Publisher: Frank and Kay Gillespie
POD Network
P.O. Box 9696
Fort Collins, CO 80525
(970) 377-9269
(970) 377-9282 - Fax
(
podnetwork@podweb.org
)