Using Faculty Learning Communities to Support High-Impact Common Reading Programs

Dr. Christine Metzo, St. Cloud State UniversityAnnual Conference on the First Year Experience

Atlanta, Georgia, February 12, 2017

In today’s session:

Background on St. Cloud State University’s Common Reading Program

Common Challenges for Faculty Faculty Learning Communities as a solution to address

those challenges Impact so far...

Public institution in the Minnesota State System Enrollment (Fall 2016): 15,092, including 1,832 graduate students 100-acre campus on the Mississippi River More than 200 majors, minors and pre-professional programs

provide a common academic experience for all new first-year students, which integrates both curricular and co-curricular activities;

foster partnerships across campus, including interdisciplinary faculty work;

cultivate a sense of community on campus and among students around a shared intellectual experience;

provide opportunities for community members to engage with campus and students.

Multi-cultural Student Services Reception for Shirley Lacks and Victoria Baptiste, 2012-13

Helping Nepal International presents Conor Grennan with donation from Dashain and Tihar fundraising, 2013-14

Student Scholarship Essay Competition

Celia Mix, 2015 2nd place (left) and Nick O'Hara, 2015 1st place (right)

Campus Radio Author Interview

Common Reading Programs: Students

CRPs consistent with what the AAC&U describes as a common intellectual experience (Kuh, Kinzie, et al., 2005; Kuh, 2008)

Students find CRPs more meaningful when the book is integratedinto at least one of their courses (Liljequist and Stone, 2009; Goldfine, Mixson-Brookshire, Hoerrner, & Morrissey, 2011)

Common Reading Programs: Faculty Challenges

The need for faculty support has been identified as a key need (Lee, Jie & Williams, 2010)

Among the issues:

faculty burnout with the heavy rotation of new material into course curriculum each year

changing line-up of faculty adopters with changing interest in themes and titles

the ability of faculty to share in a sense of community together around the common intellectual experience for them

Challenge of interdisciplinarity

Faculty Learning Communities: Defined

Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) are small groups of faculty who

actively collaborate in year-long scholarship of teaching and

learning with the express goal of enhancing curriculum (Cox, 2004)

This structure intentionally frames opportunities for curriculum development and community building which translates

into improved student learning environments (Cox & Richlin, 2004)

Faculty Learning Communities Educational concept Educators who engage in a

process of collective learning to improve their teaching and student learning

Often results in scholarship (Boyer’s (1990) scholarship of teaching)

Communities of Practice Anthropological concept People who engage in a

process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor

May result in scholarship but primarily focused on improving practices

Common Reading Faculty Learning Community structure Year-long:

Meet every 2-3 weeks for 1.5 to 2 hours Fall focus: research and pedagogical exploration Spring foci:

faculty book discussions and workshopscompletion of the teaching and learning guide

Small group of about 5 core faculty, with consulting faculty for expertise Diversity of disciplinary expertise Develop community

Benefits of Faculty Learning Community Model for CRPs

opportunity to feature

faculty expertise

generate body of

instructional materials

Interdisciplinary delivery of

faculty workshops

assess student learning

www.stcloudstate.edu/commonread/

Teaching and Learning Guide

Teaching and Learning supplements

Teaching and Learning supplement

Teaching and Learning Guide

Teaching and Learning Guide

Benefits of Faculty Learning Community Model for CRPs

opportunity to feature

faculty expertise

generate body of

instructional materials

Interdisciplinary delivery of

faculty workshops

assess student learning

Timeline: pre-FLC

Fall -1: generate book

candidatesSpring -1: select

book

Summer: Director

generates discussion guide

Fall: implementation

Timeline Adjustment for FLC

Fall -2: generate book

candidates

Spring -2: select book

Fall/Spring -1: FLC

Fall: implementation

Benefits of Faculty Learning Community Model for CRPs

Public Lecture

Teaching and

Learning Guide

Faculty Workshop

Team??

References

Boyer (1990). Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Cox, M. D. (2004). Introduction to faculty learning communities. New directions for teaching and learning (97), 5-23.

Cox, M. D., & L. Richlin, eds. (2004) Building Faculty Learning Communities: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Number 97. Vol. 15. John Wiley & Sons.

Goldfine, R., Mixson-Brookshire,D., Hoerrner, K., Morrissey, J. (2011). Using a Common First-Year Book to Promote Reading, Connections, and Critical Thinking. Journal of the First-Year Experience and Student in Transition. 23(2), 93-108.

References

Kuh, G. (2008) High-Impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., Whitt, E. J. & Associates (2005). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lee, A., Y. Jie & R. Williams (2010). “Common Book: Practical Strategy for Supporting Student Learning and Success,” e-Source for College Transitions. 8(1): 7-9,13.

Liljequist, L. and S. Stone (2009). Measuring the Success of a Summer Reading Program: A 5-year study, Journal of the First-Year Experience and Student in Transition. 21(2), 87-105.

Resources

This PowerPoint along with materials for Faculty developed by our FLCs can be found at our website:

www.stcloudstate.edu/commonread

Questions?Dr. Christine Metzo

Director of Academic Initiatives, University CollegeSt. Cloud State University

crmetzo@stcloudstate.edu