Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)

 

 

BOR Teaching and Research Awards, 2022-2023

It’s time to make your nominations for the 2022-2023 BOR Awards. Deadline for nominations is December 9, 2022. Please read the attached call for nominations and submit materials to Leslie Lindenauer, at lindenauerl@wcsu.edu.

https://www.ct.edu/faculty/awards

 

  • Call for Nominations/BOR Faculty Awards (11/7/2022)

    To:          The CSCU Community

    c/o Institutional Presidents and Chief Academic Officers

    From:    Dr. Hitesh Rai Kathuria

    Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs

    Connecticut State Colleges & Universities

    Date:     October 21, 2022

     

    Call for Nominations

    Board of Regents Faculty Awards

    On behalf of the Board of Regents and President Terrence Cheng, I am again honored to invite nominations for campus-based and system-wide recognitions of excellence in teaching or research/creative/scholarly work by full-time, junior faculty members and part-time faculty members of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.  The awards are:

    Teaching Awards

    The awards are given to recognize faculty who have distinguished themselves as outstanding teachers for at least five years and have a minimum of two years’ record of accomplishment of promoting instructional improvements for the programs/departments.  Each CSU institution may nominate a campus-based awardee and a system-wide awardee will be chosen from this group.  Each community college may nominate a campus-based awardee and a system-wide awardee will be chosen from this group.  During each academic year, the Board of Regents might award up to 18 Teaching Awards.

    Research Awards

    The awards are given to recognize faculty from the state universities who are doing exceptional research/creative work.  Each CSU institution may nominate a campus-based awardee and a system-wide awardee will be chosen from this group.  During each academic year, the Board of Regents might award up to five Research Awards.

    Scholarly Excellence Awards

    The awards are given to recognize faculty at the community colleges who are doing exceptional scholarly work befitting the community college mission.  Each community college may nominate a campus-based awardee and a system-wide awardee will be chosen from this group.  During each academic year, the Board of Regents might award up to 13 Scholarly Excellence Awards.

    Adjunct Faculty Teaching Awards

    The awards are given to recognize part-time faculty who have distinguished themselves as outstanding teachers with a record of accomplishment of increasing student learning and promoting instructional improvements for the programs/departments.  There are no campus-based awardees for this award.  Each of the 17 CSCU institutions may elect to nominate a candidate for an adjunct faculty teaching award and from this pool, two applicants might be selected to receive system-wide awards.  During each academic year, the Board of Regents might award two Adjunct Faculty Teaching Awards.

    Although campus-based and system-wide awardees are not eligible to be nominated for an award over the course of the three subsequent years, non-award winning nominees from previous years may be nominated again in succeeding years.

    Each institutional selection procedure will be developed and implemented under the leadership of the respective chief academic officer.  Institutional nominations are to be submitted electronically by its president to the Board of Regents through the office of the president or the chief academic officer.  Nominations will be reviewed by selection committees that make recommendations to the Board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee for its review and subsequent endorsement to the full Board for its approval.

    Guidelines for the nomination and selection procedures have been established for each award.  The guidelines and a template for a cover sheet are available at the system’s website at http://www.ct.edu/faculty/awards.  Please provide a single, combined document for each nomination.  The deadline for submission of nominations to the System Office is January 20, 2023.  Nominations should be addressed to Dr. Hitesh Rai Kathuria, Provost for Academic and Student Affairs at CSCU-FacultyAwardsSub@ct.edu.

  • THE 2020/2021 CELT & TIDDL WHITEBOARD EVENT! (5/11/2021)

    The online happening worth waiting for all year!!!

    MS Whiteboard image

    MS Whiteboard image

    • Join fellow faculty and staff by sharing your gratitude, joys, and highlights of AY 2020/21.
    • Add a personal note anonymously (or not) and read other’s reflections and shared happy moments.
    • Instructions are posted on the whiteboard.
    • See link below (click link, select “view on the web “):

    https://wbd.ms/share/v2/aHR0cHM6Ly93aGl0ZWJvYXJkLm1pY3Jvc29mdC5jb20vYXBpL3YxLjAvd2hpdGVib2FyZHMvcmVkZWVtL2FmNmViYmQ5YTdhMDQ5NGVhN2JiNWJmOWY3ZjFjOTE5X2UxNjIyZGJjLTk0YmEtNDhhZC04N2JiLWE3ZjI4MDc0ZWUzZA== 

  • REMOTE: The Connected Faculty Summit, Hosted by ASU (5/4/2021)

    PREPARE FOR THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC ON HIGHER EDUCATION

    Remote: the connected faculty summit

    Remote: the connected faculty summit

    WHY: Building better higher education on the foundation of great teaching.

    WHAT: As the future of education evolves to support a world of hybrid teaching models, re-evaluating synchronous and asynchronous learning modes, creating innovative ways to engage students, addressing challenges around inequalities, building new policies, etc., we invite you to join us as we share the great things colleagues have learned and implemented.

    WHO: This training is intended for all audiences, including Administration.

    WHERE: Live Online

    WHEN: JUNE 9 & 10, 2021

    COST: Free!

    DETAILS:  https://www.theremotesummit.org/

    REGISTRATION:  https://www.theremotesummit.org/remote-register

    Hosted by Arizona State University, REMOTE is an independent conference wholly owned by the ASU Foundation.

  • CELT partners with CAST.org to offer UDL training at WCSU   (5/3/2021)

    CELT Offers New Training for WCSU Faculty and Staff

    CAST logo

    CAST logo

    WCSU’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) and CAST.org partnered to offer a new customized and contextualized Universal Design for Learning (UDL) training for WCSU faculty and staff.

    The collaboration will involve the training of two cohorts (AY 21/22, AY 22/23), training of WCSU UDL trainers, and partnership in developing novel UDL training programs for higher education institutions.

    The first diverse cohort of 17 faculty and staff members will start the online synchronous training on 5/24/2021 and will conclude in December 2021. The training will focus on advancing learning and teaching in First Year (FY) and 100-level courses.

    CELT would like to thank the following individuals and WCSU units for their support of this project:

    • Provost Missy Alexander for greenlighting CELT’s involvement with CAST.org and UDL.
    • Prof. Tom Schmiedel and the Academic Leave Committee for allocating key initial seed funding.
    • AAUP and SUOAF WCSU chapters for generously providing financial support for all participants.
    • Ms. Amy LopezMs. Kim Spinelli, and Ms. Karen Muffatti for their dedicated professional service.
    • Ms. Aura LippincottMs. Elisabeth Werling-Morell, and Prof. Chuck Rocca for their invaluable input and feedback.
    Congratulations to all AY 21/22 UDL training participants!
    May you have a fun and insightful experience.
    Brosh Teucher, CELT Director
  • WCSU Faculty Win CSCU 2020-21 Teaching & Research Awards (4/23/2021)

    CONGRATULATIONS! 

    BOARD OF REGENTS NAMES 2020-21 FACULTY AWARD RECIPIENTS

    CSCU Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching and Research

    Board of Regents Teaching Award (System-Wide)
    (Connecticut State Universities)

     Dr. Maya Aloni
    Associate Professor, Psychology
    Western Connecticut State University, Danbury

    Board of Regents Teaching Award (Campus-Based)
    (Connecticut State Universities)

    Dr. Maya Aloni
    Associate Professor, Psychology
    Western Connecticut State University

    Board of Regents Research Awards (Campus-Based)
    (Connecticut State Universities)

    Dr. Joshua Cordeira
    Associate Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences
    Western Connecticut State University, Danbury

  • AT3 Accessibility Webinars (4/23/2021)

    WHY: AT3 is a one-stop connection to information about the Assistive  Technology Act, State Assistive Technology Programs, and general assistive technology. The AT3 Center provides training and technical assistance for all AT Act Section 4 State and Territory Assistive Technology Programs and to support a national internet site that makes general AT information available to the public and other stakeholders.

    WHAT/WHEN/REGISTRATION:

    WHO: This training is intended for all audiences.

    WHERE: Live Online

    COST: Free!

    DETAILS: https://www.at3center.net/repository/callswebinars

  • BASIC ACCESSIBILITY FUNDAMENTALS BOOTCAMP (4/21/2021)

    WHY: In celebration of this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Deque (https://www.deque.com/) is offering free training of its basic accessibility fundamentals bootcamp.

    WHAT: This training provides an overview of basic accessibility concepts, such as why digital inclusion matters and how people with disabilities use the Web. Through this training, participants will develop a better understanding about how disabilities affect a person’s experience online, as well as a high-level introduction to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG).

    WHO: This training is intended for all audiences, including Administration.

    WHERE: Live Online

    WHEN: Thursday, May 20th from 12:00-3:00PM ET.

    COST: Free!

    DETAILS: https://www.wcsu.edu/wow/event/accessibility-fundamentals/

    REGISTRATION: https://accessibility.deque.com/basic-accessibility-fundamentals-bootcamp-0

  • Peralta Online Equity Conference (4/19/2021)
    Image preview
    Peralta Online Equity Conference
    WHO: Peralta Community College District’s Online Equity Team.
    WHEN:  Wed. April 21 to Friday April 23, 2021 
    WHERE: Online.
    COST: Free!
    WHAT: “We welcome equity-minded students, educators, staff, and leaders who represent colleges, universities, non-profit organizations, and vendors from all around the world for our first online equity conference. Our goals are: 1) to increase the visibility of all efforts to increase learning equity in higher education and 2) to bring together institutions that want to share and adopt equitable practices for all online students globally.”
  • Building Community Circles: Navigating the Transition Pathway for Individuals with ASD   (3/30/2021)

    WHAT:  2nd Conference on Transition to assist school personnel and families with meeting the diverse transition needs of individuals with ASD in CT.

    WHO: Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders at SCCU.

    WHEN: April 30, 2021 8:45am-1:00pm (Eastern Time)

    WHERE: Held Virtually

    COST: Free

    REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/ASDtransitionconference

    SCHEDULE: 

    1. Keynote: Secondary Transition Discussion with CT State Agencies 

      Description: School-age students, who have been found eligible for special education services, are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  The process and requirements for accessing adult and community services are different from public education.  Strong partnerships between the family, school, and agencies are critical to a student’s successful transition from school to adult life.  This session will assist families in understanding and navigating the secondary transition planning process.  Discussion will include a review of federal and state requirements, as well as an overview of tools, resources, and professional learning opportunities related to secondary transition.  An opportunity to learn more about CT state agencies, hear about new initiatives, and have the opportunity to ask these state agency representatives questions.

       2. Panelists:

    • Cathleen A. Calway, Autism Support and Resource Specialist, Department of Social Services (DSS), Division of Health, Community Options Unit
    • Ian Card, Level Up Counselor, Aging and Disability Services (ADS), Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS)
    • Lisa Farrell, Benefits Specialist, Aging and Disability Services (ADS), Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS), Connect to Work Project
    • Ebony Johnson, Lead Workforce Specialist – CareerHub, The WorkPlace
    • Richard Martinez, Benefits Specialist, Aging and Disability Services (ADS), Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS), Connect to Work Project
    • MaryEllen McGarry, Benefits Specialist, Aging and Disability Services (ADS), Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS), Connect to Work Project
    • Karen Quesnel, RETAIN-CT Project Manager, Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Workforce Competitiveness
    • Cynthia Scott, Benefits Specialist, Aging and Disability Services (ADS), Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS), Connect to Work Project
    • Brian K. Smith, Assistant Regional Director – West Region, Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Individual and Family Support Division
    • Alycia M. Trakas, Education Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), Bureau of Special Education

         3. Breakout Sessions: Participants will take part in 2 breakout sessions that you decide on the day of the event, no need to pick now!  Topics will include:

    • Recreation: Building Recreation Opportunities — Mary Jo Archambault, CTRS, EdD
    • IEP Transition Planning — Nicholas Gelbar, PhD BCBA-D NCSP
    • Vocational Services – Peter Gerhardt, ED.D
    • Transition to College – Fred Volkmar, M.D.

        4. Family Panel:  Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center will provide a panel of families who will share their experience and answer questions.

    Contact Information and disability accommodations: 
    Ms. Eileen Farmer
    University Assistant
    Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders
    Southern Connecticut State University
    203-392-5929
  • Supporting Students with Autism in Higher Education (3/30/2021)

     

    Goal: Advance equity in access to opportunity and success.

    When: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 4:00-6:00 pm

    Where: Online / WebEx | Cost: Free | Flyer: Link

    Required Registration: Click here for registration

    Description:

    A team of experts from www.hussmanautism.org offer an overview of evidence-based and research-backed information and methods that faculty and staff members can use to successfully support students with autism in higher education settings.

    Topics:

    • Diversity acceptance and inclusion.
    • Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Condition and Asperger Syndrome.
    • How autism may present in a university setting.
    • Strategies for supporting/teaching students with autism.
    • Accommodation requirements / accommodation recommendations.

    Speakers:

    • John P. Hussman, Ph.D., MS. Ed.
      Executive Director, Hussman Institute for Autism
    • Beth Benevides, B.A.
      Director of Outreach, Hussman Institute for Autism
    • Colleen George, M.A. Developmental Disabilities
      Program Manager, Hussman Institute for Autism
    • Zosia Zaks, M.Ed., C.R.C.
      Manager of Programs and Education, Hussman Center for Adults with Autism

    About The Hussman Institute for Autism:

    The vision of the Hussman Institute for Autism is to improve the lives of individuals with autism and their families by creating a continuum of supports and resources to address the needs for evidence-based teaching methods, communication, inclusion, connection, and independence.

    Our perspective is not that autism is a tragedy that must be eliminated with a cure, nor that those with autism must be turned over to be “fixed” by therapists in segregated settings. Rather, our goal is to provide resources to support those with autism within their homes, schools and communities and enable learning, communication, and meaningful relationships through day-to-day engagement with those around them.

    The Hussman Institute for Autism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Maryland.

    Links & information: