This has ALL of the information YOU need to know about the Teaching & Learning Center. Check out about the New Faculty Academy, Teaching Summit, or how to become part of the team!
Opportunities
We offer a variety of opportunities for faculty and staff to engage in as part of their professional growth and development. Our seminars (typically one-hour overviews) and workshops (usually one-and-a-half hours with work time embedded) connect to one or more of our PD strands:
- Adult Learning
- Curriculum
- Instruction
- Assessment
- Technology Integration
- Leadership
- Wellness
New Faculty Academy
The New Faculty Academy (NFA) is a unique professional development program that immerses new faculty in experiences which emphasize a learner-centered andragogy. Employees new to IHCC who have a teaching position are required to complete NFA according to their assigned position designation.
Understanding that new faculty come to IHCC directly from the workforce, K-12 systems, or other institutions of higher education, NFA is structured to honor, and build upon, the wide range of skills and experiences that everyone brings to their teaching role at IHCC. As a result, NFA is a highly differentiated adult learning experience which is heavily influenced by individual needs-analysis in the areas of adult learning, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and technology.
The NFA consists of seven components:
- New Hire Requirement is for all instructional roles to complete the online course titled Foundations in IHCC Faculty Technology Systems which is assigned close to a new hire’s start date. This is assigned through the Teaching and Learning Center and will be found in the Courses section of a participant’s MyHills (Blackboard).
- Connections is an early opportunity for new faculty to meet with their assigned NFA mentor. The NFA mentor will reach out and connect with the new faculty close to their start date to make introductions and offer any initial support. The new faculty and their assigned mentor will determine a mutually agreed upon schedule to complete three (3) hours of initial mentoring to include the review and completion of the New Instructor Checklist.
- Boot Camp provides new faculty with the information and tools to successfully grow into their new IHCC teaching roles. Boot Camp includes a facilitated face-to-face session allowing participants to build relationships with each other and learn about the NFA process and requirements.
- Modules are face-to-face scheduled, required meetings of NFA participants and mentors to address specific needs for new faculty. There are three (3) required Modules with each being two (2) hours long. The first hour will be a seminar focused on essential topics (MyHills – Assignments, MyHills – Gradebooks, and instructional strategies). The second hour will be a work session for NFA participants to engage in further learning and practice of the skills and knowledge gained in the first hour’s seminar.
- Observations of different classrooms and instructors are scheduled to allow new faculty the opportunity to view, discuss, and reflect upon teaching in action. In collaboration with their direct supervisor, NFA participants will observe a colleagues’ classroom to gain insights into teaching practices. NFA participants will also be observed in their own classrooms by their assigned Teaching and Learning mentor.
- Seminars are one-hour learning opportunities addressing a wide range of topics relevant to the college teaching experience and professional self-care. Seminar categories include adult learning, curriculum, instruction, assessment, technology, wellness, and other current issues. A variety of seminars will be available in each of these categories. Throughout NFA, participants will complete a self-assessment. This tool is aligned to the seminar categories. Participants will use their self-assessment data to determine their professional learning needs. NFA participants will self-select a minimum of four (4) seminars to attend during their NFA experience beyond the three required (3) seminars which occur during Modules.
- Milestones is an experience for NFA participants to share and celebrate successes while reflecting upon any challenges they may have encountered during their time in NFA. NFA participants develop and present a showcase of their learning and how it is impacting their teaching role.
NFA involves a minimum of 25 hours of professional development during the first year of IHCC employment as outlined in the college’s Quality Faculty Plan (QFP).
Community College Teaching Summit
The Community College Teaching Summit is offered at least twice annually. The Summit addresses an array of topics ranging from instructional strategies to technology integration to assessment practices. During the Summit, participants can choose to engage in one or up to six different sessions. Special emphasis will be given to adjunct faculty issues throughout the Summit, but all instructors can benefit from the sessions.
Iowa Faculty Development Collaborative
This is a repository of professional development resources created by, and available to, all Iowa Community Colleges. Register for an account at the link and explore learning opportunities to bolster your professional skills and practices. To see this repository, click here.
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