Why reflection matters    Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the importance of reflection in our work as teaching faculty and educational developers.  It seems to me that as campuses across the United States are in perpetual crisis, and many relationships are tense and fractured, reflecting on what we say and do and the differential impact that we have on the people with whom we interact is critical. Doing this amidst so many competing demands requires courage and discipline. When I speak with faculty about reflective processes, it tends to relate to their students and metacognitiv ..read more

This article first appeared in Academic Leader on February 19, 2024 © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. If you are interested in reading more articles about the trends, challenges, and best practices of today’s academic decision-makers, check out a monthly or yearly subscription to Academic Leader! Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities were ramping up their services to address the mental health crisis among students as depression, anxiety, loneliness, suicide, and other issues were on the rise. The pandemic exacerbated these mental health problems and also ..read more

This article first appeared in Academic Leader on February 19, 2024 © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. If you are interested in reading more articles about the trends, challenges, and best practices of today’s academic decision-makers, check out a monthly or yearly subscription to Academic Leader! Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities were ramping up their services to address the mental health crisis among students as depression, anxiety, loneliness, suicide, and other issues were on the rise. The pandemic exacerbated these mental health problems and also ..read more

Ensuring a successful educational experience for our students is akin to the art of culinary development, where thoughtful preparation is fundamental. Just as a chef with pre-developed culinary skills meticulously selects ingredients and carefully plans before creating a masterpiece, educators must equip students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for their academic success. This parallels the concept of pre-courses, which serve as innovative ingredients and preparatory tools in the educational kitchen. Much like a chef assembles ingredients before cooking, pre-courses lay t ..read more

Ensuring a successful educational experience for our students is akin to the art of culinary development, where thoughtful preparation is fundamental. Just as a chef with pre-developed culinary skills meticulously selects ingredients and carefully plans before creating a masterpiece, educators must equip students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for their academic success. This parallels the concept of pre-courses, which serve as innovative ingredients and preparatory tools in the educational kitchen. Much like a chef assembles ingredients before cooking, pre-courses lay t ..read more

Our institution has been fortunate enough to partner with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and InsideTrack to improve student enrollment, completion, and career readiness, and foster equitable pathways to employment. This HBCU Transformation Project is the first-of-its-kind collaboration that aims to increase Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ (HBCU) health and sustainability, improve student outcomes in retention and graduation rates, expand enrollment, and increase capacity building with faculty and staff.  Diagram 1: Collaborative Partnerships  This support seamles ..read more

Our institution has been fortunate enough to partner with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and InsideTrack to improve student enrollment, completion, and career readiness, and foster equitable pathways to employment. This HBCU Transformation Project is the first-of-its-kind collaboration that aims to increase Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ (HBCU) health and sustainability, improve student outcomes in retention and graduation rates, expand enrollment, and increase capacity building with faculty and staff.  Diagram 1: Collaborative Partnerships  This support seamles ..read more

Dear Fellow Educators,  As we near the end of another semester, I sense a rise in activity and busyness across campus. The stress is starting to seep in with many approaching deadlines looming. Many of us are intimately familiar with marathon grading sessions, hurried lesson planning, and feelings of exhaustion. Prioritizing stress management and self-care during such hectic times is essential.   A personal memory comes to mind that highlights the consequences of failing to manage stress. The semester in question was in its 12th or 13th week—close to wrapping up. Final exam week was ..read more

Dear Fellow Educators,  As we near the end of another semester, I sense a rise in activity and busyness across campus. The stress is starting to seep in with many approaching deadlines looming. Many of us are intimately familiar with marathon grading sessions, hurried lesson planning, and feelings of exhaustion. Prioritizing stress management and self-care during such hectic times is essential.   A personal memory comes to mind that highlights the consequences of failing to manage stress. The semester in question was in its 12th or 13th week—close to wrapping up. Final exam week was ..read more

In my (re)reading of Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life (1997) and its iterations, it becomes more obvious to me that Parker is a paradox savant.   “What makes a Rosa Parks?…What makes a Nelson Mandela? What makes these people is their capacity to take the inner life seriously, and to tap the sources of power that lie within, that are just as essential as external forces in transforming our institutions and society for the better” (Parker Palmer, 2015).  In the work that educators do each day, how do we speak up and take acti ..read more