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News, Events, Annual Report

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Faculty Sponsorship to Attend Conference on Teaching Excellence at Temple University, January 10-11, 2024 

1/10 - Academic Integrity in a Postplagiarism World: The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment with Dr. Sarah Eaton
1/11 - Teaching with Technology: Holistic Pedagogies in a Time of Change with Dr. Sharla Berry

VITAL supports a team of up to eight faculty members across disciplines to attend this regional conference focused on learning-centered teaching. Sponsored faculty members are asked to share a conference take-away, i.e., demonstrate a teaching practice that supports student learning as part of a VITAL and/or department program. Faculty who were sponsored in the past two years are not eligible to apply. Please note. Sponsorship applies to both days.

If you are interested in attending the conference, please complete this interest form by Mon., December 11 at the latest.

Link to conference site
Link to program agenda
Link to list of sponsored faculty

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VITALITY 

Please consult to latest issue titled, Detecting AI: Suggestions to Develop Your Detection Skills

LMS Selection Update, VPTL communication, October 9

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Student Illness, COVID Testing

As the colder season has begun, we may find that students are unable to come to class due to illness. You may find the following information helpful to share with your students: Masks are available to anyone at the desk in the Connelly Center. Departments and College offices may have masks available as well.

The Health Center site offers updates on illnesses that may affect Villanova's campus and the larger community. If students suspect that they may have COVID, they can make an appointment with the Health Center and request a free COVID test. If students test positive, the Health Center will notify the Dean's office of the student's home department and faculty will receive notices about students' absences. The students will need to follow CDC guidelines for isolating. COVID is treated as any serious illness in Villanova's excused absences policy.

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Dr. Stefan A. Perun, AssociateDirector for Digital Learning Pedagogy

I am very excited to introduce myself in a new role at Villanova, Associate Director for Digital Learning Pedagogy in VITAL. I consider it a great privilege to have taught at Villanova for the last 10 years in the Department of Public Administration where many of my courses were fully online. I spent considerable time in my role as faculty working out how to use the available technology tools to facilitate student learning and help provide the distinctive Villanova experience in virtual courses.

In addition to my teaching experience, I will be building upon my previous experience as a Faculty Fellow for eLearning Pedagogy in VITAL. More...

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Educator Considerations for A.I.

Villanova-Specific Resourses

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Get Started Using PollEverywhere

UNIT-IT has created a Knowledge Base article that walks through the three steps faculty need to follow to request a PollEverywhere presenter account and start using it in their courses. There are also links to learn how to use it and ongoing support. Link to access the Knowledge Base article.

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VITALITY: VITAL Teaching Ideas with Focus on Mental Health

This two-part series highlights the importance of making mental health visible in their teaching and the steps faculty can take to make this a reality in their courses. It also offers sample dialogue that faculty might use to support students' mental well-being.

Part I: Making Mental Health Visible in Class
Part II: Talking with Students About Mental Health in Class

Link to access past VITALITY issues

Eliza Gettel

Using Perusall: What has Worked for Me

with Dr. Eliza Gettel, Assistant Professor of History, September 2022 (video) - with permission (15:55)
Dr. Gettel demonstrates how she has used Perusall in her instruction, outlines her equitable grading process, and focuses on creating a learning community. 
Link to transcript
Perusall is being piloted by 21 faculty this academic year as part of the TIC grant program

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Villanova Policy Library

The Villanova Policy Library (VPL) assists faculty, staff and students in better understanding the many University policies and procedures. The University Compliance Office continues to feature compliance-related policies. For example, the Academic Integrity Policy sets expectations for honest academic work and provides for equitable administrative procedures to address suspected violations of Villanova’s Code of Academic Integrity. Access VPL through MyNova.

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Student Support Services

Faculty can now find all student support services on our campus unified on one website focused on supporting and elevating students, and assisting them in applying their learning through a multitude of academic services to support students in their academic success, wellbeing, and post-graduate careers. 

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Teaching Podcasts

Social Learning Amplified: Brings candid conversations with educators who are finding new ways to engage students inside and outside the class. Each episode will give you real-life examples and practical strategies you can put into practice in your own courses. Hosted by Eric Mazur, internationally recognized educational innovator in Social Learning and Peer Instruction.

Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning: Guests share discoveries of “dead ideas”—ideas that are not true but that are often widely believed and embedded in the pedagogical choices we make. Hosted by Catherine Ross, CTL, Columbia University

Faculty Focus Live: Offers research-based teaching tips to boost your creativity and motivation hosted by Magna Publications. Current episode: Transforming Reading Assigments into Engaging Tasks and Elevating Student Success

Intentional Teaching with Derek Bruff: Aimed at faculty to help them develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas in teaching.

Tea for Teaching: Series of discussions of innovative and effective practices in teaching and learning. Hosted by State University of New York at Oswego.

Teaching in Higher Ed: Explores the art and science of being more effective at facilitating learning. Hosted by B. Stachowiak, Vangard University, CA.

On Cultivating Student Engagement in Higher Ed: Features faculty and course designers using creative approaches to enhance students' learning experiences and turn engagement "ON".  Hosted by Dr. Kathryn Berkow, University of Delaware.

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How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive, Chronicle of Higher Education

Want to reach all of your students? This guide considers how faculty can provide a learning environment and engage in communication that reaches all of their students. The teaching resource introduces key principles of Inclusive Teaching, offers ways to interact inclusively with students, provides approaches to Inclusive Course Design, and suggests ways to evaluate your inclusive teaching methods. Link to article.

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Self-Paced, Online Program: Making Your Course Accessible in LMS

As you are aware, accessibility is a critical factor in students' success. How can you check and ensure that your course materials are accessible? What do you need to consider? We invite you to take this online self-paced program, Making Your Course Accessible in LMS. Co-developed by VITAL and LSS, the program establishes the legal framework for accessibility in education, articulates why we need to address accessibility issues proactively in our courses, and demonstrates how to create ADA-compliant courses in LMS. Please click on course enrollment to enroll in this online program offered in Bridge. 
Link to more details

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Innovative Teaching at Villanova 

Link to Innovative Teaching site

Morning Mentor: Week of 12/04 - 12/10
How Can I Become a Better Online Instructor?
Password: instructor842
Program details and fall 2023 schedule
Past Morning Mentor topics on Online Teaching (Transcripts are available)

Faculty Sponsorship, Temple Teaching Conference 
January 10-11, 2024 - Sponsorship applies to both days
Link to interest form by Mon., 12/11 
Link to conference site

Program for Newly-Appointed Part-Time Faculty
Mon., January 8, 2024 
5:30-8:00pm | virtual via Zoom
Link to program agenda for reference
Link to Part-Time Faculty Blog.
Link to register by Fri., December 15th.

Program for Newly-Appointed Faculty, Part II
Wed., January 10, 2024 
9:00am-4:00pm
East Lounge, Dougherty Hall
Link to DRAFT program agenda
Please register by Friday, December 15th for catering purposes.

Faculty Fridays 
February 2, March 1, and April 5
2:30 - 4:30 p.m.  |  The Refectory

TEACHING CONFERENCES

Temple University Annual Faculty Conference on Teaching Excellence
January 10-11, 2024
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton
Academic Integrity in a Postplagiarism World:
The Impact of Generative A.I. on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment 

Application: If you are interested in VITAL sponsorship to attend this teaching conference, January 10-11, please complete the online interest form by Mon, 12/11 at the latest. Kindly inform your department/academic program chair of your application for sponsorship.
Link to agenda.

AAC&U Conferences:

2024 AAC&U Annual Meeting
January 17-19, 2024
Washington, DC

2024 Forum on Digital Innovations
February 9, 2024
10:00am- 6:00pm (ET)
Virtual

Diversity, Equity, and Student Success
March 21-23, 2024
Philadelphia, PA

OLC Innovate 2024
April 10-13, 2024
Denver, CO

Annual Reports

The annual reports detail the services and programs that VITAL provided to the Villanova academic community to support high quality teaching and learning environments. The central goal of all VITAL services is to facilitate dialogue and interaction among faculty who share common curricular and/or pedagogical interests.

VITAL works to ensure that services are aligned with Villanova’s mission, academic priorities, interests and needs of the academic community: e.g., University and Colleges’ strategic plans, formal feedback data, and discussions with the faculty advisory board. We welcome your suggestions and program ideas; please stop by the VITAL office at 106 Vasey Hall or send e-mail to: vitalinfo@villanova.edu.

* annualreportvitalweb1718.pdf
Annual Report 2017-2018