As you get ready for the fall semester, please refer to A Message from the President: COVID-19 Fall Semester Update for masking requirements and communication regarding teaching considerations by Dr. Randy Weistein, Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning.
Per Fr. Peter’s message on September 3, masks are required in all classroom and laboratory spaces. You may also have students in your class who need to isolate or quarantine. These are considered excused absences. Students can make up the work, be given equivalent alternative assignments, be given make-up or online assessments. If students are unable to complete work on time due to illness they should be given reasonable extensions. You are to provide students in isolation or quarantine with the class content. This can be done in different ways and the option is yours as the faculty. Some options are:
Communication distributed by Dr. Randy Weinstein, Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning, September 3.
Faculty Focus Live: Podcast offers research-based teaching tips to boost your creativity and motivation hosted by Magna Publications. Current episode: Establishing a Classroom Culture that Fosters and Encourages Student Feedback - access via Faculty Focus Live link
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: Podcast explores the art and science of being more effective at facilitating learning and is hosted by B. Stachowiak, Vangard University, CA.
Our sincere thank you to the following colleagues who serve as faculty mentors to newly appointed faculty: James Bierstaker, Accountancy; Sarah Burke, Economics; Fr. Francis Caponi, Theology & Religious Studies; Roderick Cooke, Romance Languages & Literatures; Nathan Corwin, Mathematics & Statistics; John Cunicelli, Romance Languages & Literatures; Meredith McKenzie Greenle, College of Nursing; Kathryn Haymaker, Mathematics & Statistics; Michael Hollinger, Theatre; Jonathan Hubler, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Vikram Kamat, Mathematics & Statistics; Stephanie Katz Linkmeyer, Chemistry; Dron Mandhana, Communication; Lauren Miltenberger, Public Administration; Stephen Napier, Philosophy; John Schmidt, Biology; Deeksha Seth, Mechanical Engineering; Thomas Umile, Chemistry; Raisa Velthuis, Finance & Real Estate; Carol Weingarten, College of Nursing; Jie Xu, Communication; Terence Yee, Education & Counseling.
Program details
Villanova offers a multitude of academic services to support students in their academic success, wellbeing, and post-graduate careers. Use/link to these personalized, brief videos to bring these services to your students' attention and encourage them to engage with them.
Link to videos
Villanova University offers QPR Training – Question, Persuade, Refer. QPR is a Suicide Prevention Tool that anyone can learn and use. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught Gatekeeper Training in the world.
Training Opportunities: Villanova has many trainers available to provide a 60- to 90-minute QPR training for you or your department or group of staff and/or students.
Link to detailed training information
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.
Due to the high and rising costs of course materials, students face academic consequences and financial challenges. Part of the mission of Villanova’s Affordable Materials Project (AMP) is to provide faculty with resources and options for selecting high quality course materials while reducing the cost for students. Learn how you can help students by visiting the faculty page of the AMP website and view the AMP video, presenting student and faculty experiences.
Morning Mentor: Increase Exam Security with Custom Question Banks
Link to program; Password: secure932
Access 24/7 in your office, on your mobile device, or at home from Mon, 9/13 to Sun, 9/19.
Program details and fall 2021 schedule
Past Morning Mentor topics on Online Teaching (Transcripts are available)
Collecting Early Term Student Feedback with Microsoft Forms - Virtual Session
Wed, September 15, 3:00 - 4:14p.m. or Thu, September 16, 2:30 - 3:45p.m.
Link to register by Tue, 9/14
Further details and resources
You will receive a link to the Zoom Room prior to the program.
Food for Thought Discussions, Fall 2021
Together Again: Navigating the Return
Tue, September 21, 11:30am-12:30pm - virtual - Zoom or
Wed, September 22, 12:30-1:30pm - in-person, Old Falvey, Room 102
RSVP by September 20
Link to details
Remaining Fall Dates:
Wed, October 20 or Thu, October 21
Tue, November 16 or Wed, November 17
New Faculty Program, Part 2
Tue, January 4, 2022, 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.
TEACHING CONFERENCES
EDUCAUSE 2021 Annual Conference
Tue, Oct 26 – Fri, Oct 29
Philadelphia, PA & Online
Link to details
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.
