News, Events, Annual Report

University COVID-19 Updates

You find all pandemic-related university communications on the University’s COVID-19 webpage. We encourage you to check the page regularly to find the information you seek all in one place.

Free Webinar Series: Quality, Equity, and Inclusion during the COVID Crisis 

As the higher education community responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, AAC&U is offering a series of free webinars at the forefornt of efforts to maintain the committment to quality, equity, and inclusion. The webinars are presented in two formats: Transformational Tuesdays and Faculty Fridays. 

Link to webinars

Preparing Tenure and Promotion Materials—NCFDD Free Online Course
Sessions: Wed, July 15, 22, 29, 2:00-3:30pm (EDT)

With Drs. Eric Weeks and Margaret McGehee and Allison Adams, Emory University, Center for Faculty Development and Excellence

Are you in the early stages of putting together your tenure or promotion dossier? The National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD) offers a 3-week online course that reviews best practices regardless of field and institution. To register for this free program you must first activate your Villanova NCFDD subaccount. Follow these instructions to create an account.

As an Institutional Member of the NCFDD, all Villanova faculty, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students can participate in NCFDD career development programs. 

Teaching Connectedness in Online Spaces webinar, September 9, 1:30pm

With Dr. Courtney Plotts

If there is anything that this time in history has taught us, it is that we do not fully understand the nuances of building and maintaining relationships in online spaces. In this community webinar,  Dr. Courtney Plotts highlights the importance and best practices associated with building connectedness in online spaces.

Link to webinar
Link to Teaching in Higher Ed podcast #314: Culturally responsive online teaching

Lecture Breakers Podcast: How to Create More Effective and Engaging Videos Without Getting Overwhelmed

This podcast episode share ideas on how to humanize online learning by creating videos that connect with students and create a sample and sustainable system that faculty can keep up with without getting overwhelmed.  

Link to podcast

Successful Offering of Inaugural Virtual Course Re-Design Institute with Dr. Phyllis Blumberg, June 8-19

A cohort of seventeen faculty colleagues, representing four colleges and the School of Law, dedicated an intense two-weeks to re-design their courses with a focus on learning-centered teaching and deep, long-lasting learning. The institute was led by Dr. Phyllis Blumberg, educational consultant and author of Making Learning-Centered Teaching Work, 2019, in partnership with VITAL colleagues. The institute consisted of both asynchronous and synchronous components, individual consultations, and constructive feedback on course materials. Faculty participants will receive a stipend and certificate to acknowledge and document their continued instructional professional development.

Our congratulations go to the following colleagues: Todd Aagaard, Law; Elizabeth Blunt, Nursing; Kaley Carpenter, Augustine and Culture Seminar; Program; Rodrick Cooke, Romance Languages and Literatures; Allison Covey, Ethics; Kelly-Ann Diamond, History; Travis Foster, English; Gregory Grimes, Theology and Religious Studies; Eric Karson, Marketing; Peleg Kremer, Geography and the Environment; Joseph Lennon, English; Rebecca Rivard, Biology; Kristyn Sessions, Ethics; Deeksha Seth, Mechanical Engineering; Kabindra Shakya, Geography and the Environment; Raisa Velthuis, Finance and Real Estate; and Rosalind Wynne, Electrical and Computer Engineering.  

Webinar Series: Integrating Sustainability Concepts into Your Course

This virtual series had been designed for faculty who are interested in integrating sustainability concepts into their coursework. Villanova colleagues will highlight pedagogical approaches used to integrate sustainability into their own courses, including case studies, interactive teaching tools, and service-learning. A campus as a living lab tour will highlight place-based resources available to all faculty. The 30-minute webinars will occur  June - July, and will be recorded for later viewing. The webinars will serve as a resource and inspiration for what can be done in the classroom (or online), to further our students’ understanding and the importance of issues around sustainability. 
Link to registration 

Sponsors: Office of Sustainability, Sustainability Leadership Council Committee on Academics and Research, CLAS Sustainability Committee on Academics

Free Virtual Conference: Preparing for Fall Teaching under COVID

Arizona State University will offer a free virtual conference on July 13th and 14th to help faculty everywhere prepare for fall term under COVID. The practice-based topics will be directly applicable. Faculty can dip in, find talks that speak to their aspirations or pain points, and dip out. The sessions will be recorded for later viewing. 

Link to conference 

Teaching Remotely During the Summer

As all summer courses for undergraduate and graduate students will be offered online, VITAL is working collaboratively with other key offices on campus to support you to convert your face-to-face classes into effective online courses. 

We have also created a page where you can find relevant resources.

Making Your Course Accessible in LMS

If you are interested in accessibility in education and implementing principles of Universal Design in teaching via LMS, we invite you to join this online self-paced workshop - Making Your Course Accessible in LMS. Co-developed by VITAL and LSS, the workshop will explore what is the legal framework for accessibility in education, why do we need to address accessibility issues proactively in your course, and how to create ADA-compliant courses in LMS. Please fill the registration form and you will be added to the workshop.
Link to more details

QPR Training

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

Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast

This highly rated podcast provides a forum where faculty can explore and learn more about pertinent topics on teaching in support of students' learning and issues pertaining to faculty work life. With over 270 episodes, it familiarizes you with research, current thinking, and teaching innovation in higher education.
Link to all podcasts
Link to top 19 episodes in 2019

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.

Guide on How to Make Your Teaching More Engaging

Want to stimulate curiosity and excitement for your course? This Chronicle’s guide discusses research-based practices in introducing energy and enthusiasm to your classroom. It explains why you should care about engagement, presents four key principles of student engagement, and offers creative suggestions on how to put those principles into practice.
Link to Guide

Faculty Video Provides Advice for Promoting Online Social Presence 

Want to know what social presence is and how to foster that in your online class? In the video entitled, "Promoting Social Presence in Online Courses," Villanova faculty share concrete experiences and recommendations for promoting social presence in online courses. 
The video was produced by VITAL. 

Faculty Video Provides Advice for Teaching Online  

In the video entitled, "Friendly Advice for Teaching Online," Villanova faculty share concrete experiences and recommendations for teaching online. Come and check it out!
The video was produced by VITAL and UNIT-IT.

Affordable Materials Project (AMP)  

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.