August 2020 Announcements

• The Keep Teaching website has been updated for the new semester! Please take a moment to review the site for new content and resources that have been added.
• The executive summary of the Survey of Spring 2020 Instructors of Record is now available. This includes insights on the university’s transition to online instruction, related challenges, opportunities to improve and more.
• Paula Gentius has been named the new chief of staff for Chancellor Randy Woodson. She most recently served as the interim executive director and Title IX review panel administrator in the Equity and Access Services office at Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Two new academic department heads have recently been named:
  • Jessica T. DeCuir-Gunby, is the new head of the College of Education’s Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, effective Aug. 1. She succeeded John K. Lee, who became the college’s associate dean for faculty and academic affairs July 1.
  • The Poole College of Management has named Kathy Krawczyk, Dixon Hughes Goodman Professor of accounting, the new chair of the accounting department effective July 1.
• Prevention Services and the Counseling Center are offering virtual drop-in spaces during the Fall 2020 semester. Join us for a range of groups and experiences that allow you to find connection and support. No need to sign up – just show up.

From the Office of Faculty Development:

• Applications for the Fall 2020 cohort for the Core Teaching Certification (CTC) are now being accepted. The certification provides faculty with:
  • the opportunity to learn pedagogical skills and information about teaching not necessarily gained during formal training in graduate school, helping them become more scholarly teachers;
  • recognition for their efforts in becoming more intentional, reflective teachers who incorporate effective practices in teaching in higher education; and
  • the opportunity to meet other faculty members outside their home departments who are dedicated to improving their teaching.

Faculty who successfully complete the certification intentionally refine and enhance their courses with feedback throughout the reflective course design process. Faculty participants complete one learning module and reflective activities in five core competencies: Reflective Teaching, Instructional Design, Assessment of Student Learning, Student-Centered Teaching, Assessment of Teaching.

There are a variety of modules from which to choose, offered both face-to-face and online. For more information, please visit go.ncsu.edu/red-ctc and apply online.

• Faculty, postdocs, and teaching graduate students are invited to apply for the Fall 2020 online cohort of the Inclusive Teaching Certification (ITC). This comprehensive, asynchronous certification is a collaborative professional development project among experienced faculty, NC State’s Disability Services, DELTA, GLBT Center, Graduate School, Office of Faculty Development, Office of Global Engagement, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity  and Office of Information Technology. Accepted participants will:
  • Consider multiple facets of inclusive teaching, encompassing the creation of a welcoming, equitable course climate, the design and implementation of accessible and inclusive classroom practices and assessments, and the selection and implementation of inclusive, diverse course content;
  • Engage with key concepts in inclusive teaching and learn from various stakeholders on our campus and other institutions of higher education who share their important research on student development, Universal Design for Learning, intercultural competence, and intrapersonal awareness; and
  • Develop the resources for applying inclusive course pedagogical practices that support all learners.

Participants complete foundational activities, one elected learning module, and learning reflections in each of five core competencies: Inclusive Pedagogy, Awareness and Perspectives, Cultural Relevance and Responsiveness, Community and Belonging, Access and Empowerment. For more information, please visit go.ncsu.edu/red-itc and apply online.

From NC State DELTA:

• Welcome to a new academic year at NC State! DELTA is here to help and encourage you in your journey to use technology to support your teaching this fall — whether face-to-face, hybrid or online. We commit to doing our absolute best to listen to your needs and concerns, to respect and engage with you, and to help you create the best teaching and learning environment possible. Explore NC State DELTA’s services.
• DELTA has been working with ClassTech to outfit NC State classrooms with recording technology for the fall 2020 semester. To support students in hybrid courses who are not physically present for each lecture, this recording service has changed to opt-out only. Faculty will receive more information about recording and how to prepare. Check out the details.
• Explore the latest WolfWare News for tips, reminders and support resources to get your course off to a great start this fall. Be sure to request your WolfWare space now! Consider using the Quick Start Course Shell to begin with a structured course layout.

From the Office of Global Engagement:

• NC State is about to embark on a new academic year, and NC State Global knows there will be unique challenges and opportunities for the community whether on campus or at home somewhere else in the world. Read this welcome back message from Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement Bailian Li.
• NC State’s first Graduate Student Mental Health Symposium was cancelled when the university reduced operations in March. So, organizers created videos to support others during the pandemic. Learn more here.

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund (CIF) has chosen six projects to receive support this year. These CIF-supported projects range from safer treatments for human and animal health to novel manufacturing methods for toilet paper, carbon fiber and gasoline. The CIF, launched in 2010, provides seed funding to a select few NC State research projects each year that have promising potential for market success. The goal is to help this research bridge the critical gap between public and private funding, ultimately creating products and technology that aim to tackle today’s most pressing problems. To date, the CIF has granted nearly $3.4 million to 51 projects — which have attracted over $60 million in follow-on funding. These projects have generated 27 startup companies, 52 license agreements and more than $1.5 million in licensing revenue.
• A new program led by the College of Sciences is bringing together researchers from across NC State to focus on innovative research and training at the intersection of chemistry and life sciences. The Chemistry of Life Program, which launched in July 2020, was developed by Joshua Pierce, LORD Corporation Distinguished Scholar and associate professor of chemistry. In creating the program, Pierce was inspired by the team science and training initiatives he participated in as part of the leadership of NC State’s Comparative Medicine Institute (CMI). The new program is launching within the CMI; Pierce has been appointed as the CMI’s co-director.