Silvia Reyes, Title V Director & Sarah Brennan, Faculty Activity Director Hostos Community College, The City University of New York, Bronx, NY, 10451, USA. SEMINAR STRUCTURE Topics Identify Capstone Assignment Model and Learning Outcomes Develop Assignment Guidelines Determine other course content changes Create opportunities to engage students in critical reflection Identify assessment measures and tools Showcase student and faculty achievements Design Bi-weekly meetings over sixteen weeks Guided discussions facilitated by us Faculty presentations of their work and decisions followed by related feedback and conversation Structure Seminar Topic Introduction Faculty Presentations (10-15 minutes each) Clarifying Questions Warm/non-judgmental feedback Wrap-up OUTCOMES Seven courses have completed course/assignment redesign Six sections across three courses (Black Literature, Education, Nursing, Sociology) are being taught this fall 2015 semester Nurturing follow-up conversations are scheduled Next seminar begins in January 2016 METHODS Conceptualize the capstone learning seminar described by the Title V grant and consider the needs of the campus Review with invited faculty the “Designing and Teaching a High-Impact Capstone Course” webinar given by Barbara Jacoby, Ph.D. Use the webinar definitions and framework presented as a guide course/assignment redesign Ask faculty to share their progress, publically, with each other in an interdisciplinary setting Meet with teaching faculty during the first semester of implementation to support course/assignment development and refinement Provide opportunities for capstone faculty to share their work with other interested faculty Encourage faculty to share their experiences developing and implementing the capstone course/assignment FACULTY INSPIRATION GOALS Transform 200-level or upper 100-level courses to include new capstone learning exercises and/or refine existing capstone experiences by providing full-time faculty with time and support to reflect and recraft course activities in a collegial and scholarly environment Expose a larger number of students to capstone learning exercises to maximize the number of students engaged in higher order thinking and learning Foster community and collaboration among faculty Provide opportunities for faculty to make meaningful connections and share ideas to develop their scholarship of teaching Engage faculty in productive conversations and discuss challenges “ What a powerful experience! Not only was I able to explore different ways of enhancing my course to yield a meaningful product from the student; I was able to learn from and interact with seasoned faculty and was enlightened by their years of experience and expertise. Our conversations were rich in content which enabled us to learn from each other.” Petal Leuwaisee, Assistant Professor Allied Health Sciences- Dental Hygiene Unit “ I added a capstone assignment to the last class taken in a paralegal AAS degree. The assignment transformed the major into a program by providing a vehicle for students to reflect on all the classes in the major, which resulted in the attitude and knowledge needed for students to take the next step.” Amy J. Ramson, Professor Behavioral and Social Sciences-Law and Public Administration Unit “ Working with highly motivated, talented colleagues from different content specialties helped me see my capstone project from different perspectives. It allowed me to provide my students with a clearer, more meaningful capstone experience. Jacqueline M. DiSanto, Assistant Professor Education Department-Early Childhood Education Unit “ The capstone development experience was a very beneficial experience for me because of the interactions between my peers in Drama and Criminal Justice as well as the seminar leaders from the Office of Academic Affairs. The group interactions enhanced the course syllabus and caused me to reflect on the methods I use to teach. As a result of the capstone development course, I have incorporated a more cohesive vision for my students work as well as using a broader repertoire of teaching techniques. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.” Ed King, Assistant Professor Allied Health Sciences – Nursing Unit