1 Faculty Development Opportunities Weekly events – Institute on High Impact Pedagogical Practices – Faculty Development Workshop Series – The Pre-Tenure Club – The Mid-Career Faculty Interest Group Newsletters, special events, campus subscriptions to The Teaching Professor and The Chronicle for Higher Education, and more!

2 Effective Teaching

3 Some basics 3-credit courses carry an expectation of 6-9 hours of studying per week outside of class – New federal mandate to include this definition in your syllabus WSU uses a plus/minus grading scaleplus/minus grading scale

4 Syllabus Guidelines Choose the Syllabus Statements link on – You’ll find a Syllabus Template and a series of statements you may use in your own syllabus as you see fit. Explicitly include General Education outcomes in your Gen Ed course syllabi. Plan to return meaningful, graded assignments in time for early alert (5 th week) and the last day to drop with a W (11 th week).

5 12 Reasons Students Drop Out (handout) Instructors play a key role in promoting retention and graduation Most college dropouts COULD have succeeded with a little help or encouragement.

6 Increasing Student Success It is NOT about lowering standards – Clearly explained high expectations plus support equals success.

7 Increasing Student Success It is about: – increasing your awareness – intentionally designing learning experiences – promoting connections – really knowing your students

8 Important Teaching Principles Teach the students you have, not the students you might want. A big part of the teacher’s job is providing motivation to learn. Don’t buy in to “the myth of content.” Skills can only be learned by practice + feedback.

9 Critical Thinking Arum and Roska, Academically Adrift: – The ONLY thing shown to have a measurable impact on critical thinking skills is 40 pages of reading per week plus 20 pages of writing per semester.

10 Chickering and Gamson (1987)

11 Good practice in undergraduate education: 1.Encourages contacts between students and faculty. 2.Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students. 3.Uses active learning techniques. 4.Gives prompt feedback. 5.Emphasizes time on task. 6.Communicates high expectations. 7.Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

12 Six powerful forces in education Activity Expectations Cooperation Interaction Diversity Responsibility …works for any kind of student

13 GradesFirst Academic Early Alert System Part of a strategy of proactive, positive outreach to promote student success Look for an in the 5 th week of classes Within a week, provide feedback on any of your students who are in the GF pool who might be having issues Easy, secure