Faculty Newsletter

Update: ACUE Effective Teaching Practices course

Kudos to the 29 faculty members who are participating in the ACUE Effective Teaching Practices course. Combined, participants have completed 330 modules on practical teaching topics such as Planning Effective Class Discussions, Helping Students Persist in Their Studies, Connecting with Your Students, Using Active Learning Techniques in Small Groups and many more. Early results and reaction from participating faculty are positive:

• 83 percent of applicants are still involved.
• 98 percent felt the information and practices shared in the course is relevant to their work.
• Faculty report learning two or more new practices for each module (there are 28 in the course) and learn more about three practices with which they were already familiar.

Each person who completes the course will have learned an average of 55 new practices, increased his or her understanding on 61 more, have implemented 25 practices and plan to implement another 46 practices. These practices have a direct, positive effect on student learning and faculty engagement.

If you are interested in learning more about ACUE, please contact Karen Bellnier. We will send applications for the next cohort in the coming weeks.

Winter Workshop

During winter break, Lance Eaton, an instructional designer from Brandeis University, visited CCRI to lead a workshop titled "Let's Get Critical: Reflection, Inclusion and Open Praxis in Teaching and Learning." Twenty-nine faculty attended and explored the importance of critical reflection as a part of one’s teaching practice, as well as intentionally creating an inclusive learning environment through discussions on open pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Lance’s recommended reading list and collaborative note-taking provided practices that will continue with participants throughout the spring term.

Special virtual guests Thomas Tobin, faculty associate in the Learning Design, Development and Innovation Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Kirsten Behling, director of student accessibility services at Tufts University, co-authors of Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: UDL in Higher Education joined the discussion. An electronic copy of their book can be accessed through the CCRI library.

Administrative update

In fall 2019, several departments will change names to better align with accreditation and strengthen offering. The Department of Art changed its name to the Department of Art, Art History and Design to bring the department into alignment with its accreditation body, the National Schools of Arts and Design. The name change speaks clearly to the courses offered and the breadth of the department. The Department of World Language and Cultures has changed its name to the Department of World Languages and Cultures to reflect the department’s mission and diverse offerings. World Languages and Cultures is more inclusive and best describes its course offerings.

The Department of Business and the Department of Administrative Office Technology have merged and are now the Department of Business and Professional Studies. The Department of Physics and the Department of Engineering have also merged and are now the Department of Physics and Engineering. Both of these mergers will enable a strengthening and expansion of existing programs and the creation of new certificates and degrees.

Professional development

We are offering a workshop series in combination with the New Faculty Orientation monthly topics series. These sessions are open to all faculty. [Register here]

Topic: Access and Equity – 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. on March 15, Room 5579

Brenda McGill, program director, Disability Services for Students, and Elizabeth Canning, associate vice president, Institutional Equity and Human Resources, will have an open discussion on the policies, practices, and services available for faculty and students to ensure a positive and productive learning environment.

Topic: Open Educational Resources and Course Planning – 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. on April 19, Room 5579

James Salisbury, reference librarian, and department chair, and Mish McIntyre, instructional designer, will discuss the value and impact of adopting Open Educational Resources (OER) and strategies for planning your course to take best advantage of OER.

Note: If you are already familiar with OER and want to become an OER Fellow, please contact Jim at [email protected]. If you would like to integrate OER into your course, please contact Mish at [email protected].

Topic: Effective Practices in Teaching Online

During this four-week course, participants will adapt their current teaching philosophies to include best practices that take advantage of the online environment. There will be opportunities to connect with other faculty to ask questions and share ideas. Participants will also develop individualized strategies for establishing a strong instructor presence and a positive, open learning environment. The course will also cover some important guidelines and regulations as they relate to online courses, such as copyright, accessibility and NECHE expectations.

Next session will be running in March. Sign up here to join. Email [email protected] if you have questions about whether online is right for you.

Student success: Early Alert

The Early Alert program allows faculty to be proactive and involved in early detection and intervention for students who are experiencing problems that affect their academic performance. Ideally, faculty submit early alerts between the third and fifth week of the semester. This allows students ample time to respond to SSC staff and implement new learning strategies or receive support services from an appropriate college department. Visit the Early Alert page to access the online form to submit an early alert and follow these directions. If you have any questions, please contact the following:

• Flanagan Campus - Room 2319
• Tom Skouras 333-7440
• Knight Campus - Room 3540 (inside the library)
• Joanne Galliano 825-1170
• Liston Campus - Room 2236
• Tatianna Williams 455-6116
• Newport County Campus - Room 252 (inside the library)
• Tatianna Williams 851-1701

In early March, we will pilot the Starfish early alert tool. If you are interested in participating in this pilot, please contact Associate Vice President Melissa Fama.

In case you missed it ...

The pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition to welcome nursing graduates into the profession. The pinning ceremony for the December 2018 associate degree Nursing graduates was held on Jan. 16 in the Bobby Hackett Theater. One hundred and twenty-eight students were pinned by faculty from each campus.

Twenty-two Nursing graduates were inducted into the Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society, Gamma Lambda Chapter on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the Knight Campus in Warwick. Family members were invited to see the candidates receive their pins, honor cords and certificates. Membership in this honor society requires that the student maintain a high GPA as well as plan and implement a group project.

On Jan. 19, the pinning ceremony for the December 2018 associate degree and certificate graduates from the Therapeutic Massage program was held at the Newport County Campus. Four students who earned an associate degree and eight students who earned a certificate were pinned that evening.

Fifteen students attended the Occupational Therapy Assistant pinning that took place on Saturday, Feb. 2,  at the Newport County Campus. Eighteen students earned their Occupational Therapy Assistant degree. 

We are very proud of our graduates and wish them all the best!

In the News

Read faculty and student news stories from CCRI press releases and local news outlets:

CCRI students win big at DECA Northeast Regionals

CCRI students display artwork in ‘Mixed Media’

CCRI students recognized at regional theater festival

WickedLocal.com [02-09-19]: CCRI hires Jon Dorn as assistant professor

Warwick Post [2-12-19]: CCRI Students Inducted into Nursing Honor Society

Jamestown Press [2-14-19]: WELCOME TO THE CLUB

Cranston Herald [2-15-19]: Special honor

Have you met ...

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of our faculty and staff!

• Cheryl Amantea, assistant professor of business
• Sharon DePalma, assistant professor of mathematics
• Jon Dorn, assistant professor of English 
• Steven Gambino, assistant professor of mathematics
• Mohamed Ghonaim, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology
• Charles Kell, assistant professor of English
• Ali Khalil, assistant professor of English
• Jillian Lang, assistant professor of library services
• Christopher Ratcliffe, assistant professor of business
• Rebecca Shannon, assistant professor of English
• Rongfang Yang, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry

Speaker's bureau

CCRI is establishing a speakers bureau of faculty and staff who can share their expertise with local members of the media who are covering these topics and issues. The Department of Marketing and Communications will create a database that it can reference to promote experts in a given field when news related to that topic is happening. Local television, radio and print reporters frequently seek out local experts and authorities to add life to their stories or provide a local angle to a national story. If you have expertise in a topic and would like to share it, please contact Amy Kempe or Kristen Cyr in Marketing and Communications. Members of the Marketing and Communications staff are available to help you prepare for the interview.

Faculty spotlight

We are happy to announce that a new addition to the Academic Affairs newsletter will be a spotlight interview with a faculty member. The spotlight will highlight interesting activities (at CCRI or outside) and/or personal achievements. To recommend yourself or another colleague for a spotlight, please fill out and send the suggestions form.

'Rhode Island Promise Leads'

A recent article in Forbes online magazine highlights the success of the Rhode Island Promise.  "Rhode Island Promise Leads" describes CCRI as a top leader in the national promise movement. The article also points out the benefits of the Promise program, which has seen a 43 percent increase in first-time, full-time student enrollment as well as a 62 percent increase in students of color since the program's launch. The success of the Rhode Island Promise is a result of the hard work and dedication of everyone at CCRI. It is wonderful to be recognized by the national media as we continue increasing the effectiveness of the program and await passage by the legislature of the Adult Promise. 

Reflection on the role of lecture

Active learning is a proven strategy to engage students in learning. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education explores the question: Is it ever OK to lecture?

Please remember to take advantage of open office hours, and I always welcome invitations to visit your classrooms!

If you have any accomplishments you would like to share in the "In Case You Missed It" column, or have any ideas for future newsletter articles, please fill out and send the suggestions form.