TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2023

Newsletter header

WELCOME TO FALL SEMESTER 2023!

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to Fall Semester 2023! The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) is excited to continue supporting your success at Montana State University. We are planning several workshops and faculty learning communities that we hope you will participate in. In particular, we have been working in partnership with numerous groups on campus to develop guidance around using AI in the classroom and assignments. In addition to general information about AI language models and how this tool has been deployed in some courses, you will find examples of language that you may wish to include in your syllabus. We are welcoming around 60 new colleagues to our campus community and CFE will host New Faculty Orientation later this week. It is an exciting time as a new academic year begins.

We want to remind you that Montana State has an institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, which provides all faculty, postdocs, and graduate students free access to various resources for success in higher education.

The CFE has web resources for syllabus language and some suggestions of best practices for your first class, first week, first month, and aspects of your class and classroom to consider before the first day of class.  

For work-life services and practical solutions to real-life issues, MSU employees and their families can access the MUS Employee Assistance Program at no cost. 

Warmly,

Michael Babcock
Nika Stoop
Ken Silvestri
Emily Smith

UPCOMING CFE EVENTS

If you are located outside of Bozeman and would like to attend a workshop via Webex, please request a link in the comments section and it will be sent to you before the session.

Generative AI: Minimizing Risks & Maximizing Opportunities

Advancements in technology have changed the way people teach and learn throughout history. Generative AI represents one of those moments that is changing the way people teach and learn, which in turn, poses both risks and opportunities to these processes. In this workshop, we will explore strategies for minimizing the risks and maximizing the opportunities associated with using Generative AI.

***Note that both days will contain the same content and be divided into two parts so that if a participant can’t attend the full two hours on the first day, they can still attend the part missed on the second day.***

Day 1 Generative AI: Minimizing Risks & Maximizing Opportunities

Friday, August 18  || 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM || SUB, 233|| Register Here
iCalcal

Day 2 Generative AI: Minimizing Risks & Maximizing Opportunities

Monday, August 21 || 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM || AIH, 102|| Register Here
iCalcal

Designing More Effective and Engaging Presentations

Thursday, August 31 || 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM|| SUB, 235 || Register Here
iCalcal

Increase the impact of your presentations in this one-hour session. Learn tips and tools for creating memorable classroom or research presentations - and take your visuals from blah to wow. If you have a presentation that Myleen can use as an example for the workshop, please send it to her in advance at: [email protected]

Join the Mindful Mentor Program

Do you wish you had guidance and support in the practice of mentoring? This Fall semester you are invited to join a community of mentors who together will explore a relational and inclusive approach to mentoring that fosters personal growth and collaborative relationships. Anyone who considers themselves a mentor are welcome to apply (i.e. faculty, research faculty or staff, postdocs, etc). 

Looking for Faculty Who Want to Join a Writing Group

Joining a faculty writing group provides a support community that improves your writing and accountability for your writing habits. Groups can decide how the structure their process but often they meet once per week and one person provides writing – a paper, grant, CV, website or other written materials – for others to review and discuss. The goal is to give substantive feedback on content rather than correcting spelling errors etc. Email [email protected] if you are interested in joining a writing group.

NCFDD WEBINARS

Core Curriculum Webinar: Every Semester Needs a Plan

Thursday, August 17 at 12:00 PM  MST ||  Sign-up here

NCFDD offers this planning webinar at the beginning of each semester so that you can take time out of your schedule to identify your personal and professional goals, create a strategic plan to accomplish them, and identify the types of community, support, and accountability you need to make this your most productive and balanced semester ever! (Live on Zoom).

NCFDD Discussion Panel: What I Wished I Would Have Known after Becoming a Full Professor

Thursday, August 22 at 12:00 PM  MST ||  Sign-up here

Becoming a full professor represents a remarkable achievement. It also can represent the beginning of a new chapter of a faculty member’s life as they (re)consider their professional and personal goals, explore diverse career paths, and consider new opportunities. In this session, a panel of full professors from different disciplines and institutions will share their experiences, insight, and advice to support the success of soon-to-be and new full professors.

 

You will need to log into your National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD) account and then click the link above to access the event. This online resource is available to the MSU community free of charge. Learn more about how to register.

MSU Center for Faculty Excellence
114/116 Montana Hall Montana Hall | Bozeman, MT 59717
http://www.montana.edu/facultyexcellence/ | [email protected]  | 406-994-4555