Volume 4, Issue 5--Published: Wednesday, October 30th

The Center and You!

Faculty do a lot to support our students because no place impacts students quite like the classroom. We foster a sense of learning, belonging and mattering because we love our students, and it shows. We use this to grow our capacity for being uncomfortable and to step into the spaces our students need us to go–whether that’s challenging ourselves to be innovative, encouraging ourselves and each other, or advocating for much needed change. Your peers at The Center understand how important it is for teachers to help and support each other as we work together to help our students become who they want to be. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance.

MATC Professional Learning Opportunities:

MATC offers a wide-range of professional development courses in a variety of delivery modes and durations as part of our efforts to design meaningful professional development that provides just-in-time training opportunities for you to explore what you need when you need it. All of our offerings are free to MATC faculty and eligible for FQAS hours, so that you can plan and develop your own professional development goals and outcomes.  

AI: Come and Play with Me!
In this 2-hour workshop we will examine AI tools, specifically ChatGPT. The workshop will start with one hour of exploring AI tools and applications to enhance the educational experience. Participants will discover how ChatGPT can support classroom activities and help instructors most efficiently utilize their time. In the second hour, we will have hands-on practice with ChatGPT. We will have opportunities to collaborate, share our experiences, and discuss integrating AI. Come for one or two hours, and let us embark on this fascinating journey with technology together.
 
Wednesday, 11/06/24, 4pm-6pm, Virtual & Face-to-Face (M201A Downtown)

Ally Workshop

Ally is a tool integrated with Blackboard Ultra that helps improve the accessibility of documents, images, text, and tables for students. In this session, you will learn how Ally benefits students, practice using Ally to address common file accessibility barriers, and explore Alternative File Download formats, such as speech-to-text MP3 audio, and text translation to over 71 languages. 

Thursday, 11/06/24, 7pm-9pm, Virtual or Face-to-Face (M 201A–Downtown)

Blended & Hybrid Course Types Lunch & Learn

In this Lunch & Learn, we'll examine teaching in the Blended and Hybrid course types (modalities). We'll explore scheduling, attendance, 8 & 12 week lengths, contact hours, student engagement, and other topics as we discuss teaching in these course types. Register through the Zoom link provided. Use that same link to attend virtually, or you can attend in-person at the Milwaukee campus in M201 (CTE). 

Friday, 11/08/24, 12pm-1pm, Virtual  or Face-to-Face (M201A-Downtown)

Collaboration Connection:

 
 
 
It’s Academic Integration Council (AIC) Sign-Up Time!

When done well, a shared-governance model creates a student-centered approach to supporting the processes and structures that enhance and ensure student learning, belonging, and mattering.  To do this, the Academic Integration Council (AIC) creates an inclusive and transparent shared-governance framework for faculty, administration, and staff to come together as one team to support our students. 

Through AIC's shared governance structure, we gain more representation and voice, greater accountability and transparency, and clearer communication and decision-making. Through AIC’s open and transparent all-call, last year more than 85 of your colleagues raised their hands to be a part of AIC. Work Teams, Committees, Subcommittees, and Task Forces are now forming to tackle some of the most important student-centered topics, including:

  • AIC/EIC Task Force: Academic Artificial Intelligence
  • Academic Technology Subcommittee
  • Student Course Survey and Incorporation of Feedback
  • Peer Coaching
  • Program Viability and Faculty Processes in New Program Creation
  • Scheduling Subcommittee to include management of course sections

Please raise your hand to be a part of this important work!

Friendly Reminders:

Registration for Winterim and Spring classes is fast approaching!

Students in a degree, diploma or certificate program and taking classes this semester will continue to have an earlier opportunity to register. Students will register by their Pathway.

Continuing program students (enrolled in Fall 2024):

  • November 4: Military veterans
  • November 5: Healthcare; Community Education
  • November 6: Business & Management; STEM
  • November 7: Community & Human Services; General Education
  • November 8: Creative Arts, Design & Media; Manufacturing, Construction & Transportation

New, continuing, or returning students:
  • November 11: Military veterans
  • November 12: Healthcare; Community Education 
  • November 13: Business & Management; STEM
  • November 14: Community & Human Services; General Education 
  • November 15: Creative Arts, Design & Media; Manufacturing, Construction & Transportation 

Students not enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate program can register beginning November 18, so please help students take advantage of their priority registration date! An email and announcement template that you can copy and paste to help get the word out to your students is included below.

Keeping You Posted:

Our goal with Center Connections is to keep you informed, not only about Center’s work, but to help you navigate other college-wide initiatives that directly impact faculty.

Faculty Textbook Adoptions

Please submit your Faculty Textbook Adoptions for winter and spring courses by Friday, November 1st! Adoptions must be completed for all courses including "No Text" sections. There is not an automatic roll-over of course materials.

Online adoptions are made through signing in to the bookstore website. If you have questions or need more information, please email textbooks@matc.edu.

Additional Professional Learning Opportunities:

2024 WTCS Faculty Summit 

The Wisconsin Technical College System Office is excited to host the second WTCS Faculty Summit. This fully virtual, free event is focused on innovations throughout the system, and is intended for faculty, presented by faculty, with topics that impact faculty!

 Join us for this event to learn about new ideas that have been implemented in the classroom that resulted in positive impacts on students and performance.  The sessions will address the core Faculty Quality Assurance System (FQAS) focuses of:

  • Curriculum & Assessment
  • Diversity,Equity & Inclusion
  • Student Success Teaching Methods

The summit is being held over two days, offering different times to support both full and part time/adjunct faculty:

  • Wednesday, November 13, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
  • Friday, November 15, 9:00am - 12:00 pm

Please join us for this professional learning opportunity to learn from and connect with your colleagues from across the System! This is a great opportunity to support ongoing FQAS professional development requirements! Register by Friday, November 8! 

Clear Pathways: From College to Career

When colleges and employers work together, they can match the right talent with the right opportunities. Join The Chronicle for a conversation with experts on preparing and connecting students with local and regional job opportunities. During this Virtual Forum, “Clear Pathways: From College to Career”, we’ll discuss the key ingredients for successful partnerships, including:

  • Student recruitment
  • Industry selection
  • Curriculum development

On Wednesday, November 13, "How AI May Change Student Engagement" will dig into how AI transforms higher-ed practices, notably how faculty and staff engage with students. This Virtual Forum will address concerns about these fast-evolving technologies and discuss findings from our recent survey on...

Inspiration, Research, and Best Practices

Part of The Center’s mission is to keep you informed about current best practices and pedagogical approaches. Each issue of Center Connections includes links that are meant to be engaging, thought-provoking, and applicable to various classroom environments. For information on MATC's free access to Magna Commons publications, please see The Center's website.   Enjoy the rabbit hole!

Faculty share their experiences adopting digital learning tools to promote equity and outline the activities they designed.
One of the courses I am teaching this semester is a senior-level course titled Autonomic Nervous System Regulation. In this class, we examine the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is the part of our nervous system that governs involuntary physiological processes, such as our heart and...
Eight years ago, our oldest son was deciding which of the two main high schools in our town to attend. Both schools were highly rated, but in reviewing their pros and cons, what emerged as a key difference could be summed up in their mottos.

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