Stay Informed!
We promote upcoming professional development opportunities in this newsletter, on the portal, and on our Faculty Center Facebook Group. The Facebook Group allows you to receive reminders of upcoming events that you are interested in participating in, enjoy photos from various events, and interact with your colleagues.

Accessibility MS PowerPoint 365

November 11, 2021, 2pm-3pm
Presenters: Regina Hierholzer, Instructional Designer, and Debbie Carney, Accessibility Advocate
Summary: Learn best practices for making your new or existing PowerPoint (PPT) accessible. PowerPoint is frequently used by instructors in the classroom and also posted to Canvas for students to access. There are several simple ways to make sure your PowerPoint Presentations are accessible to all students. Attend this virtual session to find out how you can be assured that your presentations are accessible. 

Sign up:

WAC—Writing Across the College by Charlie Groth

The deadline for faculty feedback on WAC's Writing Intensive/Writing Enhanced designations proposal is being extended until Friday, October 29th. Please see MyBucks or the email from your dean for the draft of the proposal, a PowerPoint reviewing the proposal, and the link to the Survey Monkey feedback form.


WAC101 on Friday, Nov. 12, 2pm
To sign up, click here:
Trevor Project CARE Training
Date: November 16, 2021, 2pm-4pm
 
Trevor’s CARE Training is an interactive workshop that expertly and empathetically explores suicidality and mental health challenges among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. CARE is an acronym for “Connect, Accept, Respond, Empower”, or the steps we’ve identified as the best way to respond to someone in need of support. This training identifies risk reduction methods, crisis de-escalation and communication tactics, and common stressors that may contribute to a heightened risk for suicide and poor mental health.
 
Sign up:
 
Zoom link:
Passcode: trevor
Wordsmiths Fall 2021
Sunday, November 14, 1pm

Tyler 142 and on Zoom
Ernest Hilbert and 2020 Poet Laureate
 
Ernest Hilbert is the author of Sixty Sonnets, All of You on the good Earth, and Caligulan, which was selected as winner of the 2017 Poets’Prize. His fourth collection, Last One Out, appeared in March 2019. He lives in Philadelphia where he works as a rare book dealer and book reviewer for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. His poem “Mars Ultor” appeared in Best American Poetry 2018. Visit him at www.ernesthilbert.com
AACHIEVE Workshop
Tuesday, November 30, 2pm-3pm
Presenter: Karen Kaplinski
 
This workshop will discuss the components of the AACHIEVE program at BCCC. This is a program to support students who have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder who are current students at BCCC. We will also be discussing how faculty and administration can help support this population of students.
 
Sign up:
Zoom link:
Faculty Learning Communities by Kate D’Auria
 
Our fall 2021 Faculty Learning Community explored Relationship Rich Education by Felton and Lambert (2020). It is a quick read, available in our library, and full of research-based strategies to build relationships and community that are necessary for student success.
Here is a link to learn more about the book https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/relationship-rich-education

Next steps: How does a 25% INCREASE in Retention sound?? Which strategies below will you implement?

One section of the book described the Persistence Project at Oakton Community College in Illinois, which is detailed in the table below and the results are in the graph that follows. The article from Columbia about the project is at the bottom.
We already do some of this, so let's do the next steps and see if we can build some relationships and retain some students!
In November, we will start the next FLC with the goal of implementing these strategies and measuring the results starting on day one in spring 2022. 20 faculty will participate in the project and 10 spots are left!
Email Kate if you want to join us. Kate.dauria@bucks.edu
 
  1. These are the strategies the faculty in the study implemented in ONE class with the goal of retaining students: (FPP means Faculty Persistence Project)
 
From the article (Barnett May 9 2018 CCRC Columbia)
"Faculty Activities in FPP Course Sections

First Three Weeks of Class
Rest of the Semester
  • Set clear, high academic standards but not policies that easily doom students.
  • Learn names and have students learn one another’s names.
  • Give feedback on an assignment or quiz.
  • Hold 15-minute, one-to-one “get-to-know-you” conferences with each student.
  • Acquaint students with resources and opportunities at Oakton.
  • Attend at least one cocurricular event with students.
  • Contact students who are struggling in class and offer them help.
  • Talk with students about completing an associate degree or certificate.
  • Participate in assessment activities for the project as a whole.

Here are the impressive results
"Overall, participants in FPP courses were much more likely to persist, with differences between participating and nonparticipating students of 24–25 percentage points—much higher than the impact found from other initiatives." (from Barnett May 9, 2018)

Tech Day
Save the date!

The annual Technology Day conference for Bucks employees will be via Zoom on Friday, January 7 from 8:30am – 1:00pm. We are collecting presentation topic suggestions. Please use this link to submit your suggestion by Friday, November 12th: Tech Day 2022 Topics Survey (surveymonkey.com).
Middle States Minute

In the next few months, we have a few re-affirmation of accreditation milestones! First, an updated version of the self-study draft was made available in early September.

Next, employees and students provide feedback on the draft and learn more about upcoming events. At the end of October, our peer evaluation team chair will visit with college representatives to discuss preparations for the peer evaluation team visit occurring in early April 2022.

Key take-aways:

Instructional Tech Tuesday for November
Create Collaborative Conversations Asynchronously with VoiceThread
In a one-on-one remote session, learn how to build VoiceThread assignments in your Canvas course space to facilitate asynchronous conversations and presentations. More information at https://bucks.libguides.com/voicethread. Please contact jacqueline.burger@bucks.edu to schedule a one-on-one.
 
Synchronous and Asynchronous Engaging Lectures with Nearpod
In a one-on-one remote session, learn how-to use Nearpod to gather real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, interactive videos, gamification, and activities. More information at: https://bucks.libguides.com/nearpod. Please contact jacqueline.burger@bucks.edu to schedule a one-on-one.
 
VidGrid for Recording, Uploading and Creating Engaging Multimedia
In a self-paced modality, learn how to use our newly licensed video hosting platform VidGrid. Instruction available at: https://bucks.libguides.com/vidgrid. One-on-one training available. Please contact jacqueline.burger@bucks.edu to schedule.
FaST LANE

FaST LANE – Zooming Online Now!

Support from Bucks Online, Instructional Designers, Accessibility Advocate, Instructional Technology. Click on the appropriate tabs.
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Bucks Wellness

Every Thursday except the week of Thanksgiving at all 3 campus locations!—Yang Yoga with Melissa Mooney (see My Bucks for details)
11/16—Diabetes Awareness—Get your Glucose Tested by our Nursing Students at all 3 Bucks Campus locations.
Wellness Book Discussion- FISH! A remarkable Way to Boost Morale & Improve Results—Thursday, November 18, 2021, 1:30pm-2:30pm
 
Gateway 205, Newtown Campus or Zoom
 
Join us for a fun discussion on the book FISH! By Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D. It is a quick 100 page read that provides the footprint to bring energy and inspiration to your work, school, and life, Copies will be available in the Bucks Library. The discussion will take place in person in Gateway 205 and through Zoom.
From the Library
 
The Library's electronic resources are accessible remotely, 24 hours per day, and free to the college community. Our library databases cover subject areas across a wide breadth of domains, including Health Sciences, Business, Literature, and Behavioral Sciences. The Library also provides access to educational films, eBooks, eJournals, and audio books. Please visit the library databases page for more information 

Stitch-in via Zoom
Wednesdays, noon-1pm

Join us for our usual Stitch-in. We are using Zoom to meet. Bring your project to your computer and take your mind to a different place. The Zoom link will be posted in the announcements on MyBucks.
Need Help? Visit the Help Desk and Services Center LibGuide
Check out this link to locate useful information including contact information, hours, and tutorials for the technology used at Bucks.
Feedback and Ideas? Contact Us!
If you have an idea for a topic you'd like to present, or one that you would like to see presented by someone else, contact any of us!

We promote upcoming professional development opportunities in this newsletter, on the portal, and on our Faculty Center Facebook Group.
The Facebook Group allows you to receive reminders of upcoming events that you are interested in participating in, enjoy photos from various events, and interact with your colleagues.
We hope you’ll join our Facebook Group- Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning

CONTACT US

Linda McCann
Faculty Development Coordinator
Karl Carter
Director, Personal and Professional Development
Kate D'Auria
Associate Professor, Education
Faculty Learning Communities
Samantha Gross
Associate Dean, Academic Initiatives
Jacqueline Burger
Learning Technologies Liaison