REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Faculty Forum May 4-6, 2022
We can’t teach what we don’t know, and we can’t lead where we won’t go. -Malcolm X
SIGN IN TO WIN We are thrilled to have you here with us. Just a reminder to sign in for every Faculty Forum session you attend (for Zoom sessions, make sure your name has been recorded). Reason: Every time you attend a session during the Faculty Forum (which includes the field trip, the keynote address, and the Health and Wellness sessions), your name will be entered for a drawing for several giveaways: • Live plants grown by students and faculty of the Reynolds Horticulture Program • Soup stock and other goodies prepared by faculty and students at The Kitchens at Reynolds • A coupon for $200 off a pair of glasses prepared by students and faculty in Opticianry • Certificate to Front Porch Café This means the more sessions you attend, the greater your chances of winning one of our giveaways! Winners will be announced Monday, May 9 by email. Our sincere thanks to Dave Seward and Karin Stretchko (Horticulture), Jesse Miller (Culinary), and Leah Exline (Opticianry) for making this possible.
OUR PROGRAM Wednesday, May 4 | Face-to-Face Day 8:30 - 10 a.m. | Coffee on us! Coffee Shop: PRC or DTC Locations
Grab a coffee or tea at Julian’s to help you finish up your grading!
Noon | Box lunches In-person: PRC, Workforce Development and Conference Center Gallery 12:25 p.m. | Welcome Dr. Lori Dwyer, Vice President of Academic Affairs 12:30 p.m. | Embedding Equity Practices in Your Teaching and Your Life In-person: PRC, Workforce Development and Conference Center Gallery Dr. Lois Leveen, Keynote Speaker What does it look like when we center equity in our teaching and in our lives? How does our understanding of — and our actions around — equity change over time? Our keynote speaker, Dr. Lois Leveen, will open the lunchtime program with some examples of her own experiences grappling with how to bring equity into learning, teaching, and life. With our very own Marianne McGhee, Reynolds Director of Development, as interlocutor, Dr. Leveen will then open up a discussion for Reynolds faculty about the questions, challenges, and goals we have for deepening equity on our campus, and in our lives. Dr. Lois Leveen is currently the inaugural Cokie Roberts Fellow in Women’s History at the National Archives; this past autumn, she was a Virginia Humanities fellow at the Library of Virginia, and a Mellon Fellow at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Dr. Leveen earned degrees in history and literature from Harvard University, the University of Southern California, and UCLA. A former faculty member at UCLA and Reed College, she is now a public humanities scholar, leading programs at museums, libraries, humanities organizations, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities. Her writing about race, history, and American culture has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and similar outlets, as well as in scholarly journals and academic books. Several of her articles and chapters are now included in textbooks, and her work in medical humanities is taught in medical schools. Dr. Leveen is an award-winning poet and the author of two novels, The Secrets of Mary Bowser and Juliet’s Nurse.
2-3:30 p.m. | Health and Wellness Sessions In-person: PRC Meditation for Academics/Tai Chi (for all fitness levels) On the paved walkway behind the library and across from the Welcome Center dumpsters Dr. Jena Zarling and Kim Hasley Dr. Jena Zarling will lead faculty in a short meditation. Meditation has been shown to improve your overall well-being and quality of life. By semester’s end, most faculty have experienced a buildup of stress that needs to be released. Meditation for Academics will introduce some antidotes. Kim Hasley will lead you in a short tai chi session. Tai Chi has been called moving meditation. Increase your flexibility and balance while reducing anxiety and stress.
Mellow Music (for all music lovers) Between the WDCC building and Burnette Hall Jewell Booker and John Negri (professional musicians) Elevate your mood! Did you know that music can decrease cortisol (the stress hormone) and lower your blood pressure? In this session, Jewell will help lift your spirits by singing a diverse collection of feel-good tunes accompanied by our own talented music faculty, John Negri, on guitar. Opportunities to sing along if you want!
Sketch Workshop (for non-artists or would-be artists of all levels) Behind the library in the grassy area that has built-in metal chairs and tables Marty Watkin (MFA, VCU School of the Arts ) Did you know that spontaneous drawing can improve focus? When we are drawing en plein air we experience nature all around us as we engage the right side of our brain. Join Marty for this chance to do some contour drawing and gesture drawing. If you don’t know these terms, don’t worry; she’ll explain. Sketch journals and graphite pencils provided. Live (clothed) human models also provided.
Geology Scavenger Hunt In front of the fountain next to the WDCC building Dr. Karen Layou Did you know that searching for items while communicating with peers can activate the brain while promoting emotional and physical well-being? During this campuswide scavenger hunt, you will be searching items along with a small team of your colleagues. Join Karen Layou outside on the PRC campus to move your body and mind—we’ll have a bit of fun practicing your observation skills while getting a bit of fresh air. Grab a friend, wear your walking shoes, and bring a phone!
Thursday, May 5 | HyFlex Day To attend the days events virtually, please visit https://vccs.zoom.us/j/84519958554.
9 a.m. | Welcome to participants HyFlex: Attend in-person at PRC (Burnette Hall room 200) or virtually Dr. Bruce Sofinski, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences 9-10 a.m. | Building Lessons that Raise Student Achievement HyFlex: Attend in-person at PRC (Burnette Hall room 200) or virtually Shalini Upadhyaya Strong relationships built between student and instructor can lead directly to increased student engagement. The watchwords are: engage, participate, and achieve. This session will explore how evidence-based teaching practices introduced by ACUE (Association of College and University Educators) can redefine the relationship between professors and their students which can lead to greater student participation, and as a result, higher achievement rates. Bring a lesson you’ve tried before that you wish to re-design. During this presentation, we will select 2-3 of these lessons to create an on-the-spot redesign using ACUE practices. Note: If your lesson is not chosen for the presentation, afterwards Shalini will reach out to you individually and set up a time to work with you to help re-design your lesson. Shalini Upadhyaya is a full-time Associate Professor of Biology.
10-10:40 a.m. | Winners of Challenge Awards Present their Projects HyFlex: Attend in-person at PRC (Burnette Hall room 200) or virtually Dr. Stephen Sowulewski, Dr. Robin Shepherd During the Spring 2021 semester, three faculty were awarded a Reynolds Challenge Award to carry out ideas they proposed to strengthen student and program outcomes. Over the course of this academic year, these faculty members have been working towards completion of their proposal. During this session, each faculty member will share background, insights, and outcomes of their Challenge Award projects. Stephen and Robin’s Challenge Award project showcasing Work-based Learning (WBL) placed students with regional industry partners in the areas of biosafety, chemical safety, workplace/OSHA safety, infection control and sterilization for the Central Sterile Technician program, and laboratory science. Dr. Stephen Sowulewski is a professor of Health Sciences in the School of Health Professions. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Men’s Health Network (MHN) in Washington, DC. He also is certified by the American Academy of Sports Dietitians and Nutritionists. Dr. Robin Shepherd is a professor of Health Sciences in the School of Health Professions. She is also a life traveler, educator, and master Googler.
10:45-11 a.m. | Faculty Evaluation, Rewards and Recognition HyFlex: Attend in-person at PRC (Burnette Hall room 200) or virtually Karen Neal Faculty are being asked to vote on an issue related to Faculty Evaluation, Rewards and Recognition. Karen will describe the issues, then send out links for voting. Karen Neal has been Assistant Professor of Biology for 12 years at Reynolds. She is also Chairperson of the Faculty Evaluation, Rewards and Recognition committee.
11 a.m.- noon | Filling the Holes in Swiss Cheese, Equity in the Math Classroom HyFlex: Attend in-person at PRC (Burnette Hall room 200) or virtually Kim Hasley and Dr. James Wolfle “With great teaching comes great learning.” ACUE encourages educators to reflect on what is the best interest of the student in order to strengthen student success. This session will explore the gaps in students’ mathematical background caused by the pandemic and lessons from ACUE that can help, slowly, to fill in those holes in the swiss cheese of learning. Dr. James Wolfle has graduate degrees in Adult Education and Curriculum, has served on statewide committees for the VCCS, and participated in ACUE Cohort A. He has been a full-time faculty member in the VCCS for 15 years. James serves as Professor of Mathematics and Assistant Department Head, Mathematics. Kim Hasley has been teaching mathematics for 27 years to students from elementary to college level. Without losing the rigor of the content, she strives to make her math classroom an environment where students are free to make mistakes so they can learn without fear. Kim has served as Reynolds’s Master Professor for the past three years.
12:30 - 4:30 p.m. | Community-Engaged Teaching Field Trip HyFlex: Attend in person at PRC (Burnette Hall room 200) or virtually for 30-minute talk and Shuttle bus to The Kitchens and back to PRC Dr. Danielle Leek, Dean, Online Learning & Instructional Excellence Join Danielle and community partners for this exciting field trip experience! Faculty will have an opportunity to tour East End community organizations (Church Hill Teen Center; Church Hill Activities and Tutoring including Legacy Gardens, its print shop, and live chickens; The Front Porch Café; Boys and Girls Club; VCU Medical school, The Underground Kitchen), meet program leaders, identify ways they can incorporate community-engaged learning projects into their courses. During the tour, participants will experience a tasting of fresh, local items (locallysourced coffee and a grits-and-greens bowl) and receive recipes to take home. There will also be a chance to visit The Kitchens at Reynolds. Marianne McGhee will explain how the location was first sited and the collaborative work that built The Kitchens. Field trip participants will travel via shuttle buses as a group to the East End. At 12:30 p.m., Danielle gives us a brief (30-minute) introduction to community-engaged learning. Then at 1 p.m., we load the shuttles, take our tour, and return to PRC by 4:30 p.m. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Please note: This session has limited capacity and associated costs for the college. Your registration is a commitment to participate. All participants must travel with the shuttle. Dr. Danielle Leek serves as Dean for Online Learning, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Look for a post-event email with links to Faculty Forum session recordings, a survey, and names of all prize winners from the giveaways!
Friday, May 6 | Virtual Day To attend the days events virtually, please visit https://vccs.zoom.us/j/85321199479.
9 a.m. | Welcome to participants Virtual Session via Zoom Kim Hasley 9 – 10 a.m. | Down the Rabbit Hole, Following Our Interests through Research Virtual Session via Zoom Dr. Jennifer Hitchcock Where do ideas for research come from? How can we pursue our interests and passions through different types of research? Jennifer Hitchcock encourages faculty to pursue their own interests through research and encourage students to follow their own passions through the inquiry and discovery process of academic research. She will share her research on nonviolent activism in Israel and Palestine, a documentary on the subject she filmed and produced, and the dissertation she completed as a product of all this research. Dr. Jennifer Hitchcock is Associate Professor of English at Reynolds. She is also the EDE Team Lead, Writing Consultant, and EDE Liaison for The Writing Studio.
10 – 11 a.m. | Becoming Literate in Learning Styles Virtual Session via Zoom Dr. Stephanie Daniel We all have different ways of learning. The challenge for instructors is that student learning styles vary greatly. How do we offer learning experiences that encourage student engagement? Learn how to plan effective lessons by including group work, active learning, and a focus on increasing student success rates. Dr. Stephanie Daniel has graduate degrees in Educational Management and Early Childhood Education. She is also the author of the children’s book Hop, Stop, and Go: Elijah the Great Outdoor Adventure, and has participated in ACUE Cohort D. She is a graduate of Reynolds, was an adjunct faculty for 12 years, and now is a full-time faculty member in the Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education program.
11 a.m. - Noon | Challenge Awards Projects: Teaching American Literature through Inclusive Pedagogy Virtual Session via Zoom Dr. Jane Rosecrans During the Spring 2021 semester, three faculty were awarded a Reynolds Challenge Award to carry out ideas they proposed to strengthen student and program outcomes. Over the course of this academic year, these faculty members have been working towards completion of their proposal. During this session, the faculty member will share background, insights, and outcomes of the Challenge Award project. This presentation will focus on Jane’s efforts to make substantial changes to her ENG 241 and ENG 242 syllabi over the 2021-2022 academic year. This presentation will provide statistical information on the changes made to her syllabus to substantially diversify the American literature courses, provide survey results from her students at the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester and again at the end, and provide student comments on the importance of diversity in their courses. Dr. Jane Rosecrans has been a professor in the Reynolds English department for 20 years. She has made it a focus of her work to build more inclusive syllabi.
Thank You Fiona Delarosa Dr. Lori Dwyer Marianne McGhee John Smith Dr. Bruce Sofinski
2022 Faculty Forum Planning group • Ariel Cole • Kim Hasley • Dr. Danielle Leek
• Dr. Maria Poindexter • Marty Watkin
Look for a post-event email with links to Faculty Forum session recordings, a survey, and names of all prize winners from the giveaways!