Faculty Learning Communities: Recommendations for Initiating & Implementing a FLC within your Department Marian Moore, Career Services

Objectives Describe what a Faculty Learning Community (FLC)is and summarize the different types Discuss what is entailed in the initial planning and implementation of FLCs Identify the characteristics of building an effective FLC

Faculty Learning Community (FLC) Consists of a community of “cross-disciplinary faculty and staff group of six to fifteen members (eight to twelve members is the recommended size) who engage in an active, collaborative, yearlong program with a curriculum about enhancing teaching and learning and with frequent seminars and activities that provide learning, development, the scholarship of teaching, and community building ” (Cox, 2004).

Types of Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) 1.Cohort-based 2.Topic-based

Types of Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) Cohort-based Address the teaching, learning, and developmental needs of an important group of faculty or staff that has been particularly affected by the isolation, fragmentation, stress, neglect, or chilly climate in the academy. Include a broad range of teaching and learning areas and topics of interest to them Ex. junior faculty, midcareer and senior faculty, department chairs, deans, and graduate students preparing to be future faculty

Types of Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) Topic-based Address a special campus teaching and learning need, issue, or opportunity. Ex. Internationalization of the curriculum, First-Year Experience, Problem- based learning, Technology

Initiating and Implementing a FLC

Tips for Creating a Customized Learning Community Decide which faculty members will be involved Established and respected faculty members Be cognizant of demands on untenured faculty members Seek diversity in status and perspectives, if possible Examine how learning communities can fit in with existing campus initiatives Take advantage of writing-across-the-curriculum or first year experience programs Decide which administrative and professional staff personnel should be involved in implementing and maintaining the learning community Work with academic and student affairs Maintain a good working relationship with the registrar’s office

Tips for Creating a Customized Learning Community Discover what types of internal and external resources are available Consider asking for some compensation (course release, stipend, travel money) Consider writing a grant proposal Consider how the learning community will become institutionalized Consider developing a steering committee Consider how you will evaluate the effectiveness of the learning community Design assessment mechanisms when you design the goals of the learning community Use both qualitative and quantitative data (focus groups, surveys, institutional data) ( Thies, 2005).

Qualities of Building Community 1.Safety and trust. Must have a sense of safety and trust. 2.Openness. Participants can feel free to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of retribution. 3.Respect. Members need to feel that they are valued and respected as people. 4.Responsiveness. Members must respond respectfully to one another. 5.Collaboration. Centers on group members’ ability to work with and respond to one another.

Qualities of Building Community 6.Relevance. Learning outcomes are aligned with the subject matter of the FLC to the participants’ teaching, courses, scholarship, professional interests, and life experiences. 7.Enjoyment. Activities must include social opportunities to lighten up and bond and should take place in invigorating environments. Ex. a retreat off-campus. 8.Esprit de corps. Sharing individual and community outcomes with colleagues in the academy should generate pride and loyalty. 9.Empowerment. Faculty members leave with better courses and a clearer understanding of themselves and their students. Key outcomes include scholarly teaching and contributions to the scholarship of teaching (Cox, 2004).

Sources Cox, M. D. (2004). Introduction to faculty learning communities. New Directions For Teaching & Learning, (97), Thies, C. G. (2005). A Crash Course in Learning Communities for the Political Scientist. Journal Of Political Science Education, 1(1), doi: /

Thank You! Marian Moore Center for Teaching and Learning January 30, 2014 Teaching Symposium