Academic Learning Communities: Call for Participants

Creating Inclusive Educational Ecosystems for Minority STEM Students

Spring 2020

Conveners:

• Dorian Arnold, Associate Professor, Computer Science
• Gillian Hue, Lecturer, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology
• Donna Troka, Senior Associate Director, CFDE

As Anthony Jack, Assistant Professor of Education at Harvard University, and author of The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students, has argued, for many “disadvantaged” students, getting into elite colleges and universities is only “half the battle.” In this Academic Learning Community, we will read Jack’s book and discuss how we can apply the findings of his research to the Emory context. We will discuss how students are recruited, admitted, what role faculty play, and how disadvantaged students need more than financial aid. Additionally, we will discuss and propose ways to make the educational ecosystem at Emory more inclusive. Though the focus of this ALC is minority STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) students, much of what we discuss is applicable to many disciplinary settings.

Particulars:

The ALC will meet on the following days from 1:00-2:30pm:

• Thursday, January 30: Introduce “The Privileged Poor” by Anthony Jack
• Thursday, February 13: Discussion of Chapter 1 - Understanding the varied backgrounds of minority students.
• Thursday, February 27: Discussion of Chapter 2 - The Importance of student-faculty relationships
• Thursday, March 26: Discussion of Chapter 3 - Support beyond financial aid
• Thursday, April 23: Discussion of Conclusion – What changes can we make
• Thursday, May 7: Development of an Emory-specific proposal

The deadline for application is Friday, December 6.

Call for Participants:  Academic Learning Community

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Spring 2020

Conveners: 

• Bree Ettinger, Senior Lecturer, Mathematics
• Jessica Barber, Senior Lecturer, Psychology  

In Fall 2019, the CFDE sponsored part one of an Academic Learning Community on SoTL. ALC participants studied examples of SoTL projects, talked about analyzing different types of data, conversed with an expert panel of faculty who have conducted SoTL projects here at Emory, discussed how best to navigate human subject requirements (IRB) as well as learned the history and context of SoTL work from Higher Educational Consultant and SoTL expert Professor Mick Healey. In this second semester of the ALC, we will continue this theoretical discussion addressing the following topics: statistical design, ethical guidelines for use of student work, along with how and where to present and publish SoTL work. Participants will have the opportunity to workshop their own project ideas and papers. In sessions two, three, and four, participants will talk through their project, and as a group we will help them to brainstorm their next steps. The intended outcome for this ALC is that each participant will have developed at least a draft of a SoTL presentation or publication.

Space is limited. Applicants will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

Particulars:

The Seminars will meet from 2:30-4:00 pm on the following dates:

• Jan 30: Discuss and Lay Out a Writing Strategy with Allison Adams
• Feb 13: Statistical Design
• Feb 28: Ethical Guidelines for Use of Student Work
• March 26: Presenting SoTL in your discipline or for promotion
• April 30: Present and Share