Spring 2024 Call for Teaching Circles, Learning Communities, and Writing Accountability Groups

The CAE welcomes all to the Spring 2024 semester! We would like to announce a call for the formation of Teaching Circles, Learning Communities, and Writing Accountability Groups. These initiatives aim to foster a supportive and collaborative environment that promotes professional growth and productivity in teaching and scholarly writing.

Teaching Circles & Learning Communities
Teaching Circles and Learning Communities are small groups of faculty members who meet regularly to discuss and share teaching strategies, challenges, and successes, typically around a particular theme. Teaching Circles in the past have focused on STEM teaching and learning practices, mid-career Faculty of Color, and Non-Tenure Track Faculty. These groups provide a safe and informal space for faculty to enhance their teaching skills, receive feedback, and implement innovative pedagogical practices. Whether you are a seasoned instructor or new to teaching, your insights and experiences are valuable to the collective learning of the group.

If you are interested in forming a Teaching Circle or Learning Community, please email us at cae@fairfield.edu with your idea for a topic. We would love to workshop and collaborate with you!

Writing Accountability Groups
Writing Accountability Groups are designed to provide structure, support, and motivation for faculty engaged in various forms of writing and creative endeavors. The term "writing and research" encompasses a broad spectrum of activities, extending beyond traditional scholarly output. We encourage members to join a Writing Accountability Group not only to advance academic papers and grants but also to set aside time to revisit and innovate class assignments and assessments, revive an idea to create a new course, or even to have dedicated time to develop personal writing projects like memoirs, novels, or op-eds. Members commit to regular meetings where they set goals, share progress, and hold each other accountable. These groups are an excellent opportunity to advance your projects, whether they be scholarly articles, grants, books, curriculum plans, or personal writing endeavors, in a supportive and goal-oriented setting.

If you are interested in joining a Writing Accountability Group, please email us at cae@fairfield.edu by Thursday, February 15. We will split participants up into groups and hold an initial gathering to discuss goals and establish meeting schedules. Groups will decide their regular meeting frequency and format, with options for both in-person and virtual gatherings.

NCFDD
In addition to our Writing Accountability Groups, we encourage faculty to join the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity’s (NCFDD) 14-day Writing Challenge. Fairfield is an institutional member of the NCFDD and any faculty member with a fairfield.edu email address can create an account at ncfdd.org. Registration closes February 16th and the program runs from February 26 - March 10.