Kendall Center NewsletterApril 1, 2015

April Faculty Writing Retreats at GAC and ASI

March Writing Retreats will be held on Saturday, April 11 at ASI and Sunday, April 12 at Gustavus (Board Room). Faculty can sign up for a full day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. devoted to writing. We’ll provide breakfast and lunch. Please visit the Kendall Center website under Writing Retreats for upcoming dates and info. Please reserve a space with Cathy Blaukat for one or all of the writing retreats.

Teachers Talking (11:30 Session only)

Join us on Wednesday, April 9 for Teachers Talking (one session only 11:30-12:20). Topic: Metacognition: The hidden key to learning? Effective learning involves setting appropriate goals, accurately evaluating one's developing understanding, and adapting learning strategies as needed. These activities are “metacognitive” in nature and while critically important in learning, they are often overlooked. This Teacher’s Talking will offer specific, easy-to-implement strategies that support student metacognition. Come have lunch and engage in conversations about implementing strategies that support metacognition in student learning across a variety of disciplines. Program at 11:30 am only. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room.

Faculty Shop Talk

Deborah Downs-Miers (Associate Professor, English) will present a Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, April 10. Her talk entitled, "Subtexts and Subversions Redux: What Do Stealth Writers Want?” will be presented at 4:30 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Feel free to arrive any time after 4:15 p.m. The abstract for this and future talks may be viewed on the Kendall Center website, under Shop Talks.

Teachers Talking Writing

Join us on Tuesday, April 14 for Teachers Talking Writing. Teaching Content or Teaching Writing? Do they complement or conflict? This session will focus on successful, quick classroom strategies for promoting "content retention" while building skills in written communication. Program at 11:30 am and again at 12:30 pm. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, then meet in the Heritage Room.

New Faculty Orientation Session

Join us on April 16 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic: Gustavus its Mission and Heritage. This session explores the mission of Gustavus and its unique place in higher education. Topics include Gustavus as a liberal arts college, Lutheran higher education and Gustavus’s connection to the Lutheran (ELCA) church, and its Swedish immigrant roots. Presenters: Will Freiert, Glenn Kranking, and Marcia Bunge. Free lunch at the Three Crowns Buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room, 12:30 to 1:20 p.m.

New Faculty Mentor/Mentee Social
(tenure-track only)

All new tenure-track faculty and mentors please join us on Wednesday, April 22 for a wine and cheese social from 4:30 pm to 6 pm in the St Peter Room. This is a social for new tenure-track faculty and their mentors. New faculty (and their mentors) from the past two years are also invited.

Faculty Shop Talk

Join us for a Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, April 24 at 4:30 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Feel free to arrive any time after 4:15 p.m. The abstract for this and future talks may be viewed on the Kendall Center website, under Shop Talks.

Curriculum Development and Revitalization Grants

The John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning is offering support for faculty designing a new semester-long course, or substantially re-designing an existing semester-long course, to reflect a global, multicultural, or interdisciplinary curriculum. Please see grant guidelines and timeline on the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning website under Grants. Deadline to apply is April 30.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Kendall Center Scholarship of Teaching and Learning grants support faculty in projects examining teaching and learning practices in their discipline(s) in a systematic way by using systematic research methods and by making the results known to the campus community. Please see grant guidelines and timeline on the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning website under Grants. Deadline to apply is April 30.