Kendall Center NewsletterSeptember 1, 2018

Sabbatical Re-Entry Lunch

There will be a lunch and meeting for those faculty returning from Sabbatical on Wednesday, September 5 from 11:30 to 1 pm in the St Peter Room.

2 Day Faculty Writing Retreat

The Kendall Center is sponsoring a Writing Retreat for faculty on Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30 at Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center in Farmington, MN. This is a great opportunity to focus on your writing. The retreat is open to all faculty and space is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please RSVP to Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu) by FRIDAY, September 14.

Faculty Writing Retreats at Gustavus and ASI

The Kendall Center is hosting monthly Writing Retreats at Gustavus and at ASI. September Writing Retreats will be held on Saturday, September 15 at ASI and 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 see attached or visit the Kendall Center website for upcoming dates and info. Please reserve a space with Cathy Blaukat (cblauka@gustavus.edu) for one or all of the writing retreats.

Teachers Talking

Join us on Thursday, September 6 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Avoiding hidden messages: Strategies to reduce implicit bias in recommendation and reference letters facilitated by Margaret Bloch Qazi. Implicit bias is an unconscious process by which we favor some perceived identities or characteristics relative to others. Because we are often not aware of them, these biases may be revealed in subtle ways - such as the language we use to evaluate our colleagues and students. In this teachers talking, we will explore how implicit bias can influence the letters we write for others and review specific, concrete strategies for interrupting this unconscious influence. Program at 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, then meet in the Heritage Room.

New Faculty Orientation Session

Join us on Thursday, September 13 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic is Checking In. An open‐ended opportunity for new faculty to get to know each other, share their experiences in the first week, and have questions answered in a supportive environment (e.g. J-term proposals are due the next day). What are your intentions for the semester and how might your goals be reached? Free lunch at the Three Crowns Buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room, 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

First Friday Faculty Social

The Kendall Center invites all faculty to the First Friday Faculty Social on Friday, September 14 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Get to know new faculty, reconnect with colleagues, and celebrate the start of the new year. Refreshments provided. Hosted by the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning and the Office of the Provost.

New Faculty Orientation Session

Join us on Thursday, September 20 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic Grading: Policies and Rubrics. How might we grade assignments strategically? We can save time while giving students valuable feedback. We will also discuss the nuts and bolts of grading policies in general. A variety of assignment types are discussed. Free lunch at the Three Crowns Buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room, 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

Faculty Shop Talk

Carlos Mejia Suarez (Assistant Professor in MLLC) will present at Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, September 21. His talk "Transgression and the Symbolic Order of Human Rights in Contemporary Latin American Literature" 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 at http://gustavus.edu/events/shoptalks/.

Teachers Talking

Join us on Tuesday, September 25 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Gender identity and equity in the classroom and across campus facilitated by Margaret Bloch Qazi. Gustavus holds respecting and caring for all members of our community as a core value. One way to do this is to see and recognize the identities of our students. For students who don't identify with the gender assigned at birth (transgender), with both genders, or with neither gender, names matter. In this Teachers Talking, we will share simple and meaningful ways we can recognize and respect the gender identities of our students and colleagues. Program at 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, then meet in the Heritage Room.

New Faculty Orientation Session (Non-Tenure Track only)

Join us on Thursday, September 27 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic Making the Most of Term Appointments – Workshop CV and Interviews. You just started, but may be in the process of applying for a tenure track job. How do you position yourself as a top candidate? Bring an example of your CV and we will workshop it. What do (Gustavus) Departments look for when hiring? How do you prepare and deliver for an interview? Free lunch at the Three Crowns Buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room, 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

Innovative Teaching Award

The John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning and the Provost’s Office have created the Innovative Teaching Award to recognize faculty who are engaged in innovative teaching (e.g., new uses of instructional technology, new ways to engage students in the learning process, new approaches to student collaboration, or new methods for improving student learning outcomes) and to encourage the dissemination of effective practices by sharing promising innovations with faculty more broadly. The Innovative Teaching Award that includes campus-wide recognition as well as a monetary prize. Nominations must be received by 5 pm on Monday, November 12. Please see attached for details.

Research, Scholarship, & Creativity Publication

The Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Publication 2016-2017 is now available on the Kendall Center website. If you would like a hard copy, please email Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat) and a copy will be placed in campus mail for you.

Kendall Center Writing Space

The Kendall Center Conference Room (Anderson 303) is available for faculty writing. The space is quiet, stocked with tea and coffee, and can be accessed with your faculty ID. A few Kendall Center research and teaching groups are meeting there, so check the calendar before coming over (https://gustavus.edu/kendallcenter/roomschedule.php).