Kendall Center NewsletterNovember 1, 2021

Kendall Center J-term Programming

The Kendall Center for Engaged Learning is pleased to offer these various sessions, workshops, and reading groups during J-term. Please visit the website for the full list. Books and refreshments will be provided to participants. Please email Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu) to register. 

Innovative Teaching Award

The John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning and the Provost’s Office would like 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. Therefore, we offer 2 Innovative Teaching Awards -- one that recognizes innovations at the Course or Curricular level ($1000 prize) and a second that recognizes innovative Assignments ($500 prize). All faculty are encouraged to self nominate or nominate others. Nominations must be received by 5 pm on Friday, November 5, 2021. Please visit the Kendall Center website HERE for more information.

Faculty Writing Retreats at Gustavus and ASI

The Kendall Center is hosting monthly Writing Retreats at Gustavus and at American Swedish Institute (ASI). November Writing Retreats will be held on Saturday, November 13 at American Swedish Institute, Mpls ($15 toward lunch) and at Gustavus (Konferensrum). Faculty can participate in a full day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. devoted to writing. We’ll provide lunch. Please visit the Kendall Center website for upcoming dates and info. Please email Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gac.edu) to sign up.

New Faculty Orientation Session 11/4

Join us on Thursday, November 4 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic: On-campus Grant Opportunities. Facilitator: Sarah Bridges, Assistant Dean of Research and Director of Research & Sponsored Programs. Learn about internal and external grant opportunities: scope of each grant, timing, budgets, and how to apply. Free lunch at Marketplace (grab a coupon from David Stamps), then meet in the St Peter Room. 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

Faculty Shop Talk 11/5

Laura Triplett (Geology Dept. Chair) and Valerie Banschbach (Associate Provost and Dean of Sciences and Education) will present at Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, November 5. Their talk "Pipeline Pedagogy: Teaching about Energy and Environmental Justice Contestations" 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 HERE

Mentoring Community

The Kendall Center believes that anyone at any stage of their lives and careers can benefit from space and opportunity to share their whole self. The mentoring community also strengthens the Gustavus community, reminding us that we are not alone and we are stronger together. This community hopes to spark further conversations and future collaborations. Regardless of age, background, faculty rank and status, all faculty who are interested in building and strengthening their relationships with others in the Gustavus Community are invited to attend any or all of the three 90 min gatherings throughout the school year. These gatherings will be facilitated with time to reflect and write on specific questions/issues as well as opportunities to practice deep listening and sharing in small groups. Please join us for our second online gathering on Sunday, November 14 from 3:30 pm to 5 pm.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://hellogustavus.zoom.us/j/82079221863?pwd=WTVyRjAwUzl1ZHJiNFQ1a0I4NVlpdz09 
 Meeting ID: 820 7922 1863Passcode: F5N7jrn5

Teachers Talking 11/12

Please join us on Friday, November 12 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Advising for Studay Away. Study away, an important part of about half of all Gusties' education, takes careful planning. This session will look at strategies and resources for advising students about their study away options and will invite participants to discuss their own approaches to encouraging students to study away. Program is at 11:30 am and 12:30pm. Free lunch (Marketplace coupons), then meet in the Heritage Room. For a full list of sessions please visit the Kendall Center webpage under Teachers Talking. 

Faculty Shop Talk 11/19

Amanda Nienow (Professor, Chemistry) will present at Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, November 19. Her talk "Understanding the Environmental Chemistry of the Troubling Herbicide Dicamba" 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 HERE

Teachers Talking 11/29

Please join us on Monday, November 29 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Supporting Student & Faculty Mental Health in the Classroom. Hannah Godbout (Director in Counseling Center) will facilitate a discussion on supporting students with mental health concerns during an ongoing pandemic and providing a space for them to develop resilience….All while taking care of yourself! Program is at 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Free lunch (Marketplace coupons), then meet in the Heritage Room. 

2 Day Faculty Writing Retreat

The Kendall Center is sponsoring a Writing Retreat for faculty on Tuesday, January 11 and Wedesday, January 12 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. The Kendall Center is sponsoring a Writing Retreat for faculty on Tuesday, January 11 and Wednesday, January 12 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. The Kendall Center covers the cost of the retreat which is for a double room (shared with another faculty member). You can request a single room for $50 fee. Please RSVP to Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu) to sign up.Please RSVP to Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu) to sign up.

Community-engaged mini-grants are back!

The Kendall Center is excited to announce the return of community-engaged learning mini-grants. CEL mini-grant funds can be deployed in a variety of flexible ways to support any faculty-led community-facing learning endeavor, including course-based community collaborations, student-involved community-based research, or faculty scholarship involving collaborative community participation. All Gustavus faculty members are eligible to apply. Requests will be considered up to $750 as long as funds are available. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Funds are flexible and may be used for various expenses including transportation costs, materials and supplies, honoraria to community partners, printing costs, meeting space and food expenses, and other expenses as needed. Some restrictions apply. For more information, visit webpage or contact the CEL Faculty Fellow Martin Lang (mlang3@gustavus.edu).