Faculty Workshops and Forums

1. Off-Campus Faith & Learning Focused Workshop or Seminar
Sometime during their first three years at GU, each new faculty member will attend an off- campus F&L- focused conference or seminar, such as a CCCU New Faculty Workshop, a CCCU disciplinary conference, a Christian University Consortium seminar, a Calvin Summer Seminar, etc. If funding is not provided by the seminar sponsor, the University will pay for the registration and travel expenses for this workshop/seminar. (The Academic Affairs Office will keep records about faculty member’s participation in these types of F&L focused conferences, and participation in such a conference or seminar will be a criterion of evaluation for the “Fourth- Year” review.)

2. All-Employee Development Week
All faculty participate annually in the All-Employee Development Week, which takes place the week before the first day of classes. The Center for Teaching and Learning, working with the chief academic officer, plans this event to promote a sense of community and help faculty and staff as they develop within the GU community. This is the first required event for faculty and staff each fall. (See APPENDIX A: Faculty Operational Guidelines for more information.)

3. Faculty Forum
The Faculty Forum is a luncheon series designed to help faculty and administrative staff learn about teaching techniques, gain exposure to current ideas in a variety of disciplines, and come together as a community of scholars. Faculty Forum programs are normally offered at least monthly during the fall and spring semesters. They are usually given by GU faculty but occasionally feature outside speakers. Lunch is offered free of charge.

4. Faculty Development Workshops
Faculty are encouraged to attend Faculty Development Workshops. These workshops are sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning and are for the purpose of helping faculty gain skills in teaching, scholarship, governance, and/or service. Generally, they are held in the afternoon, and are open to all in the community who are interested in participating.

5. May Convention
All faculty participate annually in the May Convention, which takes place directly after graduation. The chief academic officer and the Center for Teaching and Learning, plans this event to: (1) promote data driven instruction from the previous year’s assessment data; and (2) share findings from FLCs so that expertise developed in a field is disseminated to a broader audience. Faculty will have opportunities to reflect and analyze their teaching then begin the planning process for the upcoming year. The upcoming FLCs will be presented and faculty will then sign up for one according to their interests which will begin the next fall. FLCs will have their initial meeting to plan for their topic, begin to build a sense of community, and establish expectations. Evocative coaches will also match with faculty who wish to begin that relationship and they will plan for the upcoming year.