Center for Educational Excellence (CEE) 2020-21 Annual Report

1 -2 20 20 ANNUAL

REPORT CENTER FOR ED U CATI O NAL E XC E L L E NC E

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Center for Educational Excellence

D e a r Cam pus Communi t y, This pandemic year challenged all of us as educators with the dynamics of remote teaching and learning. Many of us found unexpected joys over Zoom, finding connection and community in our academic lives. Many of us also experienced loss and tragedy both in our work as well as our personal lives as we endured through the pandemic. Our team at the Center for Educational Excellence has been impressed and inspired many times over this year by the way faculty have sought out opportunities to grow in their teaching during this very difficult period.

Our faculty showed up to learn from prominent figures, including Flower Darby, Dan Levy, and James Lang, each of whom we brought to USD for virtual visits. Our faculty also showed up to learn from each other. 194 participants came together in faculty reading circles, reading and discussing books on teaching and on antiracism. 49 faculty joined communities of practice, sharing new ideas and strengthening their teaching and mentoring repertoires. As relationship building is a cornerstone of the approach we take to pedagogical development at the Center for Educational Excellence, we are very proud to have been able to facilitate and host such successful endeavors.

It has been heartening for us that our work this year was driven by the enthusiasm and eagerness USD faculty have for expanding themselves and connecting with others. Our greatest task was simply to respond to and implement the stimulating ideas faculty came up with for opportunities to grow and engage. Our devoted team of CEE Liaisons were fundamental to bringing those ideas to fruition, and we are enormously grateful for their work. 296 unique faculty participated in our events and offerings this year, and we had 1,147 total participants.

This year we devoted time, energy, and funding explicitly toward antiracism and racial equity initiatives. This work has not been prioritized on our campus and the CEE has committed to changing our own work to contribute to a long overdue shift in the larger campus culture. We added a new liaison position to our team and were delighted to have Jamall Calloway from the Theology and Religious Studies department join us in the role of Racial Equity Liaison. This position brings a much needed set of perspectives, strategies and insights to the CEE’s offerings and to our approach to faculty development more broadly. We also launched two new racial equity awards for faculty. Beyond these efforts, we aim to continually pursue meaningful ways to foster a campus culture at USD that recognizes and values the perspectives and contributions of our BIPOC faculty; a campus culture where intellectual life unmistakably includes the voices of and knowledge produced by BIPOC scholars, thinkers and activists.

Annual Report | Page 3

I am a big fan of CEE, espe cially this ye ar when the pandemic raises so many questions.

- Tom H e r m an, C om m u n i cat i on St u di es

I l o o k fo rwa rd to getting more invol ve d in t h e of fering s f rom CEE . I know by attending a n d p a rticip a t ing that I wil l be come a bette r te a c h er fo r my students.

- Mi c h ae l Loar i e , P rofe s s i on al an d C ont i n u i n g Edu cat i on

Th a n k yo u a l l fo r t h e wond er f ul wo r k yo u do a t U S D ! I a m s o g ra tef ul tha t I h a ve h a d t h e t i me to co lla b o ra te wi t h yo u o n va r i o u s in itia tives.

- Aa rti I va nic, S ch ool of B u s i n e s s

Center for Educational Excellence

MISSION & VALUES

Our Mission The Center for Educational Excellence is dedicated to inspiring educators to adopt practices that lead to meaningful student learning; enhance the success of interactions between teachers and learners; and cultivate relationships among our community of educators.

What We Value We believe that it is imperative to anchor our work in a commitment to equity in all its forms, recognizing the ever-evolving nature of injustice.

We believe that meaningful student learning is best realized through teaching that is grounded in evidence-based practices.

We believe that inspiring growth in teaching includes paying attention to holistic wellbeing and balance among professional demands such as scholarship and service.

We believe that affirming the dignity of the student through inclusive practices is critical to successful interactions between teachers and learners.

We believe that growth, exploration, and innovation in teaching happens best through a reflective process.

We believe that fostering a campus culture that values teaching includes rewarding and recognizing faculty efforts.

We believe that cross-disciplinary interactions spark creativity, collaboration, and meaningful relationships.

Annual Report | Page 5

A Ye ar in Review

1147 Tota l Pa r t i c i p a nts

2 96

100%

Un i q ue Fa cul t y Part i ci p a te d

O f School s/ U nits Re p re se nte d

Just wrapped my meeting with the accreditation folks and gave both CEE and LDC my heartfelt shout out for your generous and comprehensive assistance!!

I could NOT have done this without you!

32 I d e a s G e n e ra te d

by Fa c u l t y

- Dena Tracanna, SOLES

2029

58

Subscri be rs to O ur N ewsl et te r

T i ps Sha re d

Implemented into a variety of

With an average open rate of 767

On

CEE

each issue.

the remote classroom via our

programs,

resources,

and

opportunities.

building

community

in

Community Builder newsletter.

The “two teaching tips” per week were fun :). I didn’t follow all of them, but the last one definitely caught my eye, and it motivated me to do a debrief after the presentation on Monday instead of gladly dismissing them like I typically do in a hectic finals season.

Center for Educational Excellence

- Diana Chen, School of Engineering - Integrated Engineering

This is a gre at way for us to make conne ctions and

12

Grants Awarde d

T h ro u g h o u r re m ote Trave l

to be a part of the larger conversation.

G ra nt p ro g ra m to e nco u ra ge fa cu l t y p a rt i ci p a t i o n in

- Al e ja nd ra L izardo, Le a rning De s ig n C e nte r

v i rt u a l d eve l o p me nt .

194 Fa cul t y e n g a g e d wit h co l l e a gu e s in a virt ua l Re a d in g C ircl e .

45

Conne ctions Made

T h i s co m m u n i t y of p ra ct i ce re ally h e l p e d a l l ev i a te a l ot of t h e s t re s s

T h ro u g h o ur A L ittle Bit of Te a c h i n g p rogra m d e di ca te d to collegia l re l a t i o ns h ip -b uild ing.

I wa s fe e l i n g d u r i n g t h e s p ring s e m e s te r A ND i t co n n e cte d m e w ith a n a we s o m e gro u p of co l l e a gue s !

- A n ony m ou s fe e dbac k s u bm i s sion

Annual Report | Page 7

Fe a tu re d Spe ake rs This year we welcomed 3 pedagogical experts to share teaching tips, strategies, and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Small Teaching Online with Flower Darby

T h an k you for i nv i t i n g Fl ower D ar by to s h are h e r ex te n s ive ex pe r i e n ce w i t h re m ote te ac hing.

I g ot a l ot ou t of t h i s eve nt .

- Ch ri st i a n Bri se ño- Ave na ,

32

faculty attended this workshop where Flower Darby shared ideas on how to create community and connection in remote classes.

CAS - Env i ronme nta l & Oce a n Sc i e n ce s

Thank yo u fo r prov i d i ng suc h g re a t sp e a ke rs .

- Ma rica rmen C e d illo, CAS - Languages, Cultures, & Literatu re s

Center for Educational Excellence

Teaching Effectively with Zoom with Dan Levy

Many thanks for the excellent program last Friday with Dan Levy...And the book!

- V i rg i ni a C. N elson, Sc hool of Law

54

faculty attended this workshop where Dan Levy shared how to become more comfortable with the use of Zoom to engage your students and help them learn.

Thank you for hosting this event. I would love to have a copy of Professor Lang’s book.

- Zhenhua Chen, School of Bu s i n e s s

1 9 faculty attended this workshop where James M. Lang shared how to create educational experiences that cultivate and sustain student attention.

Distracted with James M. Lang

Annual Report | Page 9

Infographics

Delivering

Useful Resources Accessible and digestible resources are crucial, especially in times of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To enhance faculty ’s teaching and relationship with students, the CEE purchased teaching books and created infographics to inspire and inform faculty about various topics.

300+

Te ach i n g B o o ks D el ive re d to Fa c u l ty Through our Faculty Reading Circles, Events, and newsletter book raffles.

I ord ere d 33 S imp le St ra te g i e s t h rou g h t h e CEE ra ffl e t h a t I wo n -- I got it in the ma il ye ste rd a y a nd fi ni sh e d i t j u st now. I re a l l y enjoye d it! I will d efini te l y u se i t a s a re sou rce i n t h e fu t u re , an d I p a rticula rly like th e we e k - sp e ci fi c st ra te g i e s b a se d on w h a t st u d e nts a re exp e ri e nci ng a t t h e t i m e .

Di ana Chen, School of E n g i n e e r i n g - Inte g ra te d E n g i n e e r in g

Center for Educational Excellence

M e a n i n g f u l I nfo g rap hi c s Created and distributed by the CEE.

Th e student s u r vey wa s extre m el y u s eful , t han k yo u !

The Myth of MULTITASKING

of people who multitask feel like they're accomplishing more but are actually harming their

%

98

performance.

- Leslie Bassett , CAS - Political Science & International Relations

Multitasking and divided attention impair memory and diminish our abiity to recall information.

When we attempt to multitask, we don’t actually do more than one activity at once, but quickly switch between them. And this switching is exhausting. It uses up oxygenated glucose in the brain, running down the same fuel that’s needed to focus on a task.

Center for Educational Excellence

BALANCING WORK & LEARNING

70%

Focusing on more than one thing decreases productivity by 40%.

According to a 2018 report by The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

74% of low-income working learners work more than 15 hours a week 26% work more than 35

hours a week

Working less than

FIFTEEN

however

hours a week largely benefits students

of college students work, but they don't make enough to be able to afford college because the cost of college has skyrocketed

NEARLY HALF have a grade average of C or lower

to enroll in more college credits

Low-income working learners are less likely to earn a credential

Develop routines and patterns that are repeatable and predictable.

Read more

Pre-record shorter lectures if you plan to deliver content lecture-style.

Read more

evenfor if they5come from the Give prompts upper end of the academic to 10-minuteperformance writingdistribution. activities.

50%

Also, they often don’t have Created by the Center for financial resources to pay Educational Excellence from higher education and its

$16,000:

University of California "Whatformer do wefoster lose when we multitask?" youth, or atsuccessfully" risk for Mashable "Only 2% of peoplehomeless can multitask homelessness, students who were emancipated minors or in legal guardianships."

The average annual earnings of an undergraduate for a 29-hour week. This is simply not enough to pay for tuition, Services: housing, food, transportation, and other living expenses.

Fall 2020 student survey: What do you wish Avoid “crickets” during Zoomyour professors discussions with open-ended knew? questions, think-pair-share

Read more here.

Foster Care 2 Success WhyHunger Hotline 1-800-5-HUNGRY Habla español

Read more

Some students suffer from anxiety issues that make Bring in guest speakers.

it difficult to participate in class or answer questions when called on.

3%

OF FORMER FOSTER YOUTH GRADUATE COLLEGE NATIONALLY

Monthly luncheons with other foster students and staff Mentoring

Read the full survey here Not every student has access to a space at home conducive to remote learning or studying.

Read more

the for

80%

Support housing assistance It's no secret that for theyear-round Fall 2020 semester was a difficult Support in finding and maintaining scholarships time for students andopportunities faculty alike as the USD community Leadership OF FORMER FOSTER YOUTH INVOLVED WITH PROGRAMS finding work-study positions and the restHelp of the nation adapted to a fully remote LIKE TRS GRADUATE COLEGE Supplemental academic counseling andto enrollment assistance instructionRegistration format due the COVID-19 pandemic. Here Click here to access the TRS website. wish their professors are the most common things students knew inExternal relation to all the challenges, struggles, andStrategies for Faculty Resources intricacies of online school.

and other techniques.

Break up your delivery of content with frequent learning checks.

OF FORMER FOSTER YOUTH EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS DURING THEIR FIRST TWO YEARS AFTER EXITING FOSTER CARE

Low-income students a s s o c i a t e d e x p eGive n s e sup . on multitasking and set aside these sources: typically borrow less dedicated chunks of time for each through conventional The Teaching Professor. separate activity. For example, check student loans to pay“Students Think They Can Multitask.

Resources At USD: Torero Renaissance Scholars Here’s Proof They Can’t.” for school, and are your email first thing in the morning BBC "How cut to phone time at work" instead more to likely turn to and again at midday, or set aside 10 "Our mission is to provide credit cards, which tendfor toMindfulness have UCSD Center "Our brains are evolving to support and resources to minutes per afternoon for Twitter. higher interest rates.not! The illusion of students multitask,' multitasking" who identify as

Read more

Read more

Read more

A 2010 study found that

THE SOLUTION

If financial aid recipients received an additional $3,000 in aid ...

For details on each tip visit tinyurl.com/8coursetips

"Rapid TaskA - MOST OVERLOOKED POPULATION OF STUDENTS Switching leads

RESOURCES FOR FORMER FOSTER " YOUTH STUDENTS

For students working more than that

Some of our USD courses are built around a 3-hour block schedule, which has extra challenges for 76% would be "extremely or very likely" to more time studying teaching strategies to or doing schooltranslating our in-person spend academic activities remote delivery. Here are arelated few ideas that are easy to implement and will enrich student learning.

67% would be "extremely or very likely"

Multitasking can lead to increased levels of stress.

to inherent students who had their phones Low-income working inefficiencies. turned off during lecture learners are scored significantly higher on disproportionately Blackauthor of Mindful Work - David Gelles, and Latino, women, a quiz. first-generation college-goers, and new Students who experience foster care are more citizens and residents likely to struggle with mental health issues of the United States for related to past traumas and to lack the whom English may not be adult support and mentorship the primary language they need to navigate college. spoken at home.

When they choose to work, higher-income students have access to the best jobs and work experience, including internships.

8 Tips for Your Multi-Hour Block Remote Course

Research shows that using devices during class reduces learning, lowers quiz scores, and drops GPAs.

When getting to know your students, say "Tell me about your family," rather than "What do your parents..." Family can be more widely interpreted to mean their foster family, friends, support system, etc.

Listen carefully to why students are

Students wish professors would struggling. For example, if they are in an Fostering unstable living situation, they may say "the be more understanding with Change coffee shop closes at 11, so I couldn't finish tardiness, as well as when they the project."

John Burton Foundation have to turn their cameras off, this example statement at the Just in Time forand Foster Youth because WiFi technology problems createIncorporate more end of your email signature or in your San Diego County specific challenges compared to aresources normal semester. syllabus.

Read more

Promises2Kids

Read more

Mix in short videos or other online tools.

Read more

Created by the Center for Educational Excellence and referenced by Inside Higher Ed's article "A Most Overlooked Population of Students" and USD's Torero Renaissance Scholars.

A great majority of students are still participating in extracurriculars remotely and feel like they have even less free time to dedicate to school than before.

Build community among classmates.

Read more

Brought to you by the Center for Educational Excellence and the Learning Design Center

Many students are working extra hours or handling other external stressors at home, so they feel it’s become much more challenging to put in the same effort in academics as they have in previous semesters. They want professors to know they really are trying and are not just being lazy.

Read more

Read more

Students appreciate when professors post lecture slides and record their lectures in case their Internet is unstable or they want to review material later.

Students feel like they are struggling more with their mental health, and many stress outlets are no longer viable options amidst the pandemic.

Read more

Read more

Many students use their weekends to work or to mentally recover from the prior week, so they prefer when assignment deadlines aren’t over the weekend.

Many students feel like they have a greater workload and more due dates to keep track of with remote learning, so they ask professors to be more flexible and lenient with extensions when they can.

Read more

Read more

A+

Students like when teachers keep up to date with grades on Blackboard. They feel like if they are expected to turn in assignments by a strict deadline professors should grade them in a timely manner.

Read more

Brought to you by the Center for Educational Excellence with Survey responses from Dr. Drew Talley.

Students find it more difficult to retain information online than in person, so they especially appreciate professors slowing down during lecture.

Read more

Students recognize and really appreciate their professors’ efforts in reorganizing and redesigning classes. They know this time is difficult for professors too and are very thankful for all their hard work.

Read more

Annual Report | Page 11

Infusing Antiracism into Our Work At the CEE we believe that it is imperative to anchor our work in a commitment to equity in all its forms, recognizing the ever-evolving nature of injustice. Here are some of the ways we are committing to equity and challenging our implicit biases.

CEE Racial Equity Liai son

Implicit Bias Trainings

This new liaison role is an intentional effort to recognize and compensate the often invisible labor that BIPOC faculty do to promote racial justice on our campus and in our curricula.

The role entails co-creating events and generating ideas to support faculty growth in teaching and thinking around racial equity.

Facilitated 3 implicit bia trainings for various office and teams across campus.

Trello Board Resources Compiled over 192 resources for the USD community to learn more about Black joy and Black excellence, racial bias and injustice in various systems, antiracism and ways to take action.

Center for Educational Excellence

Faculty Orientation

For our annual Teaching Facu Orientation, we offered a virtu event for incoming non tenure-tra faculty to learn and share abo teaching on racial justice.

You

gave

the

faculty

a

safe space to discuss some challenging issues. It’s hard to

hear

the

continued

pervasiveness of some biases, etc., but I am glad that they had a space to talk about their

experiences.

Thank you!!!

- Eileen Fry-Bowers, Assoc. Provost & School of Nursing

Peer to Peer Learning Hosted 12 Reading Circles for faculty to read and discuss books on antiracism, the American caste system, white supremacy, Black survival & thrival, and Indigenous knowledge.

Hosted 3 Communities of Practice for faculty to dive deeper on how to create inclusive learning environments, teach race in premodern courses, and how to teach on racial justice.

as es

ulty ual ack out

Collaborative Events

Staff Development The CEE team met bi-weekly to discuss films, books, podcasts, and other resources related to antiracism and implicit bias.

Partnered with campus collaborators on 10 events for faculty to participate in topics such as antiracist community engagement, BIPOC wellness (facilitated by Della V. Mosley), having difficult conversations, advising students of color, and advising international students.

Annual Report | Page 13

CEE Racial Equity Awards The Center for Educational Excellence is pleased to announce the recipients of our new racial equity awards. We are both impressed and inspired by the work that was described in the nominations for each nominee. We are grateful to the nominators who took the time and energy to put these faculty up for the awards. We are also grateful to each nominee for the inspiring work they have been doing to help make USD a place where racial justice, BIPOC scholarship, and Black excellence is part and parcel to academic life. On behalf of the CEE Racial Equity Awards Committee, please join us in honoring and recognizing the recipients and nominees.

The CEE’s Freire and hooks Decolonial Pedagogy Award An award for a commitment to pedagogies and content on racial justice and BIPOC scholarship.

Graduate Programs Recipient: Joi Spencer Dean, Professor SOLES, Department of Learning and Teaching

Undergraduate Programs Recipient: Antonieta Mercado Associate Professor CAS, Communication Studies

Center for Educational Excellence

The CEE’s Fostering Black Educational Excellence Award An award for inclusive practices that support and encourage Black students academically.

Graduate Programs Recipient: Kristopher Hall Chair, Associate Professor SOLES, Counseling and Marital, Family Therapy

Undergraduate Programs Co-recipient: Channon MIller Assistant Professor CAS, History

Undergraduate Programs Co-recipient: T.J. Tallie Associate Professor CAS, History

Nominees The CEE’s Freire and hooks Decolonial Pedagogy Award: Josen Diaz, CAS Ethnic Studies James Fabionar, SOLES Learning and Teaching May Fu, CAS Ethnic Studies Cory Gooding, CAS Political Science & International Relations Angel Hinzo, CAS Ethnic Studies

Fostering Black Educational Excellence Award: Kecia Brown, SOLES Leadership Studies Halina Duraj, CAS English Kristopher Hall, SOLES Counseling and Marital, Family Therapy Rebekka Jez, SOLES Learning and Teaching Channon Miller, CAS History

Annual Report | Page 15

REFLECTIONS FROM O UR LIAISONS Kate DeConinck

Jamall Calloway

Adjunct Liaison

Racial Equity

I came aboard the CEE team during

My time as the racial equity liaison

the Spring 2021 semester. I sent out

has been really good to be quite

three issues of the Adjunct Voice

honest. It is a brand-new position,

newsletter, which alerted NTTF to

which means we are still working out

upcoming grant deadlines, events,

the kinks of what it means execute the

and other offerings and included new

job. But so far, what it has it meant,

“Faculty in the Spotlight” features on

has been really good and productive.

exemplary non-tenure track faculty at

Our focus this year was on the faculty

USD: Dr. Kirstin Skadberg and Dr. Nicole

awards

Martinez. I hosted four NTT Connect!

difficult conversations about what

events to promote community and

these

informal conversation. I have also

determine it. The conversations were

been working with the CEE team to

necessary and we announced some

create a comprehensive list of grant

spectacular winners. These scholars

and funding opportunities for NTTF

break their backs to meet a need

across all units. It has been a joy to work with the CEE director and staff, and I look forward to continuing on in this role!

Center for Educational Excellence

and awards

we

had

mean

and

numerous how

to

for the university and I cannot be prouder of being a part of their acknowledgment.

Simon Croom School of Business Liaison

Leslie Boozer SOLES Liaison Despite

the

being

COVID undoubtedly transformed our

virtual this past year, the experience

teaching and learning experiences

of being the CEE liaison for SOLES was

this year. One of the main activities

a highlight of my year.

I received

conducted in the School of Business

so much support from other faculty

was to provide regular ‘surgeries’ for

through

Racial

faculty on all aspects of curriculum

Justice Community of Practice, the

design & delivery. These proved to be

Faculty Reading Circles, the Coaching

very popular for technical queries early

Colleagues program, and the Faculty

in the remote-only class era and then,

Writing Retreat. The Reading Circle

later in the fall semester, for addressing

was particularly impactful in SOLES

instructional ideas and challenges.

as we read Caste: The Origins of Our

Many faculty reported that flipping

Discontents as an entire community,

their classes had been transformative,

with

as

the

challenges

Teaching

of

on

faculty,

staff

and

participation.

Thank

you

student to

the

CEE for providing the tools to strengthen

our

community

through this difficult time.

had

experiential

project-based

learning. We surveyed faculty and found that 70% had used projectbased learning to great effect, and these practices will undoubtedly continue post-remote.

Annual Report | Page 17

Me et the Te am Lisa Nunn

Becca Williams

Director

Student Visual Media Assistant

Rhea Webb

Lauren O’Neill

Program Coordinator

Student Office Assistant

Brianna DuPlessis Administrative Assistant Center for Educational Excellence 5998 Alcala Park, Maher 264 619-260-7402 | cee@sandiego.edu www.sandiego.edu/cee