Center for Teaching & Mentoring
Faculty Learning Communities
A Faculty Learning Community (or FLC) is a group of interdisciplinary faculty who engage in an active, collaborative, year-long program. FLC’s are open to all full-time faculty via an application process. Up to eight (8) participants are accepted for each FLC and receive a stipend of $500 for their participation in the year-long cohort. Each FLC focuses on researching a scholarly and pedagogical topic that is important to the larger academic community. Each FLC also generates a deliverable by the end of the academic year that is aligned to the FLC’s goals. Deliverables could include a variety of outputs demonstrating the community’s work and impact, such as presentations, resource pages, blog posts, a white paper, changes to/implications for teaching practices, etc.
The Center for Teaching & Mentoring offers support for FLCs each academic year. The program includes a curriculum geared to enhancing educational development with regularly-scheduled meetings and activities that provide participants with opportunities pertaining to the FLC’s thematic focus and stated goals. Once the FLC begins, participants attend monthly meetings that include teaching and learning activities, development and training opportunities, and community building.
2026-2027 FLCs
In this FLC, faculty will explore ways to create writing assignments in courses that challenge students to use creativity, critical thinking, research skills, and communication strategies. Educational research has long confirmed that writing is a high-impact pedagogy, a learning strategy that challenges students to internalize outside information, think critically about it, and then express their own ideas. These processes result in cognitive gains as students learn how to think through problems and as they more successfully retain information. In an era when professors are assigning fewer papers, they need to be assigning more.
Throughout the academic year, participants will engage in discussions about the value of writing, develop greater confidence in assigning and designing writing assignments, and explore the evolving role of writing in the context of AI. The group will also examine a range of approaches to assessing student writing. As a culminating project, participants will collaborate to plan and host a “CompExpo” conference in April, where each member will present on writing within their own courses.
Fall 2026 Meeting Dates/Times:
Fri. Sept. 18 | 1:50 pm – 3:20 pm (LIB 348)
Fri. Oct. 16 | 1:50 pm – 3:20 pm (LIB 348)
Fri. Nov. 20 | 1:50 pm – 3:20 pm (LIB 348)
This FLC supports MTSU faculty in strengthening teaching and professional growth through the development of effective, meaningful observation practices. Facilitated by Bonnie Barksdale (Department of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation) and Angela Hooser (Department of Leadership, Development, and Educational Systems), this cross-departmental initiative aligns with Strategic Plan 2035 priorities focused on impactful academic experiences and enhanced faculty support. By bringing together colleagues from across the university, the FLC creates a collaborative space to examine and improve the tools used to support instructional development.
Participants will collaborate to evaluate and refine observation instruments, ensuring they are practical, context-sensitive, and grounded in meaningful feedback that supports faculty at all career stages. Organized around action research cycles (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2020), the FLC will guide participants in examining existing tools, drawing on peer observation models (Gosling, 2002), and testing and revising instruments through real-world application. This process will result in adaptable, evidence-informed tools that can be used across disciplines to support ongoing faculty growth.
Fall 2026 Meeting Dates/Times:
Tue. Sept. 15 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (LIB 348)
Tue. Oct. 20 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (LIB 348)
Tue. Nov. 17 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (LIB 348)
As AI continues to reshape higher education, this FLC provides a structured, collaborative space for faculty to critically examine and design meaningful AI-informed instruction. Throughout the academic year, participants will explore key questions related to AI-based assessment, student learning, disciplinary applications, and the balance between innovation and academic integrity.
Through hands-on exploration and cross-disciplinary collaboration, participants will build confidence and competency with AI tools in a supportive, low-stakes environment. The FLC also fosters ongoing connections among faculty while aligning with institutional efforts such as CTM workshops on AI in education, GradAI, and the MTSU AI Initiative, helping ensure that AI integration is thoughtful, effective, and sustainable across the curriculum.
Fall 2026 Meeting Dates/Times:
Fri. Sept. 25 | 1:50 pm – 3:20 pm (ZOOM)
Fri. Oct. 23 | 1:50 pm – 3:20 pm (ZOOM)
Fri. Nov. 20 | 1:50 pm – 3:20 pm (ZOOM)
This FLC will empower faculty to integrate character development into their existing curricula; enhance the group’s knowledge/understanding of character education approaches; and conduct a comprehensive gap analysis of existing courses and programs at MTSU, identifying where character-related learning already occurs and where opportunities for intentional integration exist. Participants will work to define “MTSU character” within the specific context of the university’s mission, the True Blue Pledge, and the True Blue Core, highlighting key virtues such as civility, resilience, responsibility, and community engagement.
Each participant may revise or develop at least one course to intentionally incorporate character education strategies. The work will provide the foundation for an implementation guide for a True Blue Character Blueprint and Digital Badge. Our goals are to establish a permanent, evidence-based roadmap for character integration across the MTSU curriculum and form a core group of campus champions who can promote these virtues within their departments. FLC is funded by the Educating Character Initiative, Capacity-Building Grant, a project of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, with support of the Lily Endowment.
Fall 2026 Meeting Dates/Times:
Mon. Sept. 14 | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm (LIB 348)
Mon. Oct. 19 | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm (LIB 348)
Mon. Nov. 9 | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm (LIB 348)
Previous FLCs
Adapting Courses for the AI Era: Ensuring Integrity and Enhancing Learning
John Wallin, Facilitator
Faculty Resources
From Classroom to Career: Career Readiness for Students
Claire Cook and Gloria Green, Facilitators
Faculty Resources
Trauma Informed Pedagogy Across the Disciplines
Olaf Berwald, Zabby Myers, and Ashley Valanzola, Facilitators
Assessment
Lisa Bass and Christina Cobb, Facilitators
Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement
Lara Daniel and Mary Evins, Facilitators
Trauma Informed Pedagogy Across the Disciplines
Olaf Berwald, Zabby Myers, and Ashley Valanzola, Facilitators
Best Practices for Planning and Developing a Signature Study Abroad Across Disciplines
Diane Edmondson and Lucy Matthews, Facilitators
Assessment
Layne Bryant and Robyn Ridgley, Facilitators
Intercultural Engagement in Short-Term Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs Across Disciplines
Priya Ananth and Seok Jeng Jane Lim, Facilitators
Growing Undergraduate Academic Programs
Phillip Seagraves, Facilitator
Affordable Access for Student Success: An OER Learning Community
Ginelle Baskin, Facilitator
Study Abroad for the True Blue Core
Derek Frisby, Aliou Ly, and Suzanne Sutherland, Facilitators
Creating Relationship-Rich Environments: A Student-Centered Approach to Connection, Belonging, and Success Faculty Learning Community
Keri Carter, Facilitator
Raising the Bar: Elevating Teaching and Learning Research at MTSU
Jennifer Caputo and Samantha Johnson, Facilitators
Preservice Training: A Humanizing Pedagogy Approach
Kim Evert and Natalie Griffin, Facilitators
Foundational Themes in Liberal Arts: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
Janet McCormick, Facilitator
Faculty Learning Community on Assessment
Layne Bryant and Jeff Gibson, Facilitators
Connecting Online Graduate Students to the University Community
Chris Dye and Bethany Wrye, Facilitators
And Then There Was COVID: Exploring Inequity and Barriers to Higher Education Identified Through a Virtual Classroom Environment
Claire Cook and Ida Fadzillah, Facilitators
Connecting Online Graduate Students to the University Community
Chris Dye and Bethany Wrye, Facilitators
Daring Pedagogy Faculty Learning Community
Shane McCoy, Facilitator
Incorporating Experiential OER Badges and Certifications to Enhance Student Learning and Workforce Preparedness
Diane Edmonson and Lucy Matthews, Facilitators
Integrating Practical Data Skills into the Classroom
Ken Blake and Sally Ann Cruikshank
Motivational Interviewing as Pedagogy
Deborah Lee and Liz Smith, Facilitators
Successfully Engaging Students in the Virtual Learning Environment
Sandy Benson, Facilitator
Using Integrative and Reflective Thinking to Promote an Inclusive Campus Culture
Christina Cobb and Chandra Story, Facilitators
Wikipedia for Scholars and Students
Joan McRae, Facilitator
Failing to Learn, Learning to Fail
Lando Carter, Facilitator
Gaming in the Classroom: A Look at Gamification
Christina M. Cobb and Meredith Anne S. Higgs, Facilitators
Inclusive Teaching
Carmelita L. Dotson and V. Nikki Jones, Facilitators
Navigating the Digital Humanities
Poushali Bhadury and Dr. Eric Detweiler, Facilitators
Offering a Blended Classroom at MTSU
Vishwas N. Bedekar, Facilitator
Spatial Computing in Education and Learning
Andrienne Friedli and John Wallin, Facilitators
The Works-in-Progress Writer’s Collaborative
Kate Pantelides, Facilitator
Best Practices for Career Preparation Courses
Tom Brinthaupt, Facilitator
Incorporating Global Perspectives
Laura White, Facilitator
MTSU General Education Redesign
Susan Myers-Shirk, Facilitator
Seeking Community, Support, and Growth for Black Faculty Members
Michelle Stevens, Facilitator
Signature Thinking: A Framework for Enhancing Creativity
Lando Carter and Kevin Krahenbuhl, Facilitators
Students as Knowledge Creators
Ryan Korstange and Jason Vance, Facilitators
Using a Showcase ePortfolio
Dianna Rust and Carol Swayze, Facilitators
Academic Rigor and Grade Inflation
William Levine, Facilitator
Open Data in Academic Teaching, Learning, and Research
Mary Ellen Sloane, Facilitator
Problem-Based Learning
Terry Goodin, Facilitator
Teaching Students in a STEM Major
Brian Slaboch, Facilitator
Teaching Trios: Sharing Our Classrooms to Promote Faculty Reflection on Teaching and Learning
Sarah Bleiler-Baxter, Facilitator
Graduate Education
Tom Brinthaupt, Facilitator
Interdisciplinary Learning Community
Meg Brooker and Kate Pantelides, Facilitators
MT Engage
Dianna Rust, Facilitator
Principles of the Mind and Student Success
Kevin Krahenbuhl, Facilitator
Sustainable Study Abroad
Ric Morris, Facilitator
Teaching and Mentoring International Students
Yang Soo Kim, Facilitator
