The upcoming semester brings a new slate of Faculty Learning Communities designed to support meaningful collaboration, innovation, and reflection in teaching. Whether you’re looking to explore emerging topics in higher education or deepen your expertise in a familiar area, the FLCs below provide structured, semester-long opportunities to learn alongside colleagues. Take a look at these upcoming spring semester FLCs to find out what topics you can learn about starting January, and find the academic community that’s perfect for you.

Teaching with AI Groups

Multiple Teaching with AI FLCs are being offered next semester. These groups discuss similar topics and content, but are offered by different facilitators from a variety of colleges. Each college has their own set of applications for and challenges to overcome with AI in the classroom, and these groups provide you the perfect place to meet with others in your general discipline to explore your options and dive deeper into what AI can offer your area of expertise.

Each Teaching with AI group is facilitated primarily by one faculty member, and meets on its own schedule. Facilitators for the Spring Semester are:

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Dr. Jeffrey L. Foster, Associate Professor in the School of Mental Health and Behavioral Science

Heather L. Walters, Senior Instructor in the Communication, Media, Journalism and Film Department

Dr. Ximena Uribe-Zarain, Associate Professor in the School of Special Education, Leadership, and Professional Studies

Dr. Theresa Odun-Ayo, Program Director of the Cooperative Engineering Program

Dr. Matthew R. Siebert, Associate Professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department

To learn more about these groups, find the individual schedules for the groups, and sign up through My Learning Connection, visit the FLCs webpage. 

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Information Literacy in an AI Era

Facilitated by John Turner and Dr. Cynthia Johnson, this FLC seeks to understand what exactly AI literacy is – and how to cultivate it ethically – in a world when the skill is quickly becoming highly sought-after by employers. This FLC guides participants as they examine their options as instructors and assists them as they make decisions regarding AI course policies.

Learn more about this FLC and sign up through My Learning Connection by visiting the FLC webpage.

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Sustainability Fellows

The Sustainability Fellows Program at Missouri State University is a learning community for faculty, staff, and students dedicated to advancing sustainability efforts at MSU. One goal of the program is to foster a shared understanding of sustainability and to recognize how the pillars of sustainability can be integrated into discipline-specific learning across disciplines. Facilitators for this FLC include Dr. David R. Perkins, Doug Neidigh, and Alan S. Tinkler.

Learn more about this FLC and sign up through My Learning Connection by visiting the FLC webpage.

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Faculty Writing Retreats

Facilitated by Dr. Nicole West, the Faculty Writing Retreat is a semester long faculty community devoted to promoting collegiality to support faculty writing productivity. This group provides regularly scheduled writing blocks to increase productivity and publishing rates.

Learn more about this FLC and sign up through My Learning Connection by visiting the FLC webpage.

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Wednesday Writing Circle

This faculty learning community exists to increase scholarly productivity, develop a scholarly community, facilitate the development of a culture of learning, and promote faculty leadership, collaboration, and collegiality across disciplines among faculty at MSU. Facilitated by Dr. Nicole West, this group meets every Wednesday to provide writing time, structure, and accountability to participants, and aims to enhance a sense of belonging among faculty members in addition to academic benefits.

Learn more about this FLC and sign-up through My Learning Connection by visiting the FLC webpage.

Questions?

For more information about these FLCs (or for answers to any inquiries you may have), visit the FCTL website or email us. We look forward to promoting community and learning in partnership with our inspirational faculty members this upcoming semester!