Join a Fall 2026 Faculty Community - What's Happening at FCTL

The fall semester has officially begun, and the FCTL would like to give you a very warm welcome back to campus!

As every faculty member knows, the beginning of the semester brings many responsibilities, events, and an overload of information. It can be easy to get swept up in all the commotion and miss very needed opportunities to find support and connection on campus, but the FCTL encourages you to take some time this week to get involved in the academic community and join a group that can help keep you energized and engaged all semester long.

This semester, the FCTL is offering a variety of ways to do just that through our Faculty Communities. These Faculty Communities are groups of faculty members who meet together over the course of the semester to connect, discuss, and learn together about a stated topic. Participants in a Faculty Community have the chance to meet others in our academic community from all across campus, form meaningful connections, learn practical and directly applicable skills, and grow in their academic pursuits alongside like-minded peers. This semester’s topics cover many areas of learning, from experiential learning and open educational resources to AI assistance and community-based learning.

If you’re searching for ways to get connected as you return to campus this semester, joining a Faculty Community is the perfect opportunity. Take a look at the upcoming Faculty Communities this semester below, and register to join your group now!

Advancing OER and Open Education

The goal of this Community of Practice (CoP) is to create a collaborative environment where faculty can advance their knowledge and practice of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP). Participants will engage in discussions on current issues and emerging trends in open education, share experiences from their own courses, explore tools and resources that support OER development and dissemination, and receive feedback on individual and collaborative projects. If you’re looking for an opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills in the realm of OER and make meaningful progress towards an OER-related project, don’t miss out—sign up for this group now. To find more information on the community, meeting times, and facilitator information, visit the “Advancing OER and Open Education” section on the FLCs homepage.

Experiential Learning

This Community of Practice (CoP) is for faculty engaged with Experiential Learning Pedagogy who want to collaborate with others teaching with experiential learning. Faculty members looking to hone their skills within the pedagogy of experiential learning, develop new ideas, and contribute to a repository of resources for other faculty interested in experiential learning will find everything they need in this CoP. If you’d like more information on what you can expect to learn or build during your time in this community, visit the “Experiential Learning” section on the FLCs homepage.

Elevating your Classroom Experience through Community-Engaged Learning

The goal of this Community of Practice (CoP) is to build a collaborative learning community that brings faculty together to explore principles and practices of community-engaged learning while supporting them in designing, implementing, and assessing meaningful community-engaged experiences within their own courses. This community is perfect for faculty members interested in developing the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to integrate high-impact community-engaged learning into their teaching. For more information on what you can expect to learn or experience in this community, visit the “Elevating your Classroom Experience through Community-Engaged Learning” section on the FLCs homepage.

Teaching Together: An SoTL Community of Practice in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

The goal of this Community of Practice (CoP) is to create a supportive group where faculty can advance and share their experiences around the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. This community focuses on assisting faculty members in their pursuit of an SoTL project, and provides information and guidance on SoTL design principles, research methods, practical examples, university-supported resources, and project dissemination. If you’re looking to start or make progress on an SoTL project intended for publication or conference presentation, don’t miss the chance to do it with a group of supportive peers in this community. For more information on what exactly you can expect to learn in this community, visit the “Teaching Together: An SoTL Community of Practice in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)” section on the FLCs homepage.

Teaching STEM in the Age of AI: Policy, Pedagogy, and Practice

This learning community is designed to support STEM faculty in navigating the many and immense challenges created by the rise of artificial intelligence and its role in scientific and technical contexts. Participants will discuss how to approach these changes thoughtfully, ethically, and strategically, and will be provided with a structured framework for developing department and course-level AI policies, designing AI-infused and AI-resilient assignments, and communicating clear expectations for student use of AI tools. If you’re a STEM faculty member looking for guidance and conversation surrounding AI in your field, this group is perfect for you. For more information about the group, meeting times, and facilitator information, visit the “Teaching STEM in the Age of AI: Policy, Pedagogy, and Practice” section on the FLCs homepage.

Teaching with AI: The AI Learning Lab

This group brings educators together to explore generative AI developments, experiment with practical applications, and learn from colleagues across disciplines and levels of experience. Participants will experience guided exploration of generative AI tools, collaborative discussion, hands-on experimentation, and time to develop ideas that connect directly to participants’ own courses and professional practice. This group provides a supportive and engaging environment for faculty from any discipline interested in learning and experimenting with generative AI, hosted by the FCTL’s very own Dr. Tracy Gross. To find more information on the group including meeting dates and times, visit the “Teaching with AI: The AI Learning Lab” section on the FLCs homepage.

Sustainability Fellows

This program is a learning community for faculty, staff, and students dedicated to advancing sustainability efforts at MSU. This community revolves around eight program outcomes that motivate the activities of the group: shared understanding of sustainability, integration of sustainability into courses across campus, continuous teaching and learning about sustainability, recognition of faculty who are committed to sustainability, connection building across MSU, promotion and tenure via sustainability commitment, and advancing MSU’s goal of advancing its AASHE designation through curricular advancements. Participants have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities and meetings promoting these eight outcomes. Faculty members who have a passion for sustainability and would like to join a group of like-minded individuals from all across campus are welcome to apply to join this group. For more information on this community including the session schedule, visit the “Sustainability Fellows” section on the FLCs homepage.

Note: this group accepts participants via application. Visit the FLCs page for more information.

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