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Jess Cook
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The continues to offer a wide array of support for Salem State faculty and teaching staff. Our upcoming programming includes faculty professional learning communities (FPLCs), reading groups, workshops, gatherings for part-time and early career faculty, and, as always, personalized instructional design assistance. Explore the options below to find the opportunities that best support your goals and needs this winter and spring!
Winter Intersession Programming
Winter Equity-Minded Syllabus Review
Facilitators: Abby Machson-Carter, instructional designer, and Jess Cook, CTI assistant director
Modality: Primarily asynchronous, with meeting options:
- Group session: Thursday, January 8, 10-11 am (Zoom)
- Individual discussion: Zoom, in person, or email
This annual program aims to help faculty reflect, review, and update their syllabi and early course materials in ways that promote racial and learning equity. Participating full- and part-time faculty will work through the Center for Urban Education (CUE) Syllabus Review asynchronously and receive tailored feedback during their chosen meeting option.
Faculty who complete the Equity-Minded Syllabus review will receive a $100 stipend.
SoTL Critical Friends Retreat
Tuesday, January 6, 9 am-2 pm | Charlotte Forten Legacy Room, Meier 316B, North Campus
Join CTI faculty fellow Cami Condie (Childhood Education and Care) for a half-day retreat dedicated to supporting faculty who have begun or are interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The retreat will provide structured space to make progress on a SoTL project in the company of fellow SoTL scholars at all phases. We鈥檒l provide a light breakfast to keep you going!
by Monday, December 29, to let us know you're coming.
For more information about the January retreat or SoTL at Salem State, contact Cami at ccondie@salemstate.edu.
Grading For Growth: Assessing Our Assignments After AI
Thursday, January 8, 11 am-12:30 pm | virtual via Zoom ()
Facilitator: Jim McGrath, PhD, instructional designer
In this 90-minute workshop, attendees will learn about recent trends in assessment that acknowledge the impact of AI on assignment design. Instead of aspiring to "AI-proof" assignments, we'll look at emerging best practices that emphasize how to introduce, model, and assess assignments in ways that align with our course objectives and resonate with students. In the second half of the workshop, instructors will apply these examples to an assignment they plan to use in an upcoming course.
This session is the first workshop in CTI鈥檚 spring 2026 Grading For Growth series, , which focuses on equitable and innovative approaches to assessment in higher education. Stay tuned for more learning opportunities this spring!
New Part-Time Faculty Orientation
- Part I: Welcome to Salem State. Wednesday, January 7, 6-8 pm, virtual via Zoom ()
- Part II: Part-Time Faculty Teaching Circle. Thursday, January 15, 6-7:30 pm, virtual via Zoom ()
Facilitated by Taylor Philcrantz, CTI's faculty fellow for part-time faculty support, and Jess Cook, CTI assistant director
CTI鈥檚 annual January orientation is designed to welcome new part-time faculty into the SSU teaching community and prepare them for a successful start to the spring semester. The two-part virtual orientation is led by CTI's faculty fellow for part-time teaching support, Taylor Philcrantz (Psychology).
The first part of our orientation will provide important information about SSU students, connecting to campus resources, and implementing inclusive teaching practices from day one. The second part of our orientation will be a low-stakes, welcoming space to connect with part-time faculty colleagues from across campus and ask any lingering questions just before the first day of teaching.
Newer part-time faculty who have not attended a previous orientation are encouraged to attend! Please don't hesitate to join us.
. Part-time faculty who haven't attended a previous orientation are welcome to attend! Please don't hesitate to join us.
Spring Semester FPLCs and Reading Groups
FPLC: Reimagining Your Course with a Gen Ed Focus
Facilitator: Reva Kasman, PhD (PAGE/Mathematics)
Modality: virtual via Zoom
Meetings: Mondays, twice-monthly, 1:15-2:30 pm | Anticipated dates: February 9, February 23, March 9, March 30, April 13, April 27
What does it mean to teach a class with an intentional focus on its General Education students? What are the 鈥渂ig picture goals鈥 for General Education and how can those goals impact the learning experience we want for students in an academic course?
In this Faculty Professional Learning Community (FPLC) we will explore these questions and consider how a Gen Ed designation might influence our choices around content and pedagogy when we are teaching to an audience composed primarily of non-majors. In addition to our collective discussions, each participant will apply the ideas to design or update one of their own courses.
A $500 stipend will be provided to full- and part-time faculty participants for full engagement in community meetings and submission of a deliverable at the culmination of the FPLC.
by Monday, January 26, 2026, 5pm.
Questions can be sent to Reva Kasman at rkasman@salemstate.edu.
Reading Group: Relationship-Rich Education
Facilitator: Jonathan Simmons, PhD (Childhood Education and Care)
Modality: virtual via Zoom
Meetings: Select Tuesdays, 2-3 pm (February 10, February 24, March 10, March 24, April 14)
In our world today there are so many things that seem to block conversation and connection. The DECK at SSU (Dialogue for Engagement, Connection, and Knowledge) seeks to challenge polarization and division by fostering courageous conversations and inclusive, respectful, and engaged dialogue across our campus community.
CTI and the Center for Civic Engagement invite faculty and staff to participate in a five-session community reading of . Through guided discussion and dialogic activities led by the Center for Civic Engagement鈥檚 faculty fellow Jonathan Simmons (Childhood Education and Care), participants will engage in trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches to relationship-building. Together, we鈥檒l reflect on ways to build and maintain meaningful relationships that support student outcomes and foster a culture of engaged dialogue in our campus community.
Faculty and staff across disciplines and departments are encouraged to join. The book club will be a space for reflecting on our own work with students, trying out new strategies, and strengthening our own constellation of relationships at Salem State! All participants will receive a complimentary hardcover copy of Relationship-Rich Education, which will be available for on-campus pickup prior to the first Zoom meeting.
by Monday, January 26, 5pm.
FPLC Online Learning Group: Course Redesign
Facilitator: Sahar Hussain, EdD
Modality: virtual via Zoom and asynchronous
Monday, March 23 - Friday, May 1, 2026
Join CTI鈥檚 assistant director for online learning, Sahar Hussain, in an Online Learning Group (OLG) for a six-week course redesign opportunity alongside colleagues.
The small OLG of up to five faculty members is a paid, supportive opportunity for faculty to implement CTI鈥檚 research-based, pre-designed Canvas template that incorporates Universal Design for Learning, Quality Matters, Regular and Substantive Interaction, and Backwards Design elements.
Learning group participants will use the Canvas template to redesign a course that has some level of online learning element, which can include synchronous, hybrid/hyflex, and asynchronous courses.
Full- and part-time faculty participants will be paid a $500 stipend upon completion of ten hours of course redesign work, which will include 2-3 check-ins with OLG members or 1:1 with Sahar.
by Monday, March 2.
[FULL] FPLC: Teaching for Liberatory Outcomes and Joy
Facilitator: Cami Condie, EdD (Childhood Education and Care), CTI faculty fellow
Meetings: monthly Fridays, 9-11 am, Berry Library 209 and virtual via HyFlex Zoom (January 23, February 6, March 6, April 3)
Building on the work of Paulo Freire and Gina Ann Garcia, this Faculty Professional Learning Community (FPLC) will explore how we foster liberatory outcomes in our teaching, including helping students develop agency, critical consciousness, and the capacity to challenge inequities within and beyond the classroom. Through readings and collaborative inquiry, we will consider how we can design courses and experiences that promote student agency and joy, that cultivate empowered learning, and that humanize professors and students.
A $500 stipend will be provided to full- and part-time faculty and librarian participants who attend at least three meetings and complete a deliverable at the culmination of the FPLC.
Spring Semester Belonging and Accountability Groups
Part-Time Faculty Teaching Circle
Facilitator: Taylor Philcrantz, CTI faculty fellow for part-time faculty
Modality: virtual via Zoom
Meetings: Select Thursdays, 10-11am (February 5, February 26, March 26, April 16, May 7)
In the book Making Teaching Community Property, Pat Hutchings defines a teaching circle as 鈥渁 small group of faculty who make a commitment to work together over a period of at least a semester to address questions and concerns about the particulars of their teaching and their students' learning.鈥
In this belonging group, part-time (adjunct) faculty are invited to connect with colleagues across the university to to learn, explore, and reflect on current teaching priorities, share resources, develop new and innovative course activities, and make connections for future collaborations.
. We'll be back in touch soon with a Zoom link and more details.
To learn more about part-time faculty support and opportunities, email Taylor Philcrantz at tphilcrantz@salemstate.edu.
Early Career Faculty Friday
Facilitators: Eliza Bobek, PhD, CTI executive director, and Jess Cook, CTI assistant director
Meetings: in person, Charlotte Forten Legacy Room, Meier Hall 316B, North Campus
- January 30, 9-10 am
- February 27, 1-2 pm
- March 27, 9-10 am
- April 24, 1-2 pm
This monthly gathering is a belonging group for new and early career faculty, including tenure-track and full-time temporary faculty. Each session offers a welcoming space for informal conversation, collegial support, and shared reflection over pastries and coffee. We alternate between morning and afternoon meetings to accommodate a variety of teaching schedules.
There are no readings, no deliverables, and no pressure--just time to connect, laugh, and talk about what鈥檚 on your mind as you navigate your early years at Salem State and in your career. Stop in for one session or join us each month; you鈥檙e always welcome!
SoTL Critical Friends Group
Facilitator: Cami Condie, EdD, CTI faculty fellow
Modality: in person, Charlotte Forten Legacy Room, Meier Hall 316B, North Campus or virtual via Zoom
The SoTL Critical Friends Group meets the same days as Early Career Faculty Friday, in the same space:
- January 30, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
- February 27, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
- March 27, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
- April 24, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
This monthly gathering supports faculty in their research around their teaching and student鈥檚 learning.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research engages in systematic and/or reflective inquiry, including naming research questions, determining data sources, designing a study, receiving IRB approval (if student work is used or they co-participate), analyzing data, and then making the findings public. In other words, it鈥檚 expanding our expertise as disciplinary scholars to intersect with our role as professors.
All phases of a SoTL project are welcome in the SoTL Critical Friends Group. Spring 2026 semester meetings will focus on data analysis, literature reviews, submitting for conferences (like the annual SoTL Summit), and making timelines for publishing. Drop in or drop out as needed.
To learn more about SoTL Critical Friends, contact Cami Condie, ccondie@salemstate.edu
Save the Date: CTI's Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium
Each May, CTI hosts our annual Teaching and Learning Symposium, held the Wednesday after Commencement. This year, we'll gather, share, and learn from one another on Wednesday, May 20. Stay tuned for more details and a call for proposals in March!
Ongoing Teaching and Course Design Support
1:1 Instructional Design Assistance
Need personalized help with course design, teaching strategies, Canvas and other digital tools? CTI offers one-on-one consultations with instructional designers Jim McGrath and Abby Machson-Carter. , and we'll get back in touch with you soon.
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