Session 304: Participation in Faculty Learning Communities: An Approach to Advancing Equity at AU

Date: Thursday, January 9

Time: 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM

Location: Hall of Science 103

Zoom Link: Join this session live-stream

Presenters: Samantha Cohen (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Education), Beverly Peters (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Office of Graduate and Professional Studies) & Shari Watkins (Senior Research Fellow, CTRL)

Session Description:

This interactive workshop intends to replicate a Faculty Learning Community (FLC), by offering participants the opportunity to discuss their challenges, goals, and plans related to centering equity in their teaching. An FLC is a collaborative group where educators engage in ongoing learning, reflection, and dialogue centered around teaching and professional development.

The session will build upon the speakers’ previous experiences leading (Shari Watkins and Samantha Cohen) and participating (Beverly Peters) in equity-focused FLCs. Participants will explore the purpose of equity-focused FLCs, which provide a supportive and brave space for faculty to deconstruct their (implicit) biases, positionality, and privileges; discuss shared goals; examine current pedagogical practices; and foster interdisciplinary connections. Presenters will model the FLC process, providing prompts and activities that encourage introspection and discussion.

The speakers hope to create a space where people can be vulnerable with each other as they are reflexive on their biases and positionalities and work to support equity. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how FLCs can support their equitable teaching practices, encourage collaboration, and promote a culture of continuous learning and collaboration at AU. This workshop is designed to encourage faculty to participate in formal FLCs or to connect with others more informally, as one approach towards advancing equity at AU.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the role of faculty learning communities (FLCs) in advancing equity
• Describe the key factors of effective FLCs
• Reflect on the experience of participating in an FLC