[{"id":9184,"date":"2025-06-23T06:32:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T10:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=9184"},"modified":"2025-06-23T06:33:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T10:33:59","slug":"ctrl-student-partners-capturing-our-conversations-spring25","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/ctrl-student-partners-capturing-our-conversations-spring25\/","title":{"rendered":"CTRL Student Partners: Capturing our Conversations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>CTRL Student Partners: Capturing our Conversations<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/student-partners-program\/\">CTRL Student Partners<\/a> meet weekly as a group and with the CTRL team to discuss how to strive for equity and inclusion in teaching and learning at AU. Those meetings are typically framed by a question of the week, determined based on current events, timing in the semester, student partner interest, or alignment with other CTRL programming.<\/p>\n<p>Click on the questions below that interest you to reveal what the CTRL Student Partners had to say!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>The Student Experience<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-1\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Summer for an AU Student: What are some of the ways that AU students spend their summers? How can professors help you with post-graduation and summer experiences? <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-1-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>April 8, 2025<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Students Think<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cDepends a lot on the student, where they\u2019re from, what they\u2019re studying; this summer, working on campus; a lot of people go home to work\u2014it really varies.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEvery single senior I know had a job offer that was rescinded (govt, NGO, non-profits); most people are scrambling to find jobs, taking one-year unpaid post-grad internships.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Students noted how financial and class differences shape what is possible. \u201cClass difference comes out in the summer more than the school year\u2014who has to work versus who has parent support.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Others talked about how faculty expectations don\u2019t always match student reality: \u201cAU puts a lot of emphasis on seeking these opportunities\u2026 but the question is, if we\u2019re going to put that pressure onto students, then we should be a part of that process and support them in securing that position.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What Professors Can Do<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Share internship and fellowship opportunities you hear about, especially ones that are paid or outside traditional pipelines.<\/li>\n<li>Talk about your own career path and where your degree has taken you; students find that grounding.<\/li>\n<li>Bring in guest speakers or alumni to discuss career options and pathways that reflect a range of student interests and financial realities.<\/li>\n<li>Acknowledge that some students are working full-time jobs or supporting their families\u2014flexibility and understanding matter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-2\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Rest is Critical: Why is rest so important and how can you make time\/give yourself permission to rest? What can professors do to support physical and mental restoration? <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-2-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">March 4, 2025<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What Students Think<span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"13\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhen you\u2019re sleep deprived, you can feel the shift when you\u2019re in class: it\u2019s more difficult to retain information. Also, it filters into your entire week, and aspects besides schoolwork. When you\u2019re sleep deprived, one can appear grumpy and be perceived as rude.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"13\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Students spoke openly about the toll of overscheduling. \u201cA week off does not fix the problem of overscheduled, under rested students and not having balance (work\/life).\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"13\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many pointed out that spring break often adds more pressure than it relieves: \u201cMy biggest thing in the context of AU is like my week after spring break is so much worse than a normal week of school for me. A lot of my classes are like because you have the week off, you have doubled the reading.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What Professors Can Do<span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"14\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Avoid assigning major work immediately after breaks or doubling the reading load during them. What is meant to be rest often becomes more stressful than a regular week.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"14\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Acknowledge that students are managing heavy course loads, jobs, and family responsibilities; even a simple recognition of that goes a long way.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"14\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Create space for rest in class through small gestures like movement breaks, fidget tools, or moments of pause\u2014and consider offering light activities when possible.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"14\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Speak honestly about boundaries and care. Rest isn\u2019t just a tool for getting more done. It matters because students are people first, not just learners.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Classroom Practices<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-3\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Universal Design for Learning: What are some small changes that professors can make towards greater accessibility? <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-3-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">March 4, 2025<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What Students Think\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"8\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cNot testing or grading speed, instead focusing on knowledge \u2013 addresses a lot of different categories of disability.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"8\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cSlides are one of the accommodations that never get followed.\u201d Even when students have official accommodations, the lack of follow-through leaves them unsupported. Others echoed how hard it is always to be the one advocating. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"8\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhat\u2019s the harm in students being more prepared by having the slides in advance?\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"8\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cPushing students to participate in certain ways for the sake of their growth is very different than requiring students to participate in certain ways and punishing them for not being able to or not being comfortable.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What Professors Can Do\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"12\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Post slides before class, even if it\u2019s just minutes in advance. This supports students with visual impairments and learning accommodations and helps everyone come to class more prepared and less anxious.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"12\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Offer multiple modes of participation\u2014like small group discussions, written prompts, or follow-ups by email\u2014so students can engage in ways that match their comfort and communication style.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"12\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rethink \u201cno tech\u201d policies that single out students with accommodations. Consider how your classroom policies may unintentionally disclose or isolate students.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Aptos\" data-listid=\"12\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Vary the types of assignments you give across the semester so students can demonstrate learning through writing, speaking, visuals, or other formats. This supports accessibility without lowering standards.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><\/p><\/div><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4261,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[286,263,329,199,3297],"class_list":["post-9184","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4261"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9184\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=9184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":9176,"date":"2025-06-16T13:41:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=9176"},"modified":"2025-08-03T21:11:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T01:11:37","slug":"teaching-first-year-students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/teaching-first-year-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching First-Year Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW69920541 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">Teaching<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW69920541 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\"> First-Year Students<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Created by Alyssa Harben from First Year Advising and Annie Kustasz from First Year Writing in collaboration with CTRL<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div style='height:1px; margin-top:-15px'  class='hr hr-invisible '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><p><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">First<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">&#8211;<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">year students <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">at American University <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">are a unique <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">undergraduate student<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">population linked by their shared lack of experience with the university. While some <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">first-year<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\"> s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">tudents have experience with college level coursework through dual enrollment<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\"> or other early college programs, those experiences were at different institutions with potentially different norms and expectations. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">In their first year, students are required <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW264512608 BCX0\">to be<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\"> constantly <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW264512608 BCX0\">learning<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\"> both new content and a new context.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">This<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\"> n<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">ewness to the university <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">setting <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">brings with it both challenges and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\">opportunities<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW264512608 BCX0\"> for teaching.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW264512608 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><span class=\"TextRun SCXW18645063 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18645063 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">Challenges<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18645063 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\"> Teaching First-Year Students<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Teaching first-year students can be challenging in different ways than teaching students with more university experience. First and foremost, students in their first semester are learning not just the content of the courses, but also how to be a university student. For instance, they are often learning how to navigate new course management platforms, such as Canvas, as K-12 institutions use a variety of learning management systems. They are having to develop new approaches to time management and organization while navigating new social dynamics. In addition to learning a new institution, students who move to the Washington D.C. area to attend American University are also learning how to live in a new city.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244700007 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">Opportunities<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244700007 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\"> Teaching First-Year Students<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While the challenges might be front of mind to many instructors looking for teaching resources, we also want to highlight unique opportunities and benefits to teaching first year students. The first is the excitement many students have when starting college for the first time. Everything is new, there are seemingly endless opportunities to get involved, and for the first time for many educated in the United States, they get to study in a major field of their choosing. In our experience, first year students are often less jaded than people with more experience in a field. Because they are not yet aware of many of the foundational concepts in a field, they are also less aware of the challenges that exist within that field of study as well.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>Hidden Curriculum<\/h1>\n<p><a class=\"Hyperlink TrackedChange TrackChangeHyperlinkInstruction SCXW18102290 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/sk.sagepub.com\/ency\/edvol\/curriculumstudies\/chpt\/hidden-curriculum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"FieldRange SCXW18102290 BCX0\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW18102290 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW18102290 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Hidden curriculum<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">is a term that is used to describe <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">the implicit knowledge that is <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">required<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> for students to be successful in an educational setting.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> This terminology was first used to describe <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">how elementary school children learn<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> how to behave in <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">educational settings <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">even if <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">that was not an explicit learning <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">objective<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">, but <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">this concept <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">was expanded to include the notion of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">information students ought to know to be successful <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">in the 1970s by <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">Benson R<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> Snyder. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW18102290 BCX0\">Some examples of hidden curricula <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">required<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> to succeed at an institution like American University<\/span> <\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink TrackedChange TrackChangeHyperlinkInstruction SCXW18102290 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/hidden-curriculum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"FieldRange SCXW18102290 BCX0\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">identified<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW18102290 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\"> by CTRL<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">include:<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">\u201c<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">h<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">ow to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">utilize<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> a syllabus, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">h<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">ow to ask an instructor for help with an assignment, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">h<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">ow to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">participate<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\"> in class, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">h<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">ow to take notes on assigned readings, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">o<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">r how to study for an exam.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18102290 BCX0\">\u201d<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW18102290 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This knowledge is necessary for students to succeed but generally not included in the explicit curricula in a course. Since students are not explicitly instructed on hidden curricula, they have different methods of coping. Some rely on their network, such as family members with histories of college attendance or K-12 faculty and staff, to learn these skills. Some reach out to their advisors or instructors for help. Others cobble together their own understanding through trial and error. Since students arrive at American University with varying levels of prior knowledge and access to resources, it is essential for professors to promote equitable opportunities for success by intentionally making implicit expectations explicit through well-designed assignments and lesson plans.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-4\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Integrate the use of resources into your class, not just telling students about resources <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-4-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>One way to mitigate the inequity of knowledge about hidden curricula is to integrate the practices that comprise the hidden curricula into your classroom. Importantly, the students should be given practice applying the skills or using the resources in question. If the information is shared without active integration into assessment or instruction, students are unlikely to have their misconceptions challenged.<\/p>\n<p>For example, first-year students might be aware that a writing center exists but not be aware that the writing center is a free resource that is available for support at any stage of a writing project. In that scenario, they might assume that they need a final draft and miss out on support in the planning stages that could have streamlined their writing process. First-year students might know that there is a library building on campus, but without exposure to the librarians and the research resources the library hosts, they are unlikely to know about the higher quality information they have access to through the university. In that scenario, students might turn to generative AI tools or simple search engines that do not deliver the best results. Likewise, a first-year student might see when you have scheduled your office hours, but unless they know that office hours are the time you are setting aside to support their learning, they are unlikely to show up to speak to you.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than simply including a list of campus resources in the syllabus, identify which campus resources and which academic norms are most applicable to your discipline. Then, determine a way to explicitly integrate the practice of using the resources into your instruction and assessments.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-5\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Don\u2019t assume your students are learning things anywhere else (Especially in courses with no pre-reqs or co-reqs) <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-5-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Another important consideration for addressing hidden curricula is examining our assumptions. As faculty, we must resist the urge to rely on our own personal experiences of higher education and remember our students are arriving in a different context. This is especially important when developing assessments. If your course does not have any prerequisites or corequisites, your students should not be held accountable to things they weren\u2019t taught to do in advance of taking your course.<\/p>\n<p>Try to avoid assessing students on skills that you have not taught them without appropriately connecting them with resources. This does not mean you can\u2019t assign a writing assignment in their first semester if you are not teaching composition. Rather, if you are assigning a writing assignment in students\u2019 first semester, you could actively connect the students to the writing center or incorporate guided peer review of drafts of their assignments. The scaffolding section below has additional suggestions.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-6\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Get meta- explain why you are asking students to do things a certain way <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-6-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Another way to address the inequities of hidden curricula is to explicitly talk about expectations and reasons for the instructional decisions you make. This can help students feel a part of not only the class structure but that they have a say in the class. For example, if part of your teaching philosophy is the Socratic method, you should be able to explain the benefits of calling on students to answer guided questions to generate understanding.<\/p>\n<p>While it often seems obvious to instructors that the material we assign has a specific value, that value might not be obvious to a student with limited college level experience. In that scenario, you could make the implicit expectation explicit by telling students that you assign the reading with the expectation that they come to class prepared to discuss with their classmates.<\/p>\n<p>Another example is the practice of citing sources. As scholars, we have been trained to see the value of citations, but it\u2019s not always obvious to new students why we require them. Students often approach citations with the question of \u201cwhat is the minimum number of sources required?\u201d rather than \u201chow can I build the strongest argument?\u201d or \u201cIs it clear to my audience where this source was used to build my argument?\u201d A discussion of the role properly formatted citations play in your discipline could be useful in challenging them to rethink the process of constructing knowledge.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-7\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Resources<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-7-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW60392346 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/hidden-curriculum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW60392346 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW60392346 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">The Hidden Curriculum: Helping Students Learn the \u2018Secret\u2019 Keys to Success | CTRL Faculty Resources<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"EOP SCXW60392346 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><br \/>\n<div style='height:20px' class='hr hr-invisible '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>Belonging and Community<\/h1>\n<p>Belonging and Community are crucial aspects of a classroom to develop, but specifically within first-year students as they navigate settling into not only a new living space but a new community here at American University. American University is a community itself but for first-year students finding their place within that community is an added experience they face. Fostering a sense of belonging and community within first-year-centered classes has been shown to improve academic outcomes and create positive experiences that can impact student\u2019s mental health. While this is great for the classroom, its added benefit is students can begin to see themselves as vital to university as a whole in both shaping culture and providing learning experiences. Encouraging study groups outside of class of finding ways to get to know the culture of your classroom allows for a sense of community to develop, and for students to feel like they have a place at American University beyond their field of study.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW221517525 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">What <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW221517525 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">to<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW221517525 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\"> do about it?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-8\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Foster a sense of belonging <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-8-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Fostering a sense of belonging centers on intentionality and cultivating a space where students feel heard, seen, and valued. This can take place in creating questions within class material that center on student\u2019s lived experiences, in posing metacognitive questions that ask students how the skills they learned in your class apply to their other classes, or in formatting discussions that allow students spaces to share their interests, scaffolded to course objectives. Belonging centers on the small moments in the classroom where space is created for a student to share, learn, and grow. Think of your own unique experiences in how you feel belonging\u2014how might you replicate this for a classroom?<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-9\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Create classroom community <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-9-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Creating a community within a classroom is not only important for first-year students who might be leaving familiar friend groups from high school behind, but it is also important for the fabric of the class as well. Classroom community is not just a result of icebreakers on the first day, it\u2019s finding ways to replicate the common ground of continuing to get to know one another throughout the semester. For example, you could start with an icebreaker style question in each class period or in each unit of the course. Or you could design a \u201cclass playlist\u201d together that plays during breakout discussion or before\/after class. Community in a classroom is making sure your students know each other&#8217;s names, pronouns, and majors\u2014this can help you facilitate initial points of contact for students to build off classroom discussion or in-class work. Community is something, like belonging, that takes intentionally.<\/p>\n<p>One important thing to remember regarding a classroom community is that interactions between students are what\u2019s important- not primarily interactions with the instructor. You should be aiming to facilitate the students\u2019 conversations with each other with your prompts. Having a level of comfort with your peers before discussing class content can enable better content related discussion. Likewise, having a community in a classroom can make a potentially vulnerable experience, like showing an early draft of a paper to a reader, a more comfortable experience. This enables more opportunities to practice giving and receiving feedback.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-10\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Resources<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-10-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/accelerateequity.org\/resource\/practices-library\/overview-belonging-messages\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Overview: Effective Belonging Messages &#8211; Equity Accelerator<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Peter Felten: \u201cRelationship Rich Education\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/tls\/teachingresources\/relationship-rich-education\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Relationship-Rich Education &#8211; Teaching Resources<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dallin George Young \u201cRethinking Student Transition\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/wrlc-amu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01WRLC_AMU\/4u6ipk\/cdi_proquest_ebookcentralchapters_31522073_7_22\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Part 1: Building A Case for a Reimagining of Transitions. In Rethinking Student Transitions<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/20157456?seq=7\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Sense of Belonging in College Freshmen at the Classroom and Campus Levels on JSTOR<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><br \/>\n<div style='height:10px' class='hr hr-invisible '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199300786 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">P<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199300786 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">ositive <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199300786 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">A<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199300786 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">cademic <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199300786 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">H<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199300786 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 1\">abits<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity, responsibility, flexibility, and metacognition are all mindful habits students can become aware of to create positive academic habits. Academic habits go beyond studying the course material, taking notes, and being present in class. Positive academic habits showcase why foundational skills matter beyond the college classroom and scaffold experiences in the classroom. Creating questions, understanding how to dialogue, and taking accountability are lifelong skills that first-year students can begin to develop for their college experience and future careers.<\/p>\n<h2>What to do about it?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-11\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Encourage embodied learning experiences <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-11-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>\u201cEmbodied experiences\u201d can be defined as ways students can learn through interactions and specific actions inside and outside of the classroom, which help them internalize that academic skills are transferable and go beyond the classroom. \u201cEmbodied experiences\u201d can build off creating community &amp; belonging in the classroom as they showcase how academic skills like accountability, preparedness, and time-management impact their lives outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>An example of this is creating moments where students understand the value of learning activities in real-world applications. Asking students to go to the library and meet with a research librarian or physically borrow a book\/journal is one small step for them to ensure that they know where the library is but also how to ask for help. Beyond that you can consider doing a small interview a \u201cmentor\u201d assignment where students have to craft an email posing questions related to the field and send that to a potential mentor. Or use the wealth of AU and the larger DC area to assign guest talks\/lectures with required notes. If students, see the knowledge they gained from class in intentional experiences it allows them to see the benefit of skills beyond the class.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-12\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Teach students both how to read\/prepare for class AND why they should want to come to class prepared <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-12-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Establishing clear expectations for class preparation is not only part of fostering positive academic habits but helps students understand how they can succeed in future classes. By explicitly outlining what it means to be &#8220;prepared&#8221; for a given course, you can create opportunities for students to transfer these preparation strategies across disciplines. This involves not only teaching students how to engage with assigned readings but also explaining the underlying purpose of these tasks. For instance, you can take time to model effective reading strategies and demonstrate how to navigate the course materials on Canvas, helping students see that assignments and homework serve a broader purpose beyond completion.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, fostering a culture of active engagement prior to class can enhance students&#8217; investment in the material. Encouraging students to post reflections or questions about the reading on discussion boards before class allows them to begin formulating thoughts and generating discussion points. This pre-class engagement can facilitate deeper understanding during in-class discussions. Alternatively, using tools such as an entrance quiz on the readings can further encourage students to engage with the material before class, reinforcing the importance of coming prepared.<\/p>\n<p>Thinking routines are activities that are designed to make cognition visible to the learner. These activities can be integrated into a classroom and revisited over the course of a semester. One benefit of thinking routines is their ability to support the development of academic habits. If students know that they will be tasked with discussing pre-class reading in a consistent style, they are able to prepare for that discussion as they complete the reading.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-13\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Have clear expectations and enforce those expectations<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-13-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>One way to reinforce the importance of students taking ownership of their learning at the college level is to both have clear expectations and to enforce those expectations. It does not serve the instructor or students to not have explicit policies regarding late work or missing class. These policies can be flexible and should be informed by understanding that some situations are outside of students\u2019 control. However, having flexibility is not the same as not holding students to a clear standard. If there are no consequences to turning in work late, students are unlikely to get out of the habit of missing deadlines. Additionally, there are equity concerns when policies are implicit or not universally enforced. Students have different levels of comfort asking for exceptions to rules. Only allowing for exceptions outside of your policy privileges students who know to ask. This type of policy flexibility can increase disparity between students with different levels of fluency in higher education norms. Consider having language in your syllabus\/assignment sheet that is open-ended like &#8220;may result&#8221;. This can set the expectations but also allows for flexibility and is something you can point to throughout the semester. Further, consider setting expectation &#8220;reminders&#8221; in your lecturers&#8211;this can be expectations of where they are at in a given project or asking students to talk about where they are at in a project.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-14\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Resources<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-14-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pz.harvard.edu\/thinking-routines#SynthesizingOrganizingIdeas\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">PZ&#8217;s Thinking Routines Toolbox | Project Zero<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/teaching.unl.edu\/resources\/inclusive-teaching\/flexible-late-work-policies\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">What to Consider in Late Work Policies | Center for Transformative Teaching | Nebraska<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/teaching.unl.edu\/resources\/inclusive-teaching\/flexible-attendance-policies\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">What to Consider in Attendance Policies | Center for Transformative Teaching | Nebraska<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cas.unl.edu\/decision-tree-student-request-flexibility\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Decision Tree: Student Request For Flexibility | College of Arts and Sciences | Nebraska<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><br \/>\n<div style='height:15px' class='hr hr-invisible '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>Scaffolding to Grow Independent Learners<\/h1>\n<p>Learning happens when people connect new concepts or behaviors to their relevant pre-existing knowledge or skills. Students learn best when they are actively involved in constructing their own knowledge as they are then able to connect the new material to their existing schemas. However, this is only possible when there is a framework for them to construct the next level from where their current understanding or abilities are and if their prior knowledge is accurate. Because each student enters the classroom with different prior experiences, how students make sense of new information or how strong their foundational skills are can differ. We can purposefully structure courses and assessments to build upon themselves with an end goal of students being more equipped to continue to learn independently. This is often referred to as scaffolding. Skills and knowledge can be scaffolded across courses, usually through the designation of perquisite courses or within a single course.<\/p>\n<p>Scaffolding is a pedagogical strategy that emerged from the field of writing and composition. Scaffolding writing assignments is a strategy of each assessment building on the one that came before it. Rather than assigning one large project at the beginning of the semester, smaller, more frequent deliverables could be required to build into a portfolio of work. The first step might be to participate in an in-class discussion about assigned reading, which could build to submitting a response to the assigned reading before class.<\/p>\n<h2>How to do it?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-15\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Assess where students are starting from<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-15-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>One of the most important ideas underlying scaffolding as a framework is building upon the student\u2019s existing knowledge and skills. This is only possible to do on purpose when the instructor knows where the students are starting. It is especially useful to measure whether or not students have any misconceptions about the subject matter so that inaccurate information can be corrected early. There are many ways pre-existing knowledge or skills can be assessed. Some departments, like mathematics and second languages, require placement exams to sort students into appropriate levels. Others, like the preforming arts, require auditions. But, if you do not teach in a field with mandatory placement exams, you can integrate this practice into your own classroom at the start of the semester.<\/p>\n<p>Possible ways to assess students\u2019 preexisting knowledge and skillsets can be qualitative, or quantitative, direct or indirect. For example, as the instructor you could introduce yourself with a brief introduction of how you became interested in your field and pose a similar question to the students as they introduce themselves. Or you could use exit tickets on the first day of class where students must respond to a prompt about their prior knowledge before leaving at the end of class. For example, in a religion class, the prompt could be asking the student how they would define scripture. Reviewing these short responses would enable the professor to know how much time should be spent on foundational definitions in the next class. More direct measures would include concept inventories, which are short quizzes targeted at key concepts in the field or live in class polls where you ask students to rate content relevant statements as either true or false. A more in-direct assessment of prior knowledge could look like a self-assessment where students are asked to reflect on their knowledge and skills in related areas. Additional strategies are linked in the resource section below.<\/p>\n<p>The assessment of prior knowledge should be low stakes. Meaning, if a grade is associated with the assessment, it should be based on completion, not on accuracy. It is not fair to penalize students with something that is primarily designed to inform your teaching, rather than measure what they have learned in your course.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-16\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Backward Course Design <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-16-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Backward design is a strategy to develop courses that is focused on identifying the learning objective first, then developing assessments, followed by the content of the instruction. A scaffolding approach to course design can benefit from backward design because it is often easier to identify the necessary skills to successfully complete a final project or exam and then create smaller assignments to develop and practice those skills than it is to start with a smaller assignment and see what it could build.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-17\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Scaffold group work <span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-17-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One specific area many students struggle with is working with their peers. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/effective-group-projects\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Group work<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> is something that can teach important interpersonal skills and enable the creation of more complex deliverables than a student could do alone. However, as students have different levels of interpersonal competencies, group work is often a frustrating experience when there is poor communication and differing levels of commitment to the project.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Group work can be scaffolded, like individual assignments, to allow students to develop interpersonal skills over time with gradually increasing GPA impacts. One way to scaffold group work is to begin by doing smaller projects or in-class activities where students contribute individually to a joint deliverable, but the assessment is pass\/fail participation points.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some examples of in-class activities that can be done to practice the interpersonal skills of working together include:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jigsaw collaborative learning activities are activities where students are broken into small groups and assigned one component of a topic and then reform into groups with a representative from each component to teach each other. A jigsaw activity requires some careful planning of groups so that there is a component for each, and equal numbers of students in each group so that when they reform there is even distribution across teams. One thing that works well with a jigsaw is breaking down an article into its sub-parts and assigning each group a piece of the article. For example, small groups could specialize in either the introduction, methodology, results, or discussion, but only get the full picture of the research that was done after they come together.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Collaborative slide deck activities are when students are placed in small groups and respond to a prompt by creating a slide in a shared slideshow. This strategy is a way for students to develop a shared resource, have some accountability to complete the in-class discussion activity, and for there to be a record for to review to check students understanding. One thing that can work well with this activity is more open-ended prompts where small groups either propose solutions to a problem or do preliminary research on a topic. There is a lot of flexibility in the prompts that work for this activity, but it does require students have access to a computer during class time.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Scavenger Hunt style activities are ones where students are given a set of tasks to complete during class as a group. Sometimes these activities are used to introduce students to campus resources, but they can also be used to review and synthesize content. While these types of activities can be turned into games with winners and losers, they can also be completion based rather than competitive.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-18\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Resources<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-18-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/wac.umn.edu\/tww-program\/teaching-resources\/scaffolding-and-sequencing-writing-assignments\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Scaffolding and Sequencing Writing Assignments | Writing Across the Curriculum<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/teaching\/designteach\/teach\/priorknowledge.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Assessing Prior Knowledge &#8211; Eberly Center &#8211; Carnegie Mellon University<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/teaching.cornell.edu\/teaching-resources\/assessment-evaluation\/assessing-prior-knowledge-addressing-learning-gaps\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Assessing Prior Knowledge &amp; Addressing Learning Gaps | Center for Teaching Innovation<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/backward-course-design\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Backward Course Design | CTRL Faculty Resources<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/effective-group-projects\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Supporting Effective Group Projects and Teamwork | CTRL Faculty Resources<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/teaching.unl.edu\/resources\/strategies-techniques\/teamwork\/conduct-team-activities\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ways to Conduct Team Activities | Center for Transformative Teaching | Nebraska<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><\/p><\/div><div style='height:20px' class='hr hr-invisible '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>Conclusion: Setting the tone for future expectations<\/h1>\n<h2>What is the goal of first-year classes? Why do they matter?<\/h2>\n<p>What is done in the first class in the discipline teaches students what to expect in that field, even if you aren\u2019t intending to do that.<\/p>\n<p>Your class might be the first opportunity for students to discover the nuances of their academic discipline in relation to other subjects and disciplines. It\u2019s a chance for them to see how their individual learning fits into the larger community within a specific field. As students enter your class, they are not just learning about a subject\u2014they are learning how to be a student in a university setting, how to engage with their peers, and how to adopt a mindset that fosters both individual and collective growth.<\/p>\n<p>In essence, one of the goals of first-year courses is to offer students a snapshot of the larger university experience at AU, helping them understand how their education will evolve as they move through their academic journey.<\/p>\n<h2>How to set the tone<\/h2>\n<p>Identify what skills you want students to be able to do in 200\/300\/400 level classes and see where you can lay the groundwork for helping them get there.<\/p>\n<p>This can be achieved through modeling, reflecting, and reinforcing key skills. For example, model how to approach a reading assignment, including how to ask thoughtful questions, or demonstrate note-taking strategies. During class, reflect on the skills that will be important for success in more advanced courses, such as engaging in class discussions or analyzing complex readings. Reinforce these skills regularly, as they can be built upon in a similar way to content knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>Be open and transparent about how your course fits into the broader academic journey, emphasizing that the learning outcomes in your course are steppingstones toward more advanced work. Make it clear that your course is part of an ongoing process of learning and skill development, and the abilities students develop in your class will be crucial for success in future courses.<\/p>\n<h2>Suggestions for further reading<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quod.lib.umich.edu\/t\/tia\/17063888.0032.025\/--21-the-reacting-to-the-past-pedagogy-and-engaging?rgn=main;view=fulltext\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Reacting to the Past Pedagogy and Engaging the First-Year Student<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/thectrlbeat\/2025\/01\/01\/teaching-first-semester-first-year-students-alyssa-harben\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Teaching First-Semester First-Year Students \u2013 Alyssa Harben \u2013 The CTRL Beat<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0099133322000702?casa_token=QTNmGpxkjxsAAAAA:MJ2rXMCHLD1tv5Nw1SPlOqY1He-Sj09ojFdavthDRXBoh0OpO-NIeVZPP-PCHGQoAFtZ9lMCIw\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">First-generation students and the first-year transition: State of the literature and implications for library researchers &#8211; ScienceDirect<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/387089764_Communication_Skills_Challenges_Experienced_by_First-year_University_Students_A_Systematic_Review\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">(PDF) Communication Skills Challenges Experienced by First-year University Students: A Systematic Review<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chronicle.com\/article\/everyone-is-talking-about-belonging?sra=true&amp;cid=gen_sign_in\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Everyone Is Talking About \u2018Belonging,\u2019 but What Does It Really Mean?<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4261,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[1194,226,3661,369,286,1541,199],"class_list":["post-9176","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4261"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9176\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=9176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":9141,"date":"2025-05-01T15:50:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T19:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=9141"},"modified":"2025-05-05T10:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T14:29:07","slug":"external-teaching-professional-development","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/external-teaching-professional-development\/","title":{"rendered":"External Teaching-Related Professional Development"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style='padding-bottom:10px;' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >External Teaching-Related Professional Development Opportunities<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span data-teams=\"true\">Below you will find additional professional development opportunities external to CTRL and AU that you might take advantage of in addition to CTRL programming. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-teams=\"true\">Feel free to<a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/teachingconsultations\/\"> schedule a consultation<\/a> with a CTRL Teaching &amp; Learning Specialist to discuss these options and decide what might be appropriate to support your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-19\" class=\"toggler activeTitle\"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Online Courses &amp; Trainings<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-19-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap active_tc\" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edx.org\/course\/inclusive-teaching-supporting-all-students-in-the\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A free six-week fully online course for instructors from all disciplines to explore the principles of inclusive teaching and learn how to apply them in your classroom to support diverse learners. Developed by Columbia University&#8217;s Center for Teaching and Learning and featuring experts from various institutions.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inclusivestemteaching.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inclusive STEM Teaching Project<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A free six-week fully online course designed to advance the awareness, self-efficacy, and ability of STEM faculty, graduate students, and staff to create inclusive learning environments and develop as reflective, inclusive practitioners. Created through a large NSF grant by a team of STEM faculty and educational developers from various institutions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Online Tutorials<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/serc.carleton.edu\/NAGTWorkshops\/coursedesign\/tutorial\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Cutting Edge Course Design Tutorial<\/a><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-20\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Listservs, Blogs &amp; Article Repositories<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-20-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facultyfocus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Faculty Focus: <\/a>Brief, practical articles about all aspects of higher education teaching and learning from faculty and teaching and learning experts.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/hbsp.harvard.edu\/inspiring-minds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inspiring Minds (from Harvard Business Publishing): <\/a>Motivating and practical advice on student engagement, inclusion, and classroom management, relevant to business school teaching and teaching in general.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chronicle.com\/newsletter\/teaching\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Teaching: <\/a>A weekly newsletter to receive in your email from the Chronicle of Higher Education with insights to improve teaching and learning<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/facultyadvocate.blogspot.com\/\">The Educator Advocate<\/a>: A resource library comprised of tools and knowledge to empower educators in online learning environments<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.learningscientists.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Learning Scientists: <\/a>A compilation of blog posts, videos, and other downloadable materials to help make scientific research on learning more accessible to students, teachers, and other educators.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarlyteacher.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Scholarly Teacher: <\/a>Brief articles, teaching tip infographics, and essays from students to encourage critical thinking and reflection on teaching and learning.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/higheredpraxis.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tips for Teaching Professors: <\/a>A weekly blog to receive in your email with resources, teaching tips, best practices, and professional development opportunities for faculty.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-21\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Books<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-21-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>This list is by no means extensive, but a strong start. These books do a great job of taking the research from a variety of fields including education, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and neuroscience, to provide practical tips and inspiration for your teaching.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to know more about applying the science behind learning in your teaching\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How Humans Learn (2016) Eyler<\/li>\n<li>How Learning Works (2010) Ambrose et al.<\/li>\n<li>The Spark of Learning: Energizing the college classroom with the science of emotion (2016) Cavanagh<\/li>\n<li>The Art of Changing the Brain (2002) Zull<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want reflections, frameworks, and critical analyses of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in higher education&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From Equity Talk to Equity Walk (2020) Brown, McNair et al.<\/li>\n<li>Radical Hope (2020) Gannon<\/li>\n<li>Teaching to Transgress (1994) hooks<\/li>\n<li>What Inclusive Instructors Do (2020) Addy et al.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want support around course design&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creating wicked students: Designing courses for a complex world (2018) Hanstedt<\/li>\n<li>Reach Everyone Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Ed (2018) Tobin, et al.<\/li>\n<li>Developing Learning-Centered Teaching: A Practical Guide for Faculty (2009) Blumberg<\/li>\n<li>Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula (2008) Diamond<\/li>\n<li>Creating Significant Learning Experiences (2013) Fink<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want strategies to support learning\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Teach Students How to Learn (2015) McGuire<\/li>\n<li>What the Best College Teachers Do (2004) Bain<\/li>\n<li>Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (2015) Barkley et al.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-22\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Podcasts<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-22-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" title=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/ctl.columbia.edu\/resources-and-technology\/resources\/podcast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dead Ideas in Teaching &amp; Learning: <\/a><\/strong>Hear faculty discuss &#8220;dead&#8221; ideas in teaching and learning &#8212; those that many believe are true, but aren&#8217;t. This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facultyfocus.com\/faculty-focus-live-podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Faculty Focus Live:<\/strong><\/a>10-15 minute episodes created to bring instructors energy, inspiration, and creative strategies that they can use in their everyday teaching. This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/teachinginhighered.com\/episodes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Teaching in Higher Ed: <\/a><\/strong>A podcast to &#8220;explore the art and science of being more effective at facilitating learning&#8221; and &#8220;share ways to increase our personal productivity.&#8221; Categories include digital pedagogy, students, work\/life balance, and general teaching. There are several episodes specifically about\u00a0<a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/teachinginhighered.com\/podcast-category\/course-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">course design<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/teachinginhighered.com\/podcast-category\/assessment-grading\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assessment<\/a>.\u00a0This podcast is also available on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and Stitcher.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/podcasts\/the-key\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Key:<\/a><\/strong>Hear candid conversations with higher ed newsmakers on how colleges and universities are coping with the pandemic and recession &#8212; with a special focus on equity and lower-income students. This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.<\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4085,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[6219,286,522],"class_list":["post-9141","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4085"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9141\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=9141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8971,"date":"2025-04-22T07:36:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T11:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8971"},"modified":"2025-04-22T14:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T18:00:11","slug":"whats-your-major-again","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/insights-from-ctrl-student-partners\/whats-your-major-again\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s Your Major Again?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>What&#8217;s Your Major Again?<\/h1>\n<h2><span class=\"EOP SCXW182482363 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{\"><strong>How Flexibility, Support, and a Whole Lot of Curiosity Shaped My <\/strong><strong>Academic Journey<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>By Nasaiah Algarin, Class of 2027<\/p>\n<p>Published Spring 2025<\/p>\n<p>When people ask what I study, I usually laugh first. Not because I don\u2019t know, but because the answer has changed so many times\u2014and every change has mattered.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m a sophomore at American University, and I\u2019ve had more majors than most seniors. I started off in the Public Health Scholars program, then shifted to Elementary Education, then to Public Relations, then back to Elementary Education. From there, I moved into CLEG (Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government), returned again to Elementary Education, built my own interdisciplinary major in Education, Policy, and Technology, and finally returned to Public Relations, with a minor in Education Studies.<\/p>\n<p>Sounds like a lot, right? It is. But it\u2019s not just a list of majors. It\u2019s a story of growth, curiosity, and a university environment that gave me the space to figure it all out.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>I Wasn\u2019t Lost. I Was Learning.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Each major taught me something about myself. Public Health helped me understand systemic impact. Elementary Education helped me connect with students and learning environments. Public Relations gave me language and tools to communicate with purpose. CLEG taught me how institutions operate and interact. And when none of those quite fit on their own, I worked with faculty to create my own major\u2014one that asked bigger questions and let me explore more freely, helping me understand systemic features that support or hinder progress.<\/p>\n<p>At every point in this journey, I wasn\u2019t making random changes. I was trying to find the right shape for my passions. I knew I cared about equity, education, communication, and innovation. I just didn\u2019t know how to hold all those ideas in one space. And instead of being punished for switching gears, I was supported.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Faculty Support Wasn\u2019t Just Helpful. It Was Essential.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t have had the courage to keep exploring if it weren\u2019t for the guidance I received from my professors and advisors. It\u2019s easy to feel pressure to have everything figured out right away in college, especially when you\u2019re in a scholars program or holding leadership roles. But the faculty I worked with reminded me that college is meant to be a place of discovery. They listened when I was unsure. They pointed me toward classes that challenged me. They helped me ask better questions.<\/p>\n<p>When I wanted to build my own major, I didn\u2019t have to fight to be heard. I had professors who encouraged the idea, helped me draft my proposal, and reviewed my course map. They trusted that I knew what I was doing, even when what I was doing wasn\u2019t traditional. My advisor once told me, <em>\u201cThe point of an individualized major is exploration and personalization. You personalized, explored, figured things out, and reached a decision\u2014and that is the whole point.\u201d <\/em>That affirmation stayed with me. It reminded me that I wasn\u2019t failing by changing course. I was doing exactly what I came to college to do: learn. That trust, that encouragement, and that willingness to let me lead my own process made all the difference.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Flexibility Created Freedom\u2014and Focus<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Being able to shift between majors wasn\u2019t a sign of indecision. It was a reflection of how much I care about getting it right. With each change, I got closer to understanding the kind of work I want to do. I realized I don\u2019t just want to work in a classroom. I want to speak up for students and communities on a larger scale. I want to connect people to the ideas and policies that impact their lives. I want to use communication not just to persuade, but to educate. I want to tell stories that move people to action.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s what brought me back to Public Relations. Not as a full circle, but as a full picture.<\/p>\n<p>The custom major I built helped me explore the systems I care about. It gave me the language to talk about education, equity, and policy with greater depth. But I started to realize that I didn\u2019t want to stay behind the scenes designing solutions. I wanted to be the person who could solve those problems. I missed the creative energy of message building, the power of clear and honest storytelling, and the challenge of helping others understand complex issues.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what PR is about at its core. Helping people care. Helping them understand. Helping them see the bigger picture.<\/p>\n<p>I realized that Public Relations gives me the tools to do exactly what I want to do: communicate with impact, especially around the things that matter most to me. Education, youth, equity, and public service. With a minor in Education, I\u2019m still connected to the space that first inspired me. Now, I get to approach it from a different angle\u2014one that\u2019s strategic, human-centered, and focused on advocacy through communication.<\/p>\n<p>All of that came from having the freedom to explore different fields and the trust from faculty and staff that I\u2019d bring it all together.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Trusting The Process: A Model for Student Growth<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned, it\u2019s that flexibility in academics doesn\u2019t slow students down, but it happens to sharpen their direction. My story is one of many. There are so many students whose interests don\u2019t fit cleanly into one department or whose passions take time to fully emerge. What we need are structures and people that allow that discovery to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Faculty can play a powerful role in this discovery process. Whether it\u2019s through interdisciplinary advising, flexible curriculum planning, or simply taking the time to ask a student what lights them up in class, these moments matter. The trust you place in students to chart their own path sticks with them and it can completely change their sense of purpose.<\/p>\n<p>For me, that support turned a confusing list of major switches into an intentional, connected journey.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Where I Am Now<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As a sophomore majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Education, I finally feel at home. Not because it checks every box, but because it brings together all the parts of my journey: the teaching experience, the systems thinking, the curiosity about public institutions, and the love for communication. I\u2019m interested in strategic messaging. I care about educational justice. And I want to work in spaces where I can bridge the gap between policy and people.<\/p>\n<p>PR gives me a way to do all of that. I\u2019m building the skill set to design campaigns, craft messaging, and shape conversations that move ideas forward. I know how to write for impact. I know how to listen to a community. And I know how to make something complex feel clear and personal. My background in education and technology only makes that communication stronger.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Academic Exploration as a Strength, not a Setback<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This story isn\u2019t just about me. It\u2019s about what happens when institutions treat academic exploration as a strength instead of a setback. When faculty listen. When advisors make space for questions. When programs stay flexible. When students are reminded that changing your mind is a form of growth, not failure.<\/p>\n<p>To any student reading this: your major isn\u2019t your identity. It\u2019s a tool. Let it evolve with you.<\/p>\n<p>And to faculty and staff: thank you. For every advising meeting, every conversation, every green light, and every word of encouragement that helped me make sense of this wild, meaningful path. You made room for me to build something that fit.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not just good advising. That\u2019s education at its best.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><strong>How can Faculty and Staff Utilize This Article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-23\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Teaching: Class Discussion and Curriculum Design<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-23-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Use as a First-Year Seminar Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Introduce the article in a seminar or transition course to normalize academic exploration and reduce stigma around changing majors.<\/li>\n<li>Pair it with a reflective writing prompt: <em>&#8220;What matters more to you\u2014your major or your mission?&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Incorporate in Education, Communication, or Public Affairs Classes<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use it as a case study in student development or academic identity formation.<\/li>\n<li>Connect it to units on advising practices, policy flexibility, or student voice in curriculum design.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Discussion Prompts for Classrooms:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What assumptions do we make about students who change majors frequently?<\/li>\n<li>How can we create flexibility in higher education in order to better support student development?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-24\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Advising and Mentorship: Tools for Supporting Exploratory Students<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-24-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Use as a Model in Academic Advising Meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Share the article with students who feel unsure about their path. Let them see that change is part of growth.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage students to map their own academic journey and identify patterns in their interests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Advisor Resource Group Discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use it in advisor training to highlight the impact of supportive, open-ended advising practices.<\/li>\n<li>Spark conversation around how departments can collaborate to better support interdisciplinary students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-25\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Research: Student Development, Retention, and Interdisciplinarity<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-25-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Case Study for Student Retention &amp; Engagement Research<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use this narrative as qualitative data reflecting student resilience, growth, and institutional impact.<\/li>\n<li>Incorporate into research on why students change majors, how they integrate experiences across departments, and the long-term outcomes of interdisciplinary learning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Suggested Research Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What advising strategies help students move through major transitions with confidence and clarity?<\/li>\n<li>How do student-designed majors influence post-graduation pathways or engagement levels?<\/li>\n<li>What barriers discourage students from designing custom majors, and how can institutions address them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-26\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Program and Policy Development<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-26-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Inspiration for Curriculum Flexibility Models<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use this piece as evidence in conversations about expanding custom major pathways or creating clearer interdisciplinary programs.<\/li>\n<li>Revisit department policies with an eye toward student exploration, especially for first- and second-year students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Workshop and Faculty\/Staff Development Ideas:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Offer a professional development session on \u201cAdvising for Exploration vs. Advising for Completion.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3><strong>Ready-to-Use Integration Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"180\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"429\"><strong>Use This Article For&#8230;<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"180\">First-Year Experience<\/td>\n<td width=\"429\">Normalizing major changes and supporting identity exploration<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"180\">Advising Offices<\/td>\n<td width=\"429\">Case example for flexible and strengths-based advising<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"180\">Teaching Faculty<\/td>\n<td width=\"429\">In-class discussion on student agency and interdisciplinarity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"180\">Program Directors<\/td>\n<td width=\"429\">Resource to support review of major structures and flexibility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"180\">Educational Researchers<\/td>\n<td width=\"429\">Narrative data on student-centered curricular evolution<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4085,"featured_media":0,"parent":6826,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[362,254,1095,1179,4714,329,199],"class_list":["post-8971","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4085"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8971\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8969,"date":"2025-04-22T07:27:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T11:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8969"},"modified":"2025-04-22T11:16:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:16:21","slug":"insights-trans-student","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/insights-from-ctrl-student-partners\/insights-trans-student\/","title":{"rendered":"Insights From a Trans Student"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>Insights From a Trans Student<\/h1>\n<h2>Bringing Transgender Issues Into Your Classroom<\/h2>\n<p>By Zo Wofford, Class of 2026<\/p>\n<p>Published Spring 2025<\/p>\n<p>Trans people across the country are feeling a wide range of emotions right now, including anger and despair. We are in the process of reckoning with complex questions about our rights and our futures, particularly those of us at the intersection of other marginalized identities, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What does this mean for my transition?<\/li>\n<li>Do I have support from my family?<\/li>\n<li>What can I do to keep myself safe?<\/li>\n<li>Can I access healthcare, including abortion care, where I live?<\/li>\n<li>Should I\/Am I able to <a href=\"https:\/\/translanguageprimer.com\/stealth\/\">go stealth<\/a>? Should I try to pass as my birth gender?<\/li>\n<li>Do I need to move states? Do I have the money for that?<\/li>\n<li>What will happen to me if I am <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/transgender-women-prison-trump-executive-order-cebec2b005860ef175ddd44e9059b3a3\">incarcerated<\/a> or at risk of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/latino\/deportation-immigration-trans-woman-estrella-santos-zacaria-guatemala-rcna193132\">deportation<\/a>?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>My goal with this project is not to tell faculty that they need to address all of these issues, but to provide some frameworks and ideas for how they can talk about trans people and transphobia in the classroom, whether or not they have trans people in their class. There are plenty of resources already out there for creating a more inclusive classroom environment for trans students (for instance, using nametags or pronouns in introductions), which I have linked at the end of this resource. Here, I focus more on the political aspect of trans experiences, considering the relevance of that topic in this particular moment. This resource is specifically meant for classes that engage in social or political topics, such as the humanities, political science, or international studies. Below, I provide some possible actions instructors can take and information they should keep in mind when trans issues come up in their classroom, developed through conversations I have had with other trans students at AU.<\/p>\n<h3>Know what transphobia looks like<\/h3>\n<p>Most people have at least a vague idea of what transphobia is broadly, but for a more in-depth explanation of some of its various aspects, I would recommend reading or skimming <a href=\"https:\/\/transactual.org.uk\/transphobia\/\">this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Within a classroom or other discussion-based setting, transphobia might look like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Insisting that gender and sex are the same thing<\/li>\n<li>Stating that trans people don\u2019t belong in gendered spaces<\/li>\n<li>Using words like \u201creal\u201d or \u201cbiological\u201d women\/men to refer to cisgender people, or, in turn, referring to transgender people as \u201cbiological\u201d males\/females<\/li>\n<li>Denying the existence of nonbinary genders<\/li>\n<li>Making unnecessary comments about a trans person\u2019s body, voice, or presentation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Give <a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/utilizing-content-warnings\/\">content warnings<\/a> for class materials that are transphobic or feature transphobia<\/h3>\n<p>Provide sufficient content warnings on the syllabus for content containing transphobia, whether it\u2019s the text itself that is transphobic or the text discusses transphobia at length. Even if engagement with the material is mandatory, giving your trans students time and space to mentally prepare themselves goes a long way. And on that note, if possible, be sure that any triggering content is made available before class time (for example, assigning a video as pre-class work rather than showing it for the first time in class). Your students deserve the ability to reckon with their emotions in a context outside of the classroom, prior to class time. Essentially, try to give your students some sense of control where you can.<\/p>\n<p>These content warnings are particularly important in our current moment. We are all inundated with news from a hostile government administration and transphobic news outlets all the time, and this takes its toll. This doesn\u2019t mean you cannot or should not discuss transphobia in your class. In fact, discussing it is more important than ever. But like with any other discussion of oppression, keep in mind that it will cost more emotional labor from your affected students.<\/p>\n<h3>Include trans people and perspectives in conversations about gender and women\u2019s issues<\/h3>\n<p>A lot of people are having a lot of thoughts and feelings about what it means to be a woman or have certain anatomy in this moment, but it\u2019s important to remember that this isn\u2019t just cisgender women. Conversations around reproductive justice must include the experiences of trans people. Some trans people can and do get pregnant, and often face additional problems at this particular intersection that cis women don\u2019t (for instance, not having access to affirming healthcare).<\/p>\n<p>Misogyny is certainly not exclusive to cis women, and for trans people, that misogyny also intersects with transphobia in varying ways. Trans women and transfeminine people experience transmisogyny in the cross-section of simultaneously being devalued as women and demonized as invaders of women\u2019s spaces. Trans men and transmasculine people experience misogynistic infantilization, being portrayed as \u201cgirls\u201d who have been led astray. Nonbinary people are erased from the narrative entirely for their lack of conformity to cisnormative understanding. Trans people of color also experience various intersections with racism, and Black trans women in particular are at one of the most dangerous intersections of transphobia, misogyny, and anti-Blackness.<\/p>\n<p>If you plan on bringing gender or reproductive issues into your class discussions, try to find articles, whether popular or academic, from trans people on the topic. For instance, many trans people who can get pregnant have <a href=\"https:\/\/19thnews.org\/2022\/07\/abortion-transgender-men-nonbinary-reproductive-rights\/\">discussed their particular anxieties post-Roe<\/a>. Academic articles have also been written across various intersections, such as the issue of Transgender Studies Quarterly titled <a href=\"https:\/\/read.dukeupress.edu\/tsq\/issue\/4\/2\">\u201cThe Issue of Blackness\u201d<\/a>, which contains articles focused on the intersection of Black and trans identities. <a href=\"https:\/\/transreads.org\/\">Trans Reads<\/a> contains both fiction and nonfiction, including academia, \u201cby, for, or about people who transverse or transcend western gender norms\u201d, and is constantly being updated.<\/p>\n<h3>Learn what you can, and beware of the moral panic<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019d recommend doing basic research on the current political discourses surrounding trans people, even if you don\u2019t think all of it will be relevant to your class context. Having even a brief understanding of the ways that conservative (and often also moderate, and sometimes even liberal) people, politicians, news outlets, and organizations are talking about trans people will do a lot to help you spot and counter-act transphobia in the classroom. I\u2019ve linked some articles and factsheets below, but I\u2019d always suggest doing your own research as well.<\/p>\n<p>We are amid a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/anti-trans-moral-panics-endanger-all-young-people\/\">nationwide moral panic<\/a> about trans people, particularly trans women. If a student says something that sounds sensationalist, that\u2019s probably because it is. There are many different facets of the current panic, but some key topics to watch out for include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trans women and girls being treated as uniquely predatory, deceptive, or dangerous to cis women\/girls. Right now, this is seen most prominently in the \u201cdebates\u201d over women\u2019s sports and bathrooms.<\/li>\n<li>The idea that children and teenagers, particularly \u201cgirls\u201d with mental illnesses, are being pushed into transitioning by peers or medical professionals, or are becoming trans as a result of \u201csocial contagion\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Transition portrayed as completely inappropriate for children, or as a kink\/fetish<\/li>\n<li>Any rhetoric about \u201cgender ideology\u201d or \u201ctransgenderism\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you find that any of your students are making claims about trans people that seem to be coming from this place of moral panic, you should talk to them about where they get their information from and how much they researched the claim they are making. Few, if any, of the claims circulated among reactionary media outlets hold up to scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>To give an example: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-features\/trans-fencer-sports-interview-1235315722\/\">one story<\/a> currently making the rounds is of Stephanie Turner, a 31-year-old cisgender woman who was disqualified from a Maryland women\u2019s fencing tournament for refusing to fence Red Sullivan, a 19-year-old trans woman. Turner then went on Fox News and lied that she solely fenced in women\u2019s tournaments and tried to avoid fencing trans women because of a biological disadvantage. However, fencing is much more co-ed than most American sports, with many fencers participating in both mixed and gendered tournaments, and Turner herself competed in a co-ed tournament only a week before, a fact that has made it into very few news reports on the incident, mostly those from queer outlets. Stories like these can be helpful examples in demonstrating the importance of being intentional about what sources you go to for information, and on the importance of corroborating stories across multiple outlets to see what has been missed.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>The suggestions and information included here are by no means comprehensive. Rather, my goal is to provide potential starting points for reflection on how instructors can engage in topics related to transness and give some basic information and perspective that they can then build upon with their own research. Many professors I have met don\u2019t know much about trans issues, or feel like they don\u2019t know enough, and avoid the topic because they would rather not talk about it than get it wrong. While I understand the urge, we are in a moment where it is more important than ever for us to be talking about the political aspects of being transgender. More than anything else, I want to encourage you to think about where discussions of trans experiences would be relevant in your own classes, and to take concrete steps to incorporate that into your course material.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Additional Resources<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-27\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >GLAAD Factsheets on some current trans issues<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-27-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/glaad.org\/fact-sheet-misleading-narratives-about-transgender-people-and-restrooms-locker-rooms-and-other-single-sex-spaces\/\">Fact Sheet: Misleading Narratives About Transgender People and Restrooms, Locker Rooms, and Other Single-Sex Spaces<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/glaad.org\/fact-sheet-for-reporters-transgender-participation-in-sports\/\">Fact Sheet: Transgender Participation in Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/glaad.org\/intentional-mischaracterizations-of-transgender-health-care\/\">Fact Sheet: Intentional Mischaracterizations of Transgender Health Care<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/glaad.org\/factsheet-evidence-based-healthcare-transgender-people-and-youth\/\">Fact Sheet: Evidence-Based Health Care for Transgender People and Youth<\/a><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-28\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Reports from the U.S. Trans Survey<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-28-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>A good place to start for understanding trans statistics<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/transequality.org\/sites\/default\/files\/docs\/usts\/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf\">The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/transequality.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-02\/2022%20USTS%20Early%20Insights%20Report_FINAL.pdf\">2022 U.S. Trans Survey Early Insights<\/a><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-29\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >General recommendations for supporting trans students in class<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-29-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/teaching.unl.edu\/resources\/inclusive-teaching\/transgender-and-nonbinary\/\">University of Nebraska\u2013Lincoln Center for Transformative Teaching: Support Transgender and Non-Binary Students<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facultyfocus.com\/articles\/effective-classroom-management\/supporting-transgender-students-classroom\/\">Faculty Focus: Supporting Transgender Students in the Classroom<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carleton.edu\/gender-sexuality-center\/students\/resources-for-staff-faculty\/inclusive-classrooms\/\">Carleton Gender and Sexuality Center: Supporting Trans &amp; Gender Expansive Students<\/a><\/p>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4085,"featured_media":0,"parent":6826,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[3997,916,199,856],"class_list":["post-8969","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4085"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8969\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8963,"date":"2025-04-22T07:11:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T11:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8963"},"modified":"2025-04-22T11:17:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:17:17","slug":"vitality-nontraditional-source-material","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/insights-from-ctrl-student-partners\/vitality-nontraditional-source-material\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vitality of Assigning Non-Traditional Source Material"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1><strong>The Vitality of Assigning Non-traditional Source Material<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How can faculty <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">support<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> students when assigning nontraditional materials?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Katelyn Lewicky, Class of 2025<\/p>\n<p>Published Spring 2025<\/p>\n<h3><b>Background<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My name is Katelyn Lewcky (she\/her) and I am a senior at American University in a BS\/MS Marketing program with a Certificate in Disability, Health, &amp; Bodies. I am passionate about merging themes from my Critical Disability Studies and Marketing coursework to form my own historically- and culturally-informed understanding of the business world. With this, I have also applied my unique perspective to analyzing the academic experience at American University (AU) through my work with the Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning (CTRL).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Following the academic trend towards <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/diversifying-course-materials\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">diversifying source materials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in collegiate classrooms, many professors at AU have begun to assign alternative sources in the classroom. But, what does this really mean and what benefits might it have for student learning?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is a nontraditional source?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When researching this topic, one AU professor said to me: \u201cAn intersectional approach to learning requires decentering academic texts as the most legitimate sources of knowledge!\u201d We had an engaging conversation about how \u2018text\u2019 has been institutionally withheld from individuals who are BIPOC, low-income, raised in proximity to the carceral system, and other disadvantaged groups throughout the course of American history. I believe it is important to note here that although these groups may now be liberated in the eyes of U.S. law, the persistent oppressive, colonial perspective upheld by many Americans perpetuates historic themes of harm throughout modern academia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Understanding the history of text as a privileged medium, non-traditional sources are on the rise. This may look like any of the following, and more!<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Podcasts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Videos<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Documentaries<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guest Speaker Presentations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Blogs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maps<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sheet Music<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Magazines<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Audiobooks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What benefits can students reap from interacting with non-traditional sources?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Interacting with non-traditional source material, both in addition to and in lieu of traditional academic text sources, has countless benefits for the student body at AU. While it is impossible to identify every benefit, below is a list of some key elements:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Understanding the Privilege Behind Text Mediums:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In tandem with AU\u2019s value of creating a socially well-informed student body, educating folx on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> you choose to assign more than <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">just<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201cacademic text\u201d breeds room for conversations on <\/span><b>assimilation vs. liberation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Increased Accessibility:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Capitalizing on the many ways that individual students best process information, the inclusion of various source modalities increases students\u2019 understanding of assigned material. For example, a student who struggles with reading comprehension is likely to engage more meaningfully with an assigned novel if encouraged to listen to the audiobook version as desired. See my resource from Fall 2024 for more information on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/anti-ableism-classroom-student-informed-guide-inclusive-teaching-practices-american-university\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anti-Ableism in Classroom<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, specifically at AU.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>A \u2018New\u2019 Form of Engagement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Imagine you are a full-time undergraduate student today, being assigned over 100 pages of reading per class, per week; Wouldn\u2019t you be excited to watch a video instead of reading for even one class? AU students across fields of study consistently express frustration with their workload and although this is difficult to mediate fully, faculty can support students\u2019 active engagement with source material by assigning more than only text.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Tactical Advice for Implementing Non-traditional Sources<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In order to balance students\u2019 need to learn from contemporary (alternative format) sources and critically analyze text as a member of academia, the workforce, and society, faculty can set students up for success by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Excerpting canonical text<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> when necessary to be assigned. While it may be necessary to assign texts that are deemed foundational to a field, students can benefit from only reading excerpts of the original text which contain the most vital elements of the piece, particularly when there are concerns about excessive length.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Utilize University librarians<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> when searching for appropriate source material to assign, and encourage <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.american.edu\/library\/ask\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">students<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to do the same when conducting independent research.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Provide students with multiple source options<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for optimized flexibility, particularly for those students who may have only worked with text formats in the past. When students get to pick their own sources for an assignment, you may suggest they engage with alternative source material, such as attending a guest lecture, listening to a podcast series, or interviewing an expert in the field.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Remain wary of incidentally assigning students <\/b><b><i>more<\/i><\/b><b> source material<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> when incorporating non-traditional sources into your curricula. Students are often overwhelmed by their workload, so it becomes important that faculty are <\/span><b>replacing<\/b> <b>traditional academic text<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with <\/span><b>meaningful non-traditional sources<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> so as to not overburden students\u2019 capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It has been a great pleasure to compile this resource during my last semester of undergrad, particularly as an exercise in merging my knowledge in Critical Disability Studies and Business to formulate practical advice for AU faculty. From unpacking the colonial roots of text to seeing the tactical benefits of assigning alternative mediums, it is my hope that this resource brings about new student perspectives to the call for diversifying course materials. I hope that the contents of my work will be approached with an open mind at educators across AU and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4085,"featured_media":0,"parent":6826,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[366,1194,798,540,329,199],"class_list":["post-8963","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4085"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8963\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8960,"date":"2025-04-22T06:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T10:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8960"},"modified":"2025-04-22T11:24:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:24:04","slug":"roles-faculty-federal-threats","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/insights-from-ctrl-student-partners\/roles-faculty-federal-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"Roles of Faculty Amidst Escalating Federal Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h1><strong>Roles of Faculty Amidst Escalating Federal Threats<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2>Creating Spaces of Resistance, Hope, and Resilience in Higher Education<\/h2>\n<p>Gabriela Rupp, Class of 2026<\/p>\n<p>Published Spring 2025<\/p>\n<p>Note: Content included in this resource is entirely my own and does not claim to be ideologically representative of the Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning or American University as an institution. Similarly, faculty quotes represent anonymous personal contributions and not endorsed statements by any related units.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Project Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This semester, I set out to uplift the role of university faculty in responding to the new federal administration, recent attacks on higher education, and personal and professional threats. Through this project, I seek to shed light on the diverse experiences of faculty and reflect on common themes emerging across department and disciplinary lines. Unlike my previous work with CTRL, this project is primarily focused on amplifying real-time faculty experiences and finding applicable lessons in their existing critical work, rather than making recommendations to change or improve what they are already doing.<\/p>\n<p>As an Education and Women\u2019s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies student studying and working in fields actively threatened by the present federal administration, I have found my coursework, much of which focuses on understanding and critiquing systems of oppression, to be a vital space of empowerment, hope, and community resistance in recent months. Interactions with faculty have demonstrated the continuing possibility of critical work and repeatedly reminded me of the available blueprints of liberatory resistance across time and place. In a political moment where self-interested actors seek to consolidate power in the hands of the very few, limit access to critical education, distract and overwhelm citizens, and stoke fear and intimidation to compel complacency, those of us committed to making more just futures possible certainly have our work cut out for us. In truly dangerous times like these, I find it all the more essential to uplift, protect, and sustain one another\u2019s work and wellbeing. Through this project, I hope to do just that.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Methods and Lessons from Project Evolution<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>My work on this project began the very day after Donald Trump\u2019s second inauguration and has evolved alongside the rapidly changing political landscape. At its conception, the project aimed to conclude with a faculty panel, creating a public and collaborative space for faculty to share their resistance work and methods for supporting one another and students. As the semester progressed and the federal administration\u2019s planned attacks continued to unfold, it became clear a public event would be impossible due to rapidly escalating tensions and anxieties among faculty over personal safety and employment security, and that any element of public naming or identification of participating faculty would be both reckless and a barrier to participation. As a result, all faculty contributions below remain unnamed. While disappointing, this evolution has in many ways itself been a clear answer to the central question of the project: how are faculty experiencing and responding to recent actions from the new federal administration? Content of faculty responses aside, observing the patterns of engagement with this work clearly demonstrates to me that many university faculty are grappling daily with the tensions between well-founded fears, self-preservation instincts, and moral and intellectual imperatives to openly resist attacks on their communities, students, and work. They are carefully negotiating risk along lines of privilege, identity, institutional security, and concern for family. For many, these tensions limit the possibility of in-person, publicly named, or university-sanctioned resistance work. However, in every faculty member I engaged with during this process, I found evidence of creative and community driven models of care and resistance.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Summary of Threats to Higher Education in Early 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The American higher education system, and those working and studying within it, have experienced an unprecedented level of threat, policy change, and chaos due to federal actions in recent months. Students, scholars, and faculty at institutions nationwide have faced threats of deportation and revocation of legal status, often becoming targets of the federal administration due to prior engagement in protected speech. Just down the road from American University, Georgetown University post-doctoral scholar and professor Badar Khan Suri was taken into custody by masked DHS agents while returning from Iftar during Ramadan. Similarly, Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University and R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk at Tufts University have been detained under similar conditions, with all three individuals being held multiple states away in Louisiana. These cases have gained significant media attention and garnered public outrage; meanwhile, many more quietly grapple with uncertain futures. 1,300 students and counting have had legal residency status taken from them, and this is likely a significant underrepresentation. At another one of AU\u2019s neighboring institutions, the University of Maryland president, Daryll Pines, received a letter demanding that the university share information about past and present Chinese students. The impacts of ramped-up federal and institutional surveillance efforts in higher education are widespread and disproportionately felt.<\/p>\n<p>Another key point of impact in higher education right now comes as the result of the federal administration\u2019s crusade against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, bringing everything from research grants to university housing policies to student affinity groups and beyond under scrutiny. Institutional responses have varied, with high-profile examples including the University of Michigan\u2019s choice to shut down its DEI office, Harvard\u2019s public rejection of the federal administration\u2019s demands, and Columbia\u2019s promises of significant concessions upon receiving a similar list of federal demands. This invented crisis has resulted in the loss of billions of dollars in federal education and research funding, and is likely just the beginning, as the administration moves on from this first round of high-profile institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Among these many threats, we are also seeing attempted rollbacks on labor organizing rights, harmful and exclusionary revisions to Title IX guidance, unjust limits on free expression and student organizing, uncertainty around the future of federal student loans and grants, cuts to teacher preparation programs, and so much more. Students and faculty are increasingly caught in the crosshairs of these federal disputes, particularly at institutions whose operations heavily rely on federal dollars, with individuals at all levels facing loss of funding, rescinded admissions or employment offers, and increasingly tense work and school environments, not to mention the personal stress and upheaval brought on by these daily threats. If the mission of this administration is to distract, divide, and dilute, the widespread and daily attacks on higher education have been a masterclass in exactly that. These many attacks should be alarming to those invested in the democratic future of America, but they are also, unfortunately, recognizable as one of the most basic tools of fascism: the cultivation of an uneducated public. The scale and speed of the new administration&#8217;s threats to higher education are cause for significant concern and represent an extension of the executive\u2019s testing of protective boundaries to centralized power. In the weeks and years ahead, the future of academic freedom and the safety and well-being of marginalized students and faculty will rely largely on outright resistance from higher education institutions and the continued mobilization of concerned individuals and organizations working within them.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><strong>Faculty Responses<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Faculty expressed a range of emotional reflections and practical contributions, coming together to tell a powerfully urgent story of creative resistance work being done within institutions of higher education. In synthesizing the survey responses provided by faculty, I have organized them into five thematic categories below.<\/p>\n<p>The following includes direct quotes from American University faculty working across five departments, at various appointment statuses, and with various student populations. Contributing faculty\u2019s names and identifying information have been redacted for personal safety.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"togglecontainer toggle_close_all \">\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-30\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Impacts of Federal Actions on Staff and Faculty<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-30-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Faculty expressed intense personal and professional anxieties due to a variety of federal and institutional actions. They emphasized the critical need for community building, sustaining and growing networks of support, and for institutions to act to protect faculty from forthcoming attacks and censorship.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201c<\/strong>Many of my co-workers have been thrown into a panic by these changes.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAttacks on DEI, transgender and non-binary people, and immigrants mean that literally all of our work in (redacted department) is now declared illegal or dangerous. At best, the value of our teaching, research, and community work is denigrated. At worst, many of my colleagues fear for their livelihood and personal safety, as well as that of their families.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThere is an overall sense of fear, anxiety, and dread, and it&#8217;s like we&#8217;re in constant disbelief&#8230; Coworkers who are trans and queer question when and where they can be their authentic selves. Coworkers who are actively protesting the genocide in Gaza fear that they will be penalized for expressing their views&#8230;\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cCuts to federal jobs, cuts to education, cuts to research funding, removal of sustainable practices, removal of policies that protect our most marginalized &#8230;these all undermine the value and purpose of higher education. At the same time, we&#8217;re also much more fired up about the work that we do because it matters more than ever!\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWe feel scared, surveilled, and boxed in.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMany faculty are rightfully concerned about the threat to their employment constituted by attacks on the federal Department of Education and the erosion of institutional support for free speech.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMy colleagues and I will keep doing work that is meaningful and that helps facilitate social change, rather than complying with executive orders out of cowardice. But doing the right thing puts a target on our backs.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-31\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Observed Impacts of Federal Actions on Student Populations<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-31-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Faculty recognized a massive depth and breadth of experiences shared and observed in students they teach and work closely with, using descriptions of intense emotional upheaval. They specifically highlighted the fears and complex experiences of marginalized students, recognizing the personal and academic impacts of the turbulent political landscape.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201c<\/strong>Students are noticeably disconcerted, anxious, and upset about recent federal actions.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cStudents have shared anxieties for their undocumented loved ones; themselves and their communities as Trans, immigrant, BIPOC, and queer people; for their career prospects in fields including civil service, foreign aid, education, and the arts; for their access to health care (especially reproductive and gender-affirming care); and for the democratic and climate future of the US and world.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMany students are living in a state of constant panic and fear.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI know that students are also scared, angry, and anxious, and that greatly impacts their ability to focus and stay motivated to complete their degrees. I have a constant fear and worry for my students and how they are being impacted or how they are processing all of this painful, hateful, depressing information. When we&#8217;re all drained just from surviving and defending our humanity, and we&#8217;re living in this state of constant anxiety, we can&#8217;t focus. Things can start to feel irrelevant or unnecessary.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMy students are demoralized and exhausted.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cStudents are seeing through the empty rhetoric of administrators that we&#8217;re all one big community and that equity and free speech are central to the university&#8217;s mission. They recognize that they&#8217;re paying enormous amounts of money to a corporation that holds no regard for their well-being, let alone their learning and growth.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-32\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Using Faculty Positions and Relationships to Build Networks of Resistance<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-32-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Many faculty responses highlighted methods they have adopted within their existing roles as professors, colleagues, and researchers to adapt their work to the present political landscape. They shared the pedagogical strategies and peer support tactics they are implementing to meet the moment and develop strategies for sustaining their work amid the dominant politics of distraction.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cMy classes focus on topics that have been weaponized by the current administration, including gender and sexuality; race; immigration; and histories of colonialism, pro-natalist, and white supremacy. I have therefore sought both to give space for students immediately following the inauguration to discuss their thoughts and feelings, and to draw connections between our material and current events.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI seek to be mindful of distinguishing between the current administration and political conservatism more generally; I did not speak directly about party politics prior to Trump&#8217;s first election, but after arriving to a class full of weeping and frightened students in November 2016, now feel it would be a dereliction of my duty as an educator committed to social justice not to address racist, anti-democratic, Trans- and queer phobic, and sexist policies and public speech.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEvery day, I invest a great deal of time and energy listening to those around me, providing them a place to express their emotions, strategizing with them on how to resist these changes along with others, and discussing the lessons which history offers us about surviving during times of reactionary backlash and entrenchment.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI intentionally offer ways to continue to generate joy and create beauty, connection, restorative practices, and hope for everyone with whom I interact.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI have worked hard to employ equitable, trauma-informed teaching practices that demonstrate compassion and understanding&#8230; I also have made sure to acknowledge what&#8217;s happening, but without overwhelming students with constant discussions about all of the horrible things that are going on.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI make space for us to unpack the nuance and make sense of what they might be seeing on social media. I honor their intelligence and experiences. I also am trying to learn about how I can use my power and privilege to protect others.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI think part of addressing stress and despair is also making space for joy, humor, and positivity. Not ignoring reality, but reminding people that it&#8217;s okay to be happy, and it&#8217;s necessary!<u>\u201d<\/u><\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhat the oppressor wants is for us to spend all of our time angry and frustrated. Joy and self-preservation are part of the resistance! Modeling that for students and colleagues, and reminding them that it&#8217;s okay to rest, or helping take over when someone needs a break.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI&#8217;ve brought these topics to my classes and explored how students feel and what strategies are available to us to push back.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-33\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Supporting Student Organizers<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-33-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Faculty respondents emphasized the importance of faculty in supporting, mentoring, and defending student organizers agitating for change on and off campus, especially given recent threatening actions by the federal government to intimidate, arrest, and detain student organizers, and the recent institutional policies limiting free expression on campus.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201c<\/strong>I believe that faculty with greater institutional protection (including tenure and seniority) need to support and advocate for student organizers amidst the erosion of free speech, especially in relation to Israel\/Palestine.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThis is a crucial time for faculty members to stand with student organizers. Especially those of us who are tenured and therefore less vulnerable in our careers are called to step forward to protect our students, mentor them, and support them in their work.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIs it not part of our curriculum and institutional values to create &#8216;change makers&#8217; who can engage in &#8216;dialogue across difference&#8217; and uphold our democracy? It&#8217;s our job to teach students how to advocate and engage in activism in a way that&#8217;s safe and productive. Critical thinking, civic engagement, arguing for a just society\u2026 these are all key elements of higher education, and it&#8217;s our duty to support that.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThose with the status and security to speak out must do so to protect freedom of expression and the right to assembly.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"av_toggle_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" >    <div class=\"single_toggle\" data-tags=\"{All} \" >        <p data-fake-id=\"#toggle-id-34\" class=\"toggler \"  itemprop=\"headline\" >Leveraging Institutional Privilege to Disrupt Patterns of Harm in Higher Education<span class=\"toggle_icon\">        <span class=\"vert_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"hor_icon\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>        <div id=\"toggle-id-34-container\" class=\"toggle_wrap \" >            <div class=\"toggle_content invers-color\"  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>While institution-specific critiques were made, many faculty also recognized the relative privilege of working at a private liberal arts institution that publicly claims values of inclusive excellence and changemaking. Faculty reflect on how to leverage their institutional status to resist national patterns (i.e., the forced closure of campus DEI offices) that may be more immediately impacting faculty working in other regions or institutional models.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cFaculty have to engage in a coalitional approach with staff and students to ensure change actually happens.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI believe that more institutionally secure faculty should be working with unions and contingent employees to strengthen employment protections; integrating DEI material more thoroughly and strategically into their curricula; and being as available as feasible for student conversation and support, all of which both creates intellectual and political community, and improves the intellectual climate and erosion of student retention that further threaten AU and other schools.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWe can write public pieces, continue our research in scholarly venues, use our connections with media outlets, as well as local, national, and international social justice networks to call out the harm and join with others to reject it.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFinding ways to creatively &#8216;do the work&#8217; anyways&#8230; not preemptively censoring, shutting down, or backing off&#8230; not moving based on fear, but based on values and principles. Recognizing in what spaces and positions you have more power and privilege, and doing work there.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFaculty hold tremendous power within the university system; they can attend student actions, co-organize, endorse advocacy projects, and mobilize their faculty peers in solidarity.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n            <\/div>        <\/div>    <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div  class='hr hr-default '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><strong>The Work Ahead: Sustaining Resistance, Building Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In mapping the path forward, those interested in resisting federal attacks on higher education must simultaneously resist repressive and divisive policy from its source and agitate for transparency and, when necessary, noncompliance at the institutional level. Here at American University, many faculty and students are engaged in this complex work. In the spring 2025 semester, student-led actions have included a student coalition organized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theeagleonline.com\/article\/2025\/04\/students-rally-at-department-of-education-amid-cuts-from-federal-government\">\u201cHands Off our Schools\u201d rally<\/a> at the Department of Education, a campus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theeagleonline.com\/article\/2025\/03\/students-stage-walkout-for-day-without-immigrants-rally\">\u201cDay Without Immigrants\u201d rally,<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/awolau.org\/7432\/print\/politics\/georgetown-students-show-solidarity-at-rally-for-detained-professor\/\">demonstration calling for the release of Georgetown University professor<\/a> Badar Khan Suri. In addition to the interpersonal and classroom level work highlighted in the survey responses above, faculty have organized various modes of resistance. AU\u2019s Journalism Department unanimously approved an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theeagleonline.com\/article\/2025\/04\/guest-column-an-open-letter-from-journalism-faculty-to-our-students-we-stand-with-you\">open letter to its students<\/a><u>,<\/u> denouncing federal attacks on the free press. Faculty and staff have organized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theeagleonline.com\/article\/2025\/03\/faculty-staff-demand-au-administrators-do-more-to-protect-students-from-trump-administration-policies\">demonstrations<\/a>, teach-ins, and coalitional actions with student groups to call for action from AU administration in taking steps to protect students and faculty from federal threats. Faculty, staff, and students signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1J3R8Ou22g_-J9nzBwQR_WC9j313x9gEip_oh841voDY\/edit?tab=t.0\">open letter to AU administration<\/a><em>,<\/em> warning against anticipatory compliance. AU\u2019s chapter of the American Association of University Professors has produced content calling for the protection of <a href=\"https:\/\/americanuniversityaaup.wordpress.com\/2025\/03\/18\/an-institutional-mechanism-for-preserving-academic-freedom-and-free-expression\/\">free expression on campus<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/americanuniversityaaup.wordpress.com\/2025\/02\/27\/american-university-aaup-chapter-leadership-statement-in-response-to-administration-violating-academic-freedom-free-expression-and-university-policies\/\">academic freedom,<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/americanuniversityaaup.wordpress.com\/2025\/04\/07\/analysis-of-the-financial-condition-of-american-university\/\">financial transparency<\/a>. Most recently, leaders from AAUP and the student organization, Sunrise Movement, joined forces to participate in a national <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dayofactionforhighered.org\/\">Day of Action for Higher Education<\/a>, demanding that AU move to protect the vulnerable, academic freedom, and the university\u2019s core mission.<\/p>\n<p>These actions are representative of the culture of American University&#8217;s faculty and student body, indicative of an intense drive to work collectively towards institutional and federal change. As federal attacks on higher education continue to expand, diversify, and evolve, so will faculty and student-led resistance efforts, and so will the community networks of care and accountability built to protect one another amidst fear and threat. It is incredibly important that our work remains open, uncensored, and critical to maintain the integrity of our institution, the impact of our scholarly work, and the safety and well-being of all individuals. In sharing the direct concerns of participating American University faculty, I hope to promote this type of critical consciousness and uplift the intersecting burdens our faculty are facing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4085,"featured_media":0,"parent":6826,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[1194,362,254,609,329,199,1210,509],"class_list":["post-8960","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4085"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8960\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8916,"date":"2025-04-03T10:43:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T14:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8916"},"modified":"2025-07-02T10:11:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T14:11:08","slug":"external-research-professional-development","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/external-research-professional-development\/","title":{"rendered":"External Research Methodology Professional Development"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style='padding-bottom:10px;' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >External Research Methodology Professional Development Opportunities<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span data-teams=\"true\">Below you will find additional professional development opportunities external to CTRL and AU, categorized by qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research, that you might take advantage of in addition to CTRL programming. Feel free to<a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/research-consultations\/\"> schedule a consultation<\/a> with a CTRL research methodologist to discuss these options and decide what might be appropriate to support your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Qualitative<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Qualitative Research Resources: Training Opportunities UNC &amp; Beyond<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: Find sources of qualitative training &amp; support at UNC. How to search for and evaluate qualitative research, integrate qualitative research into systematic reviews, report\/publish qualitative research. Includes some Mixed Methods resources. UNC &amp; Beyond: <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">These workshops are not free<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/guides.lib.unc.edu\/qual\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/guides.lib.unc.edu\/qual<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Annual Qualitative Research Summer Intensive: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At the Qualitative Research Summer Intensive, take advantage of a unique opportunity to gain both theoretical and practical understanding of qualitative inquiry. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Qualitative Design and Data Collection Camp<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: 3.5 days of focused attention on improving your ability to design and execute qualitative projects. Our mentor team will help you work in a way that keeps you engaged and motivated through the life of your project. Our camp participants appreciate the opportunity to give themselves \u201cpermission\u201d to spend time with their project, away from their busy work and family lives, with coaching from our team of experts. Take advantage of the opportunity to interact with fellow qualitative researchers across a variety of disciplines. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/upcoming-events\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/upcoming-events<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Qualitative Data Analysis Camp:<\/span><\/b> Our <span data-contrast=\"auto\">Qualitative Data Analysis Camp fosters data-based decision-making, reflection and strategizing about your analysis approach with guidance from the ResearchTalk mentor team. Our camp participants appreciate the opportunity to give themselves \u201cpermission\u201d to spend time with their data, away from their busy work and family lives, with coaching from our team of experts. Camp participants report feeling re-energized by learning how to truly be directed by data content using the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift method. Take advantage of the opportunity to interact with fellow qualitative researchers analyzing data across a variety of disciplines. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/upcoming-events\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/upcoming-events<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Spring Qualitative Inquiry Seminars: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3 online courses offered by our qualitative scholar team that introduce methodologically-informed principles and practice techniques to guide you through your qualitative inquiry project. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/sqis\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/sqis<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Qualitative Writing Camp: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Our\u202fQualitative Writing Camp\u202ffocuses on four core questions:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When do I start writing for my qualitative projects?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How do I integrate data into my qualitative writing?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How do I write a methods section?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Where do I publish or present my qualitative work?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Responses to these questions introduce strategies to help you compose authentic, impactful and relevant data-based articles, books, chapters, reports and presentations. Our team of qualitative inquiry mentors will introduce you to writing practices and tips to use through the entire research lifecycle of your projects. \u201cWriting\u201d can and should start early in your work on a new project. We encourage you to begin memoing and diagramming to contemplate emerging ideas early in each project. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/upcoming-events\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.researchtalk.com\/upcoming-events<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Professional Development Courses with AERA (American Educational Research Association): <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This page includes professional development opportunities offered at the Annual Meeting for AERA. The courses cover salient topics in education research design; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods; meta-analysis; and other data analysis techniques. This page also covers the Virtual Learning Series. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Membership required.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aera.net\/Professional-Opportunities-Funding\/Professional-Development-Courses\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.aera.net\/Professional-Opportunities-Funding\/Professional-Development-Courses<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Stanford Maternal &amp; Child Health Research Institute (Qualitative Research Workshops): <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The MCHRI Qualitative Workshop Research was created to provide an educational resource for Stanford Researchers engaging in Qualitative Research. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Available on site for free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/mchri\/education\/qualitative-research-workshops.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/mchri\/education\/qualitative-research-workshops.html<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ICQI (International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry), U Illinois Urbana-Champaign:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Annual conference with workshops (usually in May) hosted by the International Institute for Qualitative Inquiry (IIQI)at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Its mission is to facilitate the development of qualitative research methods across a wide variety of academic disciplines. In addition, it provides leadership to demonstrate the promise of qualitative inquiry as a form of democratic practice, to show how qualitative inquiry can be used to directly engage pressing social issues at the level of local, state, national and global communities. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/icqi.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/icqi.org<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">QRCA Connecting. Educating. Advancing.:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> QRCA is a global network of qualitative research professionals, including market research, UX, CX, sociologists, ethnographers, linguists, social media and other qualitative experts, and the resource for elevating qualitative research expertise at all levels, where members network and share best practices, trends and technology, and take advantage of unique educational content. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Membership required.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qrca.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.qrca.org\/<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Temple University Libraries-Qualitative Data Analysis and QDA Tools: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Information for Temple students, researchers, and instructors interested in conducting qualitative data analysis. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Available on site for free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/guides.temple.edu\/c.php?g=1097342&amp;p=8002856\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Home &#8211; Qualitative Data Analysis and QDA Tools &#8211; Research Guides at Temple University<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Quantitative<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research) Summer Program: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ICPSR&#8217;s Summer Programs have been training researchers in quantitative methods since 1963. They occasionally have a few qualitative methods courses too. Most courses are held in Ann Arbor at U Michigan while some are hosted in other regions by other universities. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icpsr.umich.edu\/web\/pages\/sumprog\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.icpsr.umich.edu\/web\/pages\/sumprog\/<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">International Society Quantitative Ethnography: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The International Society for Quantitative Ethnography is a professional organization that supports and promotes research that unifies qualitative and quantitative analysis of human thought, behavior, and interaction. Quantitative ethnographic approaches are used in a range of fields, including education, history, anthropology, systems engineering, and psychology, and ISQE provides a forum for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarly interactions at the intersection of the humanities and social sciences. The society hosts the annual International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography (ICQE), a monthly QE Webinar Series, and other events that facilitate intellectual exchange, collaboration, and community building.<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Membership required.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qesoc.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.qesoc.org\/<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mixed Methods<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mixed Methods International Research Association:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Support the MMIRA Annual Conference to provide a forum at various locations worldwide for scholars, students, practitioners, policymakers, citizens, and other stakeholders to come together and share their international and interdisciplinary problems, perspectives, findings, and solutions. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Membership required.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link:\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mmira.wildapricot.org\/objectives\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/mmira.wildapricot.org\/objectives<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">University of Michigan Mixed Methods Program: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Our mission is to promote mixed methods research and scholarship across academic disciplines through education, training, consulting and mentoring with the support of the\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.umich.edu\/dept\/family-medicine\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">This workshop is not free.<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u200bLink: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mixedmethods.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/www.mixedmethods.org\/<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Southwest Workshop on Mixed Methods Research<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: The\u202fSouthwest Workshop on Mixed Methods Research\u202f(SWMMR) is an academic organization that aims to further discussions on the theory and application of mixed methods research in the social sciences.<\/span> <b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Available on site for free.<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Link: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/swmixedmethods.com\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/swmixedmethods.com\/<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4124,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[454,910,282],"class_list":["post-8916","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8916\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8911,"date":"2025-04-02T12:30:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T16:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8911"},"modified":"2025-04-02T12:31:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T16:31:03","slug":"research-tool-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/research-tool-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Tool Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style='padding-bottom:10px;' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2   '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Research Tool Resources<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ajPccUpQvPQ\">Resource 1 | NVIVO 101<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4124,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[1092,854],"class_list":["post-8911","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8911\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8908,"date":"2025-04-02T12:09:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T16:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/?page_id=8908"},"modified":"2025-04-02T12:41:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T16:41:35","slug":"method-minutes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/method-minutes\/","title":{"rendered":"Method Minutes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style='padding-bottom:10px;' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Method Minutes<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/aW5T80tvb7I\">Method Minutes | <span data-teams=\"true\">Making a Calendar in Qualtrics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4124,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[1092,854],"class_list":["post-8908","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8908\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]