External professional development opportunities for faculty this summer

Following is a selection of external professional development opportunities available to faculty this summer in the areas of teaching and learning and career development. Some programs may also be of interest to staff, graduate students, and post-docs.

Teaching and Learning

Inclusive STEM Teaching Project. Jun 15 - Jul 27. Free, NSF-sponsored. This six-week MOOC on edX is designed to advance the awareness, self-efficacy, and ability of STEM faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff to cultivate inclusive learning environments for their students. Participants will engage in deep reflection and discussion around topics of equity and inclusion across a variety of institutional contexts. Estimated commitment of 3-5 hours per week. Visit www.inclusivestemteaching.org for more details and to register. WPI community members who register are encouraged to notify morgan-center@wpi.edu in case there's enough interest to form an informal learning community or do some follow-up together in the fall.

National Effective Teaching Institute (NETI): Engineering-Oriented

• NETI-2A (Inquiry-Based Teaching). Jul 8-9, 1-5pm EDT each day. "This workshop will develop participants’ ability to adopt inquiry-based learning strategies. These strategies (e.g. problem-based and project-based learning) provide an engaging way to teach courses that more closely mimics how science and engineering are done in practice.  Research shows that these approaches enhance student motivation, improve understanding of important concepts and develop students’ problem-solving and life-long learning skills."  NETI-2A participants should already be familiar with active learning.  Additional information and registration. 
• NETI-2B (Forming, Managing & Assessing Student Teams). Aug 5-6, 1-5pm EDT each day. "This workshop will develop participants’ ability to manage student teams – particularly in the context of team-based learning strategies. Teamwork can be taught, but students require guidance, practice, and feedback. They also need to be held accountable for their behavior. Research shows that there are best practices for how to form teams, manage teams, and assess teams to improve student outcomes while maintaining an inclusive and welcoming learning environment." NETI-2B participants should already be familiar with learning strategies that require students to interact in groups and teams. Additional information and registration.

Academics For Black Survival and Wellness (A4BL). Jun 19 - Jul 3 online, partial days. The A4BL Anti-Racism Training track is a personal and professional development initiative for Non-Black academics to honor the toll of racial trauma on Black people, resist anti-Blackness and white supremacy, and facilitate accountability and collective action. Topics include BIPOC solidarity for Black liberation, transformative and restorative justice, and moving beyond performativity. There is a $125 registration fee. Several faculty members participated last summer and found it educational and valuable. A4BL also has a track that provides a space for healing and wellness for Black people; this track is free. Detailed agendas will be available on Jun 14 on the A4BL website. More information and registration at https://whova.com/portal/registration/absaw_202106. 

Career Development (NCFDD programs)

14-Day Writing Challenge. Jun 21 - Jul 4, online. Experiment with daily writing, group accountability, and productivity tracking. Registration ends June 17. Free to WPI community members through WPI's institutional membership in the NCFDD. More information and registration.

Faculty Success Program. Aug 29 - Nov 20, online. This signature “bootcamp” uses evidence-based methods to improve scholarly productivity and a healthy work-life balance through accountability, coaching, and peer support. More information here. WPI's institutional membership enables any faculty member to have priority registration available until June 23 ($4,150). Regular early bird registration is $4,450 and closes July 21. Faculty are encouraged to negotiate cost-sharing with their department head; contact Chrys Demetry (cdemetry@wpi.edu) for advice on this or to connect with other faculty who have participated. Please contact Gina Ferraro (ginaferraro@wpi.edu) in Talent & Inclusion to reserve a priority registration spot.