Author: admin

by José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson

Join the CTE in the Spring 2025 semester for a book club consisting of a series of moderated discussions scheduled to take place over a period of eight weeks (this will allow us to focus on one section of the book (four chapters) every two weeks, with an additional two-week period for final discussions and wrap-up.

Participants will decide whether the book club will take place virtually (in Teams or Zoom), face-to-face in the CTE, or in some sort of hybrid combination of both formats.

The CTE will provide copies of the book to the first 12 faculty who sign up. All other participants will need to purchase their own copies or access the text for free through the Kaufman Library (a direct link will be provided for everyone who signs up).

Moderator: Michael D. Smith (CTE)

Timeline / Schedule:

Jan 17 – Feb 02: signup period (see the form below) and polling of participants to determine format / meeting times. Books for the first 12 faculty to sign up will be available for pickup (soon) in the CTE.

Feb 03 – Feb 7: Week 1 (reading time)
Feb 10 – Feb 14: Week 2 – discussion of Introduction, Chapters 1 – 4 (77 pages)
Feb 17 – Feb 21: Week 3 (reading time)
Feb 24 – Feb 28: Week 4 – discussion of Chapters 5 – 8 (77 pages)
Mar 03 – Mar 07: Spring Break
Mar 10 – Mar 14: Week 5 (reading time)
Mar 17 – Mar 21: Week 6 (discussion of Chapters 9 – 12 and Epilogue (77 pages)
Mar 24 – Mar 28: Week 7 (catchup reading / reflection time)
Mar 31 – Apr 04: Week 8 (final discussion – takeaways, next steps, and wrap-up)

Book Club Sign Up Form

For more information, contact Michael D. Smith (mdsmith@ggc.edu)

It’s like a book club, but instead of reading a book together, we’ll be completing a (free) self-paced online course together. AccountabiliBuddies FTW!!!

Join a group of your colleagues to explore the science of happiness and well-being in this wildly popular online course from Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos. In this communal experience, we will complete the 10 modules of the course over a period of 10 weeks, meeting once per week (on a day / time to be selected by the participants) to discuss our experience and support one another along the way. Live meetings may be enhanced by opportunities for asynchronous participation in discussions / Q&A in Brightspace.

Intro Video: Start a New Journey – The Science of Well-Being by Yale University

Course Description:

In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life.

We will begin the course the week of Jan 27^th and finish up the week of April 07^th.

Sign up for the group, and we’ll determine the best day / time / modality for our weekly discussion / support meetings.

Please join Information Technology’s workshop, Accessibility Matters:  10 Tips for Maximizing the MyCourses Student Experience.  The workshop will provide tips and best practices for improving digital content accessibility of files and videos, improving the accessible experience for Zoom sessions, and implementing required accommodations.

Date: January 21, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.

Zoom:  https://ggc-edu.zoom.us/j/82540832305

Instead of the Mindful Mondays sessions I’ve offered in the past, this semester I would like to facilitate a weekly group exploration of the practice of mindful self-compassion. Although mindfulness and self-compassion are complementary practices that are both linked with better mental health, three recent research studies found that self-compassion influences mental health to a greater extent than mindfulness meditation alone. A regular practice of mindful self-compassion is a great way to reduce self-judgment and self-criticism and to improve your overall mental health. See the links below for more information on mindful self-compassion.

Rather than arbitrarily setting a schedule and seeing who shows up (as I have done in the past), I would prefer to let those who are interested sign up for the group and then figure out a day / time / modality that works for everyone (or at least for the majority). This will probably work best as a hybrid experience, with both asynchronous content and synchronous meetings (a model that I’m hoping to implement in more of our workshops / topics moving forward).

So if this sounds like something you might be interested in…

Join us for an ongoing exploration of the benefits of practicing mindful self-compassion! This group will focus on the research-based practices developed by of Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer to facilitate mindful self-compassion. We will explore a variety of resources on mindful self-compassion and learn about (and try out) some of the recommended tools and techniques for putting it into practice in our own lives. Sign up for the group, and we’ll determine the best day / time / modality for our synchronous meetings.

About Mindful Self-Compassion:

Modern society encourages us all to work hard, achieve more, and be the best – to “win” at life. Rather than strengthening our relationships or leading us to success, however, this constant focus on competition tends to lead to isolation and to self-criticism, a self-defeating tendency that just gets in the way of our primary goals of being successful, belonging, and being loved. Although the concept of self-compassion is often seen negatively (as complacency, weakness, selfishness, self-indulgence, self-pity, or narcissism), it is actually a healthy alternative to self-criticism that tends to make us more compassionate towards others, as well as resulting in greater well-being, empowerment, and inner strength. The science shows that self-compassion leads to decreased stress and increased productivity and resilience.

For more information on self-compassion, check out the following videos from Dr. Neff.

* Self-Compassion Part 1 – Introduction (3:08)
* Self-Compassion Part 2 – Self-Kindness (4:39)
* Self-Compassion Part 3 – Common Humanity (4:13)
* Self-Compassion Part 4 – Mindfulness (3:45)
* Self-Compassion Part 5 – Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem (4:24)
* The Paradox of Self-Compassion (1:45)

The 2025 Georgia Gwinnett College Teaching, Learning, and Research Symposium marked the 5th year of the academic conference.  Faculty participants from multiple institutions shared their works across the two days of the hyflex conference.  The conference concluded with presentations from the student research track with the best in track award going to “Understanding the Effects of Maternity Leave Legislation on Domestic Violence: A State-Level Analysis” by GGC student Selma Sehic (faculty sponsor:  Dr. Philip Vinson).  Follow the link below for the 2025 program and proceedings.

Download the complete schedule.

Wed 01/08 @ 12:00 noon

Join us in the CTE conference room for a live broadcast of an online introductory group session to learn the basics about what self-compassion is, how it will benefit your life, and most importantly, how to practice being kinder and more supportive to yourself. These intro sessions are the perfect way to begin your self-compassion journey if you’re new or else to refresh and re-inspire your practice. This session is facilitated by one of the mentors in Dr. Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion Community.

No registration required. Join us on campus if you can, but if you are unable to do so, please feel free to register for the event online and watch it from home: https://self-compassion.org/event/intro-to-self-compassion-session-1-8-2025/ – Self-Compassion

Wed 12/04 @ 12:00 noon

Join us in the CTE conference room for a live broadcast of an online introductory group session to learn the basics about what self-compassion is, how it will benefit your life, and most importantly, how to practice being kinder and more supportive to yourself. These intro sessions are the perfect way to begin your self-compassion journey if you’re new or else to refresh and re-inspire your practice. This session is facilitated by one of the mentors in Dr. Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion Community.

No registration required. Join us on campus if you can, but if you are unable to do so, please feel free to register for the event online and watch it from home:  https://self-compassion.org/event/intro-to-self-compassion-session-12-4-2024/ – Self-Compassion

The Governor’s Teaching Fellows (GTF) Program, hosted by the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, invites applications for the May 2025 Symposium and the 2025-26 academic year program.

• The May 2025 Symposium will focus on “Artificial Intelligence in the Holistic Classroom.” Selected faculty will receive hotel accommodations and meals during the program, which takes place May 19-23, 2025, on the University of Georgia campus. Fellows will have the opportunity to work with experts to experiment with AI, craft classroom activities and homework, and explore bias and ethical issues around AI in higher education.

• During the 2025-26 Academic Year Program, Fellows will attend six three-day seminars while engaging in a course design/redesign or other instructional improvement project. The seminars focus on teaching practices, faculty development and course design. Selected fellows will receive hotel accommodations, meals and per diem funds to participate in the program. The program dates for the academic year are:

o Sept. 3-5, 2025
o Oct. 8-10, 2025
o Nov. 5-7, 2025
o Feb. 4-6, 2026
o March 11-13, 2026
o April 8-10, 2026

Per program guidelines, each institution can recommend two candidates for the academic year program and one for the May program.

For more details and application instructions, please read the program details and application instructions on the University System of Georgia (USG) website. Applicants should apply to either the May symposium or the academic year program. The portal will close 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

GGC application timeline:

1. Interested faculty will submit applications to department chairs and deans for review
and recommendation by Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.

2. Recommended applications, including the dean’s letter of support, should be sent to the
associate provost for faculty, Dr. Mei Zhang, by Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. All application
documents should be in one file.

3. The Collegewide Annual Award Committee will review the applications and make their
recommendation to the provost by Friday, Dec. 13, 2024.

4. The provost will review and send recommendations to the president for letters of
support.

5. Final recommended candidates will receive a letter of support from the president by
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, and submit their applications to USG by Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

Refer to the flyer (PDF) for additional information.

…and all through the CTE, not a creature was stirring, except little old me.

So we actually have absolutely nothing on the CTE calendar today.

Tomorrow, however, is another story. In fact, it’s a little scary how much is going on:

The CTE Halloween Open House is tomorrow (in the CTE Conference Room and online) from 11:00 – 2:00 – or probably more like 1:45, as we’ll need to clear out to make way for…

Josh Morris’s workshop on Creating Impactful Videos, which is tomorrow at 2:00 in the CTE Conference Room

Karen Perell-Gerson’s online workshop on ePortfolio “How-To” Training is also tomorrow at 2:00, as is…

The (optional) online NFA workshop on ORSP

In other news: today marks the end of summer in Britain, and it’s also Create a Great Funeral Day, National Treat Your Pet Day, National Candy Corn Day, and National Checklist Day! And if that’s not enough for you, tonight is also Haunted Refrigerator Night and Mischief Night. Celebrate appropriately and responsibly.

You are cordially invited to join us for a Halloween Open House in the CTE. Bring a lunch if you like, and stop by for some tasty treats (no tricks, we promise!), delicious drinks, marvelous music, and casual conversation. Costumes are optional, but fun and relaxation are required.

If you are not able to come to campus, feel free to join in remotely!