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About the CTEConceived in the year 2000, the Center for Teaching Excellence serves several faculty support needs at College of the Redwoods including: 1) mentoring newly-hired full-time faculty, 2) orienting and supporting new and continuing part-time faculty, 3) offering in-depth support for faculty-identified, high-need areas including instructional technology use and strategies for addressing "under-prepared" students, and 4) expanding faculty development activities across the distances and diverse needs of the district. New Faculty MentoringThe CTE emphasizes mentoring newly hired faculty as the key in a multi-faceted and forward-thinking faculty development program. Valuing, nurturing and supporting faculty from first contact, through the tenure process and into long-term service to the college creates an atmosphere of healthy risk-taking, growth and change. Over a five-year period, more than 50% of current CR faculty members have participated in the college's New Faculty Mentoring Program as the first-year, foundational experience for their work at College of the Redwoods. This year nine new faculty members—four on the Eureka campus, three on the Del Norte campus, and two on the Mendocino campus—have participated in 2-day retreat intensives on the Eureka and Del Norte campuses and attended weekly faculty development/support sessions during their first semester of teaching. An April retreat to the Mendocino coast campus and once-a-month meetings in the spring will round out this first year experience for James Curiel, Dave Gonsalves, Toby Green, Mike Haley, Melody Pope, Hillary Reed, Ruthe Rhodes, Rob Selkowitz, and Gaye Warren. Faculty Development Training SessionsOpen and announced to all faculty, the CTE offers ongoing, targeted professional development opportunities during the fall and spring semesters. This year's topics have included sessions presented by our faculty, for our faculty, covering issues of concern and salience such as "Student Learning Outcomes." Technology-based sessions on various features are frequently offered and made available district-wide. Online technology trainings of and for the CCC Confer system have been presented on all three campuses. All faculty development sessions are designed to address topics identified in surveys completed by full- and part-time faculty, and to promote sharing of information from funded Faculty Development Committee applications. In addition to Faculty Development Committee funded travel, the CTE has sponsored more than 75% of continuing full-time faculty members to attend high-impact conferences or departmental retreats over the past five years. The 14 CTE-sponsored faculty attendees of the Innovations conference in San Francisco in spring of 2004 returned with ideas to share with faculty colleagues both formally and informally. Associate Faculty SupportThe CTE connects part-time faculty through fall and spring orientation/updates, and within the comfortably re-purposed physical space in the heart of the Eureka campus, provides a common center for faculty interaction. The development and distribution of a CR Associate Faculty Reference Guide and linkages to CTE Web pages help many part-time faculty get answers to their questions even before coming to campus orientation sessions. While some associates make the CTE physical space a home-base for their work at CR and appear regularly in the Center, others make appointments for assistance as needed or use distance-based technologies (phone, email, and Web) to get the support they need. On a trial basis, the Center offered extended hours on Mondays and Tuesdays in Fall 2005 that was utilized by some associate faculty members. CTE staff has worked closely with the Associate Faculty Committee of the Senate to develop mailing lists, Web pages and a Blackboard space to promote the communication and information to/from Associates. Branch Campus SupportCTE staff travel to branch campuses on request to assist with faculty development and technology support. Several trips to Ft.Bragg and many trips to Del Norte in the fall supported faculty needs including the exposure to new online resources available through CCC Confer. Resources and Anytime/Anywhere SupportThe CTE facility in the old library building on the Eureka campus is spacious and accommodates multiple groups and individuals working simultaneously. The Center features a modest resource library along with eight desktop and two laptop computers, a scanner, a digital camera, many small peripherals and a new copier. The Center has developed step-by-step guides for faculty use of WebAdvisor, Blackboard, Turn-it-in, Webmail, Gradekeeper, Web page development software, and other technology resources. These help guides have been printed and distributed, emailed, and posted on the CTE Web page as requested by faculty. An update is underway to make these and more CTE resources more easily accessible to faculty across the district. Links to online resources like the Teaching Tips site at the University of Hawaii, Learning Inventories online, and many others are included in the CTE Web site as well. As time-savers for faculty, student-use handouts for CR technology resources have been developed and posted online or distributed as requested by the Center. StaffingCTE staff endeavor to offer real-time support for all faculty across the district. As conceptualized in the year 2000, the CTE would be staffed by one full-time faculty member on full release from teaching duties to be the director of the Center, one full-time instructional technology specialist, a half-time associate faculty member to help coordinate activities for part-time faculty, and a full-time administrative office assistant. In the recent budget crisis in California, many community colleges cut costs for direct instruction as well as faculty-release time and support positions not viewed as essential to instruction. College of the Redwoods cut back across-the-board to remain fiscally responsible, but CTE and other faculty support programs were not dismantled. Year 2006-2007 staffing: Fall/Spring 2007 CTE Staff
Past CTE StaffFall 2005
Spring 2006
Additional Project SupportThe CTE indirectly supports faculty by assisting with a variety of District-wide projects including grant-writing support and committee work. Support for writing the applications for Title III Grant funds, Early College Grant funds, and other award programs has been provided by CTE staff. The CTE director serves on the Faculty Development Committee, attends weekly Server and Technical Assistance Group Team meetings, assists in Distance Education coordination and works with the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) programs. Usage Data and Impact of ProgramBy the conclusion of the Fall 06 semester, the CTE will have facilitated or sponsored:
In addition to the faculty members who drop in for face-to-face support, many more have taken advantage of in-office or in-classroom assistance from the instructional technology specialist. Please email suggestions and tips for this site to the CTE. |
Open Hours Location Phone and Fax Evening and Weekend Access CTE ContactsKerry Mayer Maureen Scott |
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| Center for Teaching Excellence | College of the Redwoods | 7351 Tompkins Hill Road | Eureka, CA 95501 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||