This conversation took place on December 5, 2018. The interview facilitators were Bonni Stachowiak and Shannon Jonsson. Participating on the panel were Drs. Tara Sirvent, Sylvia Kane, and Terrelle Sales. Introductions Hispanic-Serving Institutions The department of education designates institutions as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), based on those universities that have at least 25% of their…Read More
Panel: Engaging Students
This panel was conducted on 11/06/18 and included the following people: Trudy Naman, Itzel Calleja-Macias, Amanda Lebrecht, Bonni Stachowiak, Shannon Jonsson Introductions Challenges Engaging Students Success Stories Recommendations Closing Remarks
Panel: How Our Teaching Has Transformed
This panel was conducted on 11/02/18 and included the following individuals: Julius Agbor, Laurie Hatch, Bonni Stachowiak, and Shannon Jonsson Introductions Challenges and Failures Successes and Celebrations Advice for Colleagues Words of Thanks
In-Class Polling
Polls can be taken in class to see what students remember and to enhance their knowledge. The questions you pose may be reinforcing something that happened prior to the class, or they might be reinforcing something that was just taught. The Case for Anonymity In most cases, it works well to have these polls be anonymous.…Read More
ESCALA Program
In September of 2018, 35 Vanguard faculty gathered to develop our collective capacity to offer culturally responsive teaching by inviting ESCALA Educational Services to offer a two-day workshop. ESCALA provides faculty development programs to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) throughout the Southwestern United States. Highlights from ESCALA Training Why This Kind of Development is Important As you may…Read More
Canvas Imaginings
I was fortunate to be able to attend the Canvas LMS conference for the second time this year. This year, it was once again held in Keystone, Colorado. The entire town pretty much gets taken up by both higher education and K-12 people who want to learn more about Canvas, Arc, and other educational technology…Read More
Create a Video for Your Class
When you want to create a video (whether for students or for any other learning purpose), it is most helpful to find a few examples that are the kind of video you are looking to produce. Once you have found some sources of inspiration, you’re likely to discover some common themes: The video producers know…Read More
Misogynistic microaggressions in the workplace: A generation after the ERA ratification movement
I was fortunate to present at this year’s annual conference for the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC) in San Francisco, CA, March 20-21, 2018. The conference had a social justice theme, focusing in the historically marginalized communities. My presentation examined women in the workplace as targets of misogynistic microaggressions. Following are the…Read More
Missionary Orientation and Training: A Dissertation Follow-up
In the Spring of 2018 I visited the missionary training facility, CINCEL, in San Jose, Costa Rica. I had been informed by the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) Central American Area Director, Jay Dickerson, that he had read my dissertation on the relationship of the role of adult learning theory in understanding cultural adaptation…Read More
Summer “Enhancement” Plans
I will confess to getting a bit overzealous when thinking about what my summers might entail. Despite the best of intentions, my plans for completely revamping my courses, or taking on a major writing project can often get translated into smaller accomplishments. This can especially be the case when the unexpected rears its ugly head…Read More
Theatre Arts and Community Engagement
Theatre Costume Design faculty, Associate Professor, Lia Hansen, and I attended the NAST Conference in Portland, Oregon, at the Downtown Hilton Hotel March 29 – 31, 2018. This was an important conference for two reasons. Theatre Arts is up for continued accreditation, and I also submitted a Plan Approval for a new concentration, Stage &…Read More
Leadership is Telling Stories, Creating Vision
I attended the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) Conference in Portland, Oregon, at the Downtown Hilton Hotel March 29 – 31, 2018. The Keynote speaker—Chris Coleman, Artistic Director for Portland Center Stage at The Armory—spoke about leadership. He said leadership was about telling stories, about creating a vision for others to see. An…Read More
A Sanity Check and Confidence Boost
Attending the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology, Austin, TX, for the first time was a unique experience. Unlike conferences with thousands of attendees, the COGDOP gathering was small enough to have many one-on-one and small group interactions. As Chairs (Directors, at VU) of graduate programs, we share similar experiences that people in other roles…Read More
BRING IT HOME: How a Positive Work-life Can Contribute to a Positive Home-life
I made a presentation to the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences (AABSS) Conference (February 26, 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada). It is a juried national conference, all proposals undergo blind peer-review prior to acceptance. ABSTRACT The presentation summarizes the published research literature regarding the relationship between work-and-home life for full-time employees. The author highlights…Read More
The Greater Good
In the fall of 2017 I had the opportunity to attend the 31st Annual Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). The conference theme was “Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success: Driving America’s Prosperity”. I greatly appreciated the focus of the event and the extent to which educators from across the nation gathered…Read More