We want your input! 📢 The TLPDC is bringing in three finalists for the new director search. Each candidate has been invited to campus and will host a presentation and Q&A about their vision for the center. We invite you to attend either in person or on Teams! More details: buff.ly/yz2te2F

"The lesson here is a simple formula for the future of clinical training: Use AI for repetition, and humans for nuance." Check out the latest entry to our Small Bytes Blog, written by our friends at the School of Veterinary Medicine! Read the full entry: buff.ly/O0TFmVD

During our spring conference, Dr. Cate Denial challenged us to practice A Pedagogy of Kindness by reconsidering the meaning of self care. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we encourage you to follow this calendar of suggestions on how you can practice kindness for yourself! buff.ly/FCGkvHB...

The 2026 SoTL Mini-Grants support instructors in developing and studying the impact of generative AI on student learning, teaching practices, formative assessment, faculty workflows, and/or cross-disciplinary collaboration. Proposals are due on May 26! Review full description now: buff.ly/M4gVhzW

We're pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Lisa Low as Director of the Division of AI Pedagogy and Policy within the TLPDC! Join us in congratulating Lisa on this appointment 🎉

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ➡️ Full Disclosure: Paths, Pivots, and Possibilities. In this candid panel discussion, faculty reflect on the realities of pursuing promotion to full professor: the choices they made, the unexpected turns, and the insights gained along the way. Join us at 1:30! buff.ly/WyMAZIR

Did you miss our annual Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference? Check out this podcast episode featuring Dr. Cate Denial on "Kindness in the Academy"! This episode of the Professors Talk Pedagogy podcast discusses care in teaching, the intersection of kindness and AI, and more.

We're at the midpoint of the semester and many of us are tired. This article from Harvard Business Impact discusses the emotional labor of being an educator and how managing emotions through "surface acting" can lead to burnout. How can you "teach and lead without running on empty"? buff.ly/xFGUu1u

Would you like to increase student engagement with Top Hat? In collaboration with TTU Online, Top Hat representatives will be on campus to facilitate 3 workshops. Review session details and register today! buff.ly/XICvkcb

Join us virtually for Teaching (Media) in Times of Crisis: Lessons from the 2025 Society for Cinema and Media Conference, led by Dr. Fareed Ben-Youssef! In this virtual session, we'll consider how to effectively teach media literacy and curiosity in times of ever-evolving crisis. buff.ly/PwGCXmz

Faculty shout out!🎉 Dr. Jhones Sarturi asks faculty to consider what you have time to cover in your courses. "Am I teaching to cover content or to empower learning? Am I teaching to convey information or to trigger curiosity?" Thank you, Dr. Sarturi, for helping our students succeed!

Craving connection and a little help in your classroom? The STEP Partnership Power Hours are a place where faculty are sharing and crowdsourcing teaching strategies 🤝 This opportunity is open to all instructors! buff.ly/Iqev1h3 Learn more about STEP Faculty & Student Partnerships: buff.ly/8Gy9KR6

VIRTUAL🖥️ Neurodiversity on Campus: Supporting Autistic College Students, presented by the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. In this workshop we'll learn applicable strategies for making our classrooms and campus responsive to the needs of neurodivergent students. Join us! buff.ly/gZzt9o1

We are excited to announce that the Managing Director position at the TLPDC is now open! 📢 Please consider applying or share with others who might be interested: buff.ly/iRsIoJJ

🚨 Register today for the 22nd Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference! The ATLC will be held virtually on Friday, February 20 and we're excited to feature Dr. Cate Denial, author of A Pedagogy of Kindness. Read session descriptions & and learn more! buff.ly/un1z1Ik

Time to tackle your next play 💪🏈 Join us virtually this Wednesday to identify your strengths foundation and learn how you can integrate that knowledge into improving your professional practice: buff.ly/gZzt9o1 Take the CliftonStrengths (StrengthsQuest) assessment at buff.ly/fRk77Q6.

We have made the pledge to be a Distinguished Kindness Workplace through The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to create a positive workplace as we meet professional goals. Join us in practicing random acts of kindness in your department too! Learn more about kindness at work! buff.ly/FblYTg4

We ♥️ faculty and we'd LOVE to see you next Friday for Academic Milestones, previously called Tenure Academy! This half day event (lunch provided) is designed to support faculty navigating the tenure, promotion, and continuing appointment process. There's still time to register! buff.ly/cioeAR5

Effective mentorship begins with establishing a relationship and trust between individuals and within groups 🤝 This Friday, we'll explore how mentors can encourage individual ownership, self-reflection, and shared discoveries with their mentees: buff.ly/gZzt9o1 Learn more about FMA! buff.ly/G9Kwkwb

Short month, big plans 📆 Check out our packed schedule! buff.ly/gZzt9o1

Here are some of our takeaways from last week's AI MIni Conference: 🗣Rethink "thou shalt not" language in your syllabus 💻Learn & use student names 🤝Understand student motivations for learning How will you teach from the same side of AI? Read Dr. Miller's Substack post on this topic!

VIRTUAL🖥️ Through a New Lens: Understanding an Autism Perspective, presented by the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. Attendees will leave with an understanding of autism and learn how to apply a neurological lens to better understand autistic individuals. Register now! buff.ly/2bFmogb

📣 Applications are due NEXT WEDNESDAY for the MBSR program! This opportunity is open to all faculty, staff, and graduate students looking to incorporate weekly stress relief and mindfulness into their routine. Learn more & apply today: buff.ly/zN52EE1

Here's a sneak peek at what’s coming up this Spring: 🤖 AI Mini Conference 📝 Academic Milestones: Achieving Tenure, Promotion, and Continuing Appointment 👀 Reclaiming Attention: Digital Detox Strategies for Higher Ed Faculty 🗣 Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference and more! buff.ly/GZvAode

🚨FACULTY, STAFF, & GRAD STUDENTS: If you’re looking to incorporate stress relief and mindfulness into your routine, we encourage you to apply for the MBSR program! This 8-week course led by Dr. Angela Mariani Smith will meet weekly on Tuesdays. Review full details & apply today: buff.ly/zW9HLZV

💬While many recognize good communication when they experience it, mentors must deliberately cultivate these skills. Join us for this interactive session, where we will identify key characteristics of effective communication and strengthen our mentoring dialogue. Register now! buff.ly/3HUVbdU

⏰The clocks have been adjusted and it's TIME to see what's coming up this month! buff.ly/3HUVbdU

Imagine receiving an accommodation letter and being able to say, “This course already includes that—for everyone.” Join us virtually tomorrow to learn about: 👀 Visual formatting differences 🖱 Make content navigable without a mouse 📽 Captioning & transcripts and more! Register now: buff.ly/3HUVbdU

🍩 At our Fall AI Mini Conference, Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant reminded “Don’t leave the donuts in the kitchen.” Her point? Without structure, the temptation of generative AI in assessment is too strong. That’s why scholars like Bridgeman, Liu & Weeks propose a two-lane approach:

📣 Don't miss out, register for October workshops and events now! buff.ly/6Wyx52c

🫨 Are you finding it more of a challenge to seek balance in your roles? Do you feel that achieving success in one area leads to neglect in the another? You are not alone! In tomorrow's facilitated discussion, faculty will share their struggles, strategies, ideas and insights. buff.ly/6Wyx52c

Suspect a student has used generative AI inappropriately? Don’t jump to conclusions — follow fair process: 1️⃣ Review your syllabus & assignment instructions 2️⃣ Look at patterns in the student’s work 3️⃣ Talk with the student first 4️⃣ File a report if needed Download the full workflow:

📣 Register now for the Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning! On Friday, 10/17, we'll hear from Dr. Ann Austin (Michigan State University), to focus on important principles to guide more effective approaches to teaching evaluation. Read session descriptions now: buff.ly/vsbIEWA

📅 Have you had the chance to review our Fall workshops? Our center hosts opportunities for professional development on topics like: 📝 Transparent assignment design 🎓 Active learning strategies 💬 Managing student communication And much more! Review the schedule & register now: buff.ly/XAvJXsB

RaiderCanvas Insights 🔍: Grade Notifications The default setting in Canvas automatically publishes grades as they are entered in the Gradebook. This can be changed to allow the grade to be manually released by the instructor and give you the opportunity to make changes as needed!

❗DID YOU KNOW? Friday, August 29 is the last day to export course content from Blackboard! After 5:00 PM, you will no longer have access to any content on Blackboard. We know this is a busy week, but urge you not to wait until the last minute! Reach out to [email protected] for support.

🚨SATURDAY HELP IN TLPDC | 11 AM-1PM🚨 12 Days of RaiderCanvas: How to set up accommodations requested by students through SDS. Depending on the requirements of the accommodation, you might: ⏳ Give additional time ⏱ Remove time limit ⏩ Add time limit multiplier ➖ Reduce answer choices

12 days of RaiderCanvas: Please be aware of this important detail when setting course end dates! 🚨 If you change the course end date to match the last day of class, you won't have access to modify content or submit grades using the IOP integration tool once this date passes.

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: Starting this fall, we will be using Respondus LockDown to monitor and proctor online quizzes and exams. A browser extension is not required to use this tool! Learn how to remove Proctorio settings from existing quizzes and customize your remote proctoring settings.

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: Attendance is critical to student learning. Learn the easy way to track it with aPlus + Attendance! Use this feature to display a QR code that will regenerate at a set interval, making it difficult for in-class students to share the attendance code with absent students.

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: Would you like to set groups and assign projects to student groups? Learn how to create group assignments for students in your course! Check out the links in the video description to find more guidance on groups in RaiderCanvas:

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: Modules organize course content in logical, sequential order! Learn the basics of setting up class modules and creating a predictable flow that is easy for students to follow. Reach out to the RaiderCanvas team at [email protected] for more help!

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: Do you use YouTube videos in your course? Learn how to embed YouTube videos so that they're ad free, providing a distraction free experience for students. Need more help? Reach out to the RaiderCanvas team at [email protected]

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: Do you know how to assign discussion checkpoints? Discussion checkpoints will allow you to assign due dates and point values for specific discussion posts and responses. youtu.be/9Da2d6tdX0s

12 Days of RaiderCanvas: What happens to your messages when you use the inbox feature? Learn about how your students will receive messages from the inbox in RaiderCanvas and how you can adjust your notification settings to see student responses.

12 Days of RaiderCanvas 🎉 Over the next few weeks, we'll share quick tips to help you navigate our new learning management platform! Today we're learning about using the "burger menu", the "snowman menu", and how to find Instructure resources. Share this with your colleagues! youtu.be/3iyYwL_f9Lc

NEW w/ IFE: Faculty can choose 1 of 2 tracks: ⭐Conscious and Compassionate Leadership (focused on Leadership through NVC) ⭐Revive and Thrive After Tenure or Continuing Appointment (focused on re-engagement) Review details & apply today: depts.ttu.edu/tlpdc/Programs/InstituteforFacultyExcellence.php

‼️ STARTING NEXT WEEK: RaiderCanvas Camp is here to help YOU! Take a moment to register now for any of the many virtual or face-to-face sessions: go.ttu.edu/TLPDCEvents

🚨 Proposals are due for the AI Mini-Grants next week! To support diverse interests, proposals may align with the following themes: ✍️ AI for Assessment & Feedback Innovation ⏳ AI-Augmented Faculty Workflows 🗒 Cross-Disciplinary AI Collaborations depts.ttu.edu/tlpdc/Resources/MiniGrants.php

We might find ourselves running out of steam as we're powering through finals to wrap up another semester. 🥴 We encourage you to use this resource to cheer yourself on and be mindful to practice self care as we strive to finish strong! www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-at-work