"Catherine Ross" Archive

Teaching and Learning Collaborative’s Ross accepts position at Columbia

Catherine Ross, executive director of the Teaching and Learning Collaborative, has accepted a position as executive director of Columbia University Center for Teaching and Learning starting July 1.

Ross was Wake Forest’s first full-time director of the Teaching and Learning Center, joining the University in 2010.

“Catherine has transformed the former Teaching and Learning Center and has contributed greatly to the teaching excellence for which Wake Forest is known,” Vice Provost Lynn Sutton said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for her and her family and we wish her well!”

At Columbia, Ross will lead the Center’s efforts to provide professional development and support services for faculty and teaching assistants, and will partner with faculty, departments and schools to improve and advance teaching performance.

“My time at Wake Forest has been filled with amazing people and incredible opportunities to learn, collaborate, share, imagine, and create with those colleagues,” Ross said. “It has been a privilege to work with Wake faculty and deeply gratifying to see how they are transforming the classroom experiences of their students.”

Kristi Verbeke, director of educational development at the Teaching and Learning Collaborative, will serve as interim executive director. Associate Provost Kami Chavis will lead a national search later this summer to name a successor.

Categories: Staff News

Faculty, staff enhance ability to facilitate diversity in classroom

pedagogy

Faculty and staff participate in the Summer Institute for Intercultural Professional Development and Pedagogy

This is a guest post from Office of Diversity and Inclusion:

This fall, 30-plus faculty and staff from across the University will be more equipped to facilitate diverse experiences in their educational offerings and to promote inclusion and equity at the University. They participated in the Summer Institute for Intercultural Professional Development and Pedagogy this past July.  Advanced by members of the Curricular Changes and Faculty Development sub-committee of the Campus Climate Implementation Team, the Institute emerged from recommendations provided by the campus community in fall 2014 as part of the Deliberative Dialogue Series on Inclusion.

Jose Villalba, senior associate dean for faculty, evaluation, and inclusivity, and Shayla Herndon-Edmunds, director of diversity education, spearheaded the effort with support from Barbee Oakes, chief diversity officer, Lynn Sutton, vice provost, and Catherine Ross, director of the Teaching and Learning Center. Former Wake Forest Fellows Muhammad Siddiqui and Nia Evans also contributed greatly to the development and implementation of the Institute.

Participants in the Institute were selected after completing an application for admission and were assigned pre-readings for discussions during the two-day, overnight experience at Graylyn International Conference Center. The Institute covered a wide-range of topics, including facilitating difficult dialogues in the classroom and campus settings, the role that self-awareness plays in cultural competence, and best practices for creating inclusive spaces. Each participant left the Institute with a personal action plan to continue to strengthen their skills, and they also reported significant increases in their confidence and ability to manage complex discussions around difference, empathize with others, among other measures of intercultural competence according to a pre- and post-test administered by Dr. Villalba.

“What I find most impactful about the Institute is that faculty and staff now have more tools and skills at their disposal to improve interactions with students, shape campus departments, and create programs,” said Villalba. “Their willingness to challenge themselves to be more inclusive and aware as educators is a great model for our campus community and hopefully will inspire others to do the same.”

The Institute is a part of the Dean of the College’s “Maximizing Inclusivity + Minimizing Apathy (MIMA)” professional development series for faculty and staff. MIMA offers skills-based workshops in the fall semester and awareness/theoretical sessions in the spring. This October, faculty and staff can look forward to a session that addresses the complex mental health concerns of students on campus. The session is co-sponsored by the Learning Assistance Center, University Counseling Center, and Office of Academic Advising. For more information, contact Jose Villabla at villalja@wfu.edu.

Categories: Guest Post

Wellbeing presents THRIVE Dimension Champions Award

The Office of Wellbeing presented the 2016 THRIVE Dimension Champions Awards for faculty and staff on April 20 at the Sutton Center.

The awards highlight the leadership and scholarship of faculty and staff across the eight dimensions of wellbeing.

“It’s an exciting time for the Office of Wellbeing and the entire campus,” said Malika Roman Isler, director of Wellbeing. “We are inspired by the deep commitment each of these individuals has shown to not only bettering themselves, but by example, encouraging our entire community to live full and meaningful lives.”

Award recipients include the following:

–Emotional Wellbeing: Michele Kurtz, Office of Student Engagement
–Environmental Wellbeing: Jim Mussetter, Facilities and Campus Services/Landscape Department
–Financial Wellbeing: Tom Benza, Office of Financial Aid
–Intellectual Wellbeing: William Hamilton, Department of German and Russian
–Occupational Wellbeing: Catherine Ross, Teaching and Learning Center
–Physical Wellbeing: Michael Terry, Advancement Gifts/Records
–Social Wellbeing: Margaret Kittrell, Student Health Service
–Spiritual Wellbeing: Sharon Jones, Aramark

TLC's Teaching Renewal Retreat continues to grow

20150610_tlc_graylyn_004A guest post by Catherine Ross, director of Wake Forest’s Teaching and Learning Center:

When assistant professors begin their careers, most colleges and universities have a process in place for mentoring and supporting these newest teachers and researchers. Only a very few college teaching and learning centers offer programming for mid and advanced career faculty dealing with issues and concerns such as: how to teach and connect with increasingly diverse students, how to get and keep students engaged in learning, and how to keep ourselves engaged in teaching year after year!

Read more

Categories: Faculty News

Ross, Horton present at conference

Amanda Horton (left) and Catherine Ross

Amanda Horton (left) and Catherine Ross

Catherine Ross, the director of the Teaching and Learning Center, and Amanda Horton, assistant director for campus life and student programs, presented at the 2013 International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference in Raleigh on Oct. 4.

Ross and Horton presented “Campus Life and the Teaching and Learning Center: Crossing Boundaries and Turning the Tables on the Conversation about Learning” based on their collaborative effort to bring faculty and upperclassmen students together to discuss learning.

In the spring of 2013, Ross and Horton facilitated two faculty/student reading groups based on the text “What the Best College Students Do” by Ken Bain. This program was offered to students through the My Journey Initiative. The My Journey Initiative seeks to develop and promote innovative programs designed to intentionally challenge and support students through the distinct developmental transitions that occur throughout the four-year college experience.

Ross and Horton are hosting another reading group on the same text this fall semester.

Categories: Faculty NewsStaff News

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