Faculty Development: Faculty Development Sessions

FACULTY SHARED GOVERNANCE ROUNDTABLE
 

What is shared governance, and how can faculty strengthen it in collaboration with campus partners in the face of emerging challenges in higher education? 

Shared governance has long been a cornerstone of higher education, but its meaning and practice continue to evolve. At our recent Faculty Senate Executive Committee retreat, a central question emerged: Do we mean the same thing when we use the term shared governance? This informal conversation will invite participants to reflect on how the idea has changed over time, how it is practiced at Murray State, and what it might look like in the future. Together, we will consider both challenges and opportunities in ensuring that faculty remain meaningfully engaged in shaping the direction of our institution and public higher education more broadly.

Objectives:

During the session, we plan to do the following:

• Reflect on personal and institutional understandings of shared governance

• Identify current challenges and opportunities for faculty engagement in governance

• Explore strategies to strengthen faculty capacity to shape institutional decision-making

• Foster dialogue to build a collective vision of shared governance at Murray State

Presenter: Michael Bordieri, Professor of Psychology and Faculty Senate President

When: Tuesday, November 11, 3:30 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.

Where: In Person: FDC Classroom, 100 Pogue Library 
              Via Zoom: https://murraystate.zoom.us/my/msufacdev

Register: 2025 Fall Registration

FALL WRITING GROUP CHALLENGE

There's just something about this time of year! It's one of the best times to work on your publications or other writing projects. Are you interested in joining other faculty to work consistently toward your writing goals in a quiet virtual space?

Consider joining the FDC's Writing Group Challenge to get your important work done in a space with like-minded individuals! Whether you need to work on your articles, books, grants, book chapters, or other writing projects, you will be challenged to commit to your most important goals and receive encouragement, accountability, and much more, along the way.

Facilitator: Dr. Firm Faith Watson, Director, Faculty Development Center

When:  November 12; 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Where: Online: Via Zoom: https://murraystate.zoom.us/my/msufacdev 

Register: 2025 Fall Registration

Exploring Your Mentoring Needs

What kind of mentoring do I need? How do I find effective mentors and support in my profession? 

Mentoring is essential in any area of life, including our careers. Finding the right team of mentors to support our goals and needs can be challenging. This session will introduce you to a network of supports you may/may not have to help you navigate your career and life journeys.

Objectives:

Session participants will be able to do the following:

1. Explain the value of mentoring maps in fostering professional development

2. Distinguish between various types of mentoring relationships

3. Identify mentoring relationships that they need to achieve their career goals

What to Bring: Note taking tools

Presenter: Esther Malm, Associate Professor, Psychology

When:  Friday, November 14, 1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

Where: Via Zoom: https://murraystate.zoom.us/my/msufacdev 

Register: 2025 Fall Registration

  ANNOUNCEMENTS  

RESPONDUS NEWS

We all want to promote integrity to protect and prevent the possibility of cheating during online exams, right? Here's some news you may want to read!

Respondus has added new sensitivity levels and a new Handheld Device flag. The sensitivity levels are Relaxed, Standard, and Strict, and they provide more or less flagging, depending on the need. Strict sensitivity settings detect when portions of the face have moved outside of the video frame, or when both eyes are not visible, giving a Partial Missing flag. Relaxed sensitivity reduces the sensitivity of missing flags so that if part of the face or eyes are missing from the frame, but the student is still detected, it will reduce unnecessary flags. These features can be useful for providing more information or for reducing flags on an open-book test. Find out more: https://web.respondus.com/sensitivity-levels-in-respondus-monitor/

The Handheld Device flag is a new feature in Respondus Monitor that is turned on by default. Previously, handheld devices were detected but did not generate a separate flag. Now, if a handheld device comes into view during a Respondus LockDown Browser with Monitor test, it will trigger its own specific flag, which can be removed through the Sensitivity drop-down settings.
Find our more: https://web.respondus.com/handheld-device-flag-for-respondus-monitor/

Call for Reviewers: The Journal of Faculty Development

The Journal of Faculty Development invites educators to be peer reviewers to support our mission of advancing scholarship in teaching, learning, and faculty development across higher education. We are seeking experienced educators and academic professionals who are committed to promoting excellence in faculty growth, instructional innovation, and institutional transformation.

Reviewer Responsibilities:

Reviewers play a critical role in ensuring the quality and relevance of published content. Responsibilities include the following:

• Providing timely, constructive, and objective evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

• Offering feedback on methodological rigor, clarity, and practical application.

• Upholding the ethical standards and scholarly expectations of the journal.

About the Journal of Faculty Development

The Journal of Faculty Development is an independent, peer-reviewed journal. Issued three times per year, it is a medium for the exchange of information regarding faculty development in post-secondary educational institutions.

The Journal of Faculty Development publishes research and scholarship on innovation in faculty development that is relevant for administrators, faculty members, and faculty development professionals. The focus of this independent, peer-reviewed scholarly journal is on faculty development in post-secondary educational institutions. It provides support for educators and administrators seeking research studies (using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies) that further explore theory and philosophies related to faculty development. Our readership includes faculty developers, academic leaders, and educators who are engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and institutional change.

Benefits of Serving as a Reviewer

• Contribute to the advancement of faculty development scholarship.

• Stay current with emerging research and trends in higher education.

• Providing evidence of service to the academy for tenure and promotion.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining our community of reviewers, please send an email with your title, institutional affiliation, and a list of your areas of expertise to Dr. Melony Shemberger, managing editor of the JFD, at mshemberger@murraystate.edu. She will include your information as a record in the Journal’s database of reviewers.

Help shape the future of faculty development by lending your expertise to our peer-review process.

  FDC OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES AND SERVICES

SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTIONAL FEEDBACK (SGIF)

Need feedback to improve your students’ learning experiences and potentially improve your end-of-course ratings? ​

You might be interested in participating in the FDC's Small Group Instructional Feedback (SGIF).

About SGIF: SGIF provides the opportunity for faculty to work with a facilitator to gather feedback from groups of student in their course (for about 25-30 minutes) about what is helping them learn and what could be improved. It also places extremes student opinions in context which, in turn, increases the validity of students' feedback and improve students' motivation.

Facilitator:  Firm Faith Watson, Director, Faculty Development Center

When:   Midway in the semester 

Register:  https://tinyurl.com/SGIF-Registration

View Flier: https://tinyurl.com/SGIF-Flyer

1-on-1 Consultations

Do you need individual help (e.g., to design your face-to-face, online or blended courses)?

Please reach out to Dr. Firm Faith Watson to arrange one-on-one virtual  consultations at fwatson2@murraystate.edu. 

Does your department have a need that the FDC could help you to meet?
The Faculty Development Center offers customized sessions that cater directly to your department's needs. Contact Dr. Firm Faith Watson at fwatson2@murraystate.edu to make arrangements.

THE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY

Good news! We have organized the Faculty Development Academy (FDA), a virtual space (via Canvas) for you to access on-demand professional development resources in areas that include, but are not limited to, the following: Strategies for Teaching and Learning, Teaching Well With Technology, Scholarly Activities, Promotion and Tenure, Leadership, Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance.

What else is in this FDA for me?

In this self-paced academy, you have opportunities to do the following:

1. Access on-demand resources (e.g., session recordings and handouts)

2. Reflect on your learning (including personal application or plans to apply what you learned), and earn badges and certificates

Access the FDA featured sessions and more by self-enrolling in the FDA via  Canvas: https://murraystate.instructure.com/enroll/WTGYHH