The Daily Bulletin Archive

University College and the Professional Development Center invite proposals for workshops and roundtable discussions for the 2015 Pedagogical Institute.

The Pedagogical Institute is a collaboration between the assistant dean for intellectual foundations and the Professional Development Center. The institute provides excellent research-based professional development experiences in the form of workshops and discussions that cover a variety of subjects related to student-centered teaching and learning, building community in the classroom, teaching for integrative learning, student-development theory, assessment, civic engagement, and advisement. Sessions have traditionally been relevant for those teaching in programs for our incoming first-year class, Learning Communities, UNC 100, Intellectual Foundations program, and co-curricular programs but are now open to all areas relevant to students in higher education.

While workshop and roundtable discussion proposal topics are open, this year's topics will center on Buffalo State values—One Buffalo State—with particular attention given to a unified commitment to excellence that unites the campus and strengthens the college’s commitment to distinctive programs built on access, engagement, inclusion, and service to the community.

Proposals of no more than 250 words must be submitted to hodgeaa@buffalostate.edu by 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 3. Proposals must address how the workshop or discussion will benefit the campus community. Please include a title and key words. Notification will be made by April 17.

The Pedagogical Institute serves to benefit the campus community through the following:

• Shared Expertise: Buffalo State faculty members have considerable experience and expertise in teaching and learning in addition to their disciplinary expertise. The institute allows the community to access and share that wealth of knowledge in ways that can benefit colleagues and students.
• Creation of Substantive and Strategic Connections: Faculty and staff members discuss the many ways they contribute to the success of our students—ways that transcend the classroom. These conversations allow both course and program planning that is thematically connected, purposefully designed, and conveniently scheduled.
• Time to Integrate and Implement Changes: The timing of the institute allows faculty and staff members sufficient time to apply new skills to familiar topics and include new topics in their courses and programs. 
• Maximum Impact on Our Incoming Class: The emerging skill development and knowledge base reaches the significant majority of our incoming class. Whether through their basic composition courses, residence hall programming, or other learning experiences, our first-year students should benefit from these principles of first-year-student success.