News & Events

Learning Circles for Fall, 2011 semester announced!

August 8, 2011

Summer may be coming to an end, but let’s not say goodbye to all that wonderful time for reflection and rejuvenation just yet. Consider extending that opportunity by joining a learning circle this semester. Connect with colleagues, share diverse perspectives, grapple with new ideas – and keep summer alive!

We have a varied group of facilitators, topics, and styles represented in learning circles this fall. Groups will meet in the CTL (Lipinsky 201), except for #3, which will take place in the mediation room of the Sherrill Center. As always, the CTL will purchase books for participants. (For more information about learning circles, see http://ctl.unca.edu/learning-circles.)

Most learning circles are limited to 12 participants, so please register as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. Contact the listed facilitators with questions, and send an email to himelein@unca.edu to register.

1. Engaging the Six Cultures of the Academy – Bruce Larson (Economics)

Participants will read and discuss William H. Bergquist and Kenneth Pawlak, Engaging the Six Cultures of the Academy (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007). According to Bergquist and Pawlak, the university is comprised of six, historically-related, cultures: collegial, managerial, developmental, advocacy, virtual, and tangible. They hold that by taking an appreciative look at these cultures, i.e., by focusing on their strengths, and becoming more aware of how they define “patterns of perceiving, thinking, and feeling about the nature and scope of education,” we will be better able to accomplish our goals.

Following an introductory session, circle participants will discuss each of the cultures, with special reference to our own setting. Finally, we will explore strategies for “bridging the gaps” between cultures. Hopefully, this will lead to a better understanding of our university and an enhanced sense of the possibilities of collaborative work. This circle is especially appropriate for all members of our university community.  For the Table of Contents, please see: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787995193,descCd-tableOfContents.html.  For a review, please see: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/review_of_higher_education/v033/33.1.manning.pdf.

Meeting Time: Wednesdays, 4-5 pm. 8 sessions: 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, & 11/2.

2. Integrative Education –Melissa Himelein (CTL & Psychology) & Rick Chess (Literature & Language)

Participants will read and discuss The Heart of Higher Education: A Call to Renewal, by Parker Palmer and Arthur Zajonc, with Megan Scribner (2010, Jossey-Bass). The authors propose a new approach to teaching and learning that addresses the whole individual, “mind, heart, and spirit.” Arguing that such integration is necessary if higher education is to address the complex challenges of the modern era, Palmer and Zajonc encourage consideration of the larger purpose of universities. In addition to a thought-provoking exploration of the integrative approach, practical examples of campus experiments in integrative education are provided in the book’s appendices. See an interview with Palmer and Zajonc at http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/02/08/interview_with_authors_of_the_heart_of_higher_education.

Meeting Time: Tuesdays, 4-5 pm. 4 sessions: 9/6, 9/13, 9/20, & 9/27.

3. Contemplative Practice and the Classroom - Rick Chess (Literature & Language) & John Wood (Sociology & Anthropology)

Last year, UNC Asheville faculty and staff from a wide range of disciplines met to discuss ways to incorporate contemplative practices in our classes and related work with students in an effort to help students improve attention and concentration, maintain open-mindedness, develop equanimity, and/or maximize creativity. Our meetings included both periods of silence and informal, open-ended, frank discussion. We also discussed several articles on the use of contemplative pedagogies at a number of colleges and universities throughout the U. S.

Participants in this learning circle will be introduced to ways of incorporating contemplative practices and to discuss techniques already being used in their courses at UNC Asheville. Learning circle members will also practice mindfulness meditation and other contemplative techniques at each meeting. Also, for anyone interested, we have a Moodle site to support the work of this group. The site includes a number of articles and links to a variety of resources on contemplative pedagogies and practices in higher education. New participants are welcome to join us at any time!

Meeting Time: Every other Friday, 3:30-5 pm. (Note: The formal meeting time for this group is 4–5 p.m., in the meditation room of the Sherrill Center. Those interested in receiving additional meditation instruction and an opportunity for more extended practice may come for an optional extra half-hour beginning at 3:30 p.m.) 8 sessions: 8/26, 9/9, 9/23, 10/7, 10/21, 11/4, 11/18, & 12/2.

4. Critical Thinking – Mary Lynn Manns (Management)

Participants will read and discuss Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking across the Curriculum by Gerald Nosich. With critical thinking as the student learning outcome for our Quality Enhancement Plan, this book can help us begin the discussions on how we can start improving our students’ critical thinking skills. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach for students to ponder such topics as: what is critical thinking, what do critical thinkers do, the elements of reasoning and the intellectual standards. We will discuss how we can help our students explore, analyze and understand these topics and then use them to address critical thinking questions. For more information, contact Mary Lynn at 251-6858.

Meeting Time: Thursdays, 3:30-4:30 pm. 4 sessions: 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, & 9/29.

5. Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) – Melissa Himelein (CTL & Psychology)

Several faculty members participated in SoTL learning circles during the past two semesters, and a small group is now ready to put their ideas into pedagogical action studies. This fall, the SoTL learning circle will function as a research group, with participants sharing project ideas and contributing feedback and support to one another. Whether you have been involved in the SoTL learning circles previously or not, you are welcome to participate. The CTL has copies of a resource book on SoTL (Lin Norton’s (2009) Action research in teaching and learning: A practical guide to conducting pedagogical research in universities) if you wish to “catch up.”

Meeting Time: Every other week; final time to be determined based on participants’ schedules. If interested, please email with your availability during the following times, beginning mid-September: Mondays, 4:15-5:30; Thursdays, 1:45-3; Thursdays, 3:15-4:30; Fridays, 2-3:30; Fridays, 3:30-5:00.