MCC Daily Tribune

TCC: June 4 Conference Recap

The Teaching and Creativity Center hosted its 10th annual Teaching & Learning Conference on Friday, June 4, 2021; the second year in a row in an entirely remote format. Across four sessions and a Safe Zone training, there were 15 presenters/facilitators, and a total of 121 attendees representing faculty, professional staff, and administration. Add to that the delightful appearances of some four-footers and the occasional little one, and we had ourselves a conference that met people where and as they were.

Here's a brief recap:

Provost Andrea Wade, Chief Diversity Officer Calvin Gantt, and President DeAnna Burt-Nanna set things in motion by welcoming us, and reminding us of a responsibility to commit to lasting, systemic change around equity--especially racial equity. As Dr. Burt-Nanna pointed out, "A significant proportion of our students are experiencing success differently, or not at all."

Session 1, moderated by Professor Brian Edelbach (CHEM/GEO) was a panel of faculty who highlighted for us what they are doing both in and out of the classroom to not only understand or acknowledge inequities, but work to dismantle them. Professors Natasha Christensen (AHPS), Amanda Colosimo (CHEM/GEO), Tokeya Graham (ENG/PHL), Christina Lee (Global Education), and Audrey Shafer (NUR) showed all of us how it can be done, and why it matters. Equity work won't, and doesn't need to, look the same for practitioners. Higher education, and our community, needs all of us doing what we can within our spheres of influence.

Session 2 was an introduction to the Deliberative Dialogues process, led by Professors Bob Muhlnickel (ENG/PHL), Nayda Pares-Kane (AHPS) and Joe Scanlon (AHPS), to show how structured conversation of social issues--especially those that can be so mired in misunderstanding, such as policing--can ultimately, with enough time, encourage deeper listening and some common ground. A significant first step in a Deliberative Dialogue involves participants voicing the personal stakes they have with an issue, and due to the limited time of the session (only 1.25 hours), that's where the session conversation had to end--which perfectly underscored the DD principle that true deliberation takes time.

Session 3 was a continued discussion of a syllabus workshop that Professors Amanda Colosimo (CHEM/GEO), Lisa Flick (BIO), and Eric Strong (Applied Tech) held in March, and attendees selected one of three breakout rooms in order to work on some aspect with closer scrutiny: using the CIS to promote student engagement; writing explainable and equitable course policies; and watching tone and jargon. Participants left with frameworks and an impetus to do more than change the dates when they revise their CIS for fall.

Session 4 was a continuation of an April workshop on Transparency in Learning and Teaching [TILT], this time with a focus on assignment construction and language. Assistant Director of Curriculum Susan Hall, Instructional Technologies Librarian Anjali Parasnis-Samar, and Professors Catharine Ganze Smith (ENG/PHL) and Binh-Yen Ngyuen (ICT) led attendees through an Equity Protocol, a type of structured conversation used in Reflective Practice Groups, to bring unexamined asssumptions and potential barriers to the surface. Attendees worked on the Equity Protocol in breakout rooms, using assignments provided by MCC faculty.

Finally, another Safe Zone training was offered for any MCC employee unable to attend a previous one on April 2. Professor and Faculty Association President Bethany Gizzi (AHPS) led the 2-hour training. Participants earned a digital badge to add to their work-related materials and a certificate to display in order to send the message that they are someone to be trusted with the safety, rights, and dignity of LGBTQ+ students and colleagues.

All sessions except for Safe Zone training were recorded, including a couple of the breakout rooms, and are available for viewing in the TCC's Ensemble playlist as well as on the conference Blackboard space.

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This conference was a shared effort, and there are many people to thank, starting with the following colleagues who organized and led the sessions:

Brian Edelbach
Natasha Christensen
Amanda Colosimo
Tokeya Graham
Christina Lee
Audrey Shafer
Joseph Scanlon
Nayda Pares-Kane
Bob Muhlnickel
Lisa Flick
Eric Strong
Susan Hall
Catharine Ganze Smith
Binh-Yen Nguyen
Anjali Parasnis-Samar
Bethany Gizzi

Thank you, also, to Provost Andrea Wade, Chief Diversity Officer Calvin Gantt, and President DeAnna Burt-Nanna for their opening remarks.

For their support, feedback, encouragement, and many talents, a special shoutout to Associate Vice President Kimberley Collins, Nancy Soregi, Andrea Gilbert, and Jeremy Case.

And finally, much appreciation to the full TCC Committee, too numerous to list here, for being the best group of colleagues to work with, and for being the emissaries of professional learning at MCC.

Amy Burtner
Teaching and Creativity Center
06/16/2021