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Report #1 on Theme I, Issue No. 1: Development of Concept of Learning Community on Campus

Although the campus obviously has long been involved in many aspects of providing and evaluating instruction, the focus on "Community" is new.

The Theme I Committee decided that there were two aspects of this issue: 1) Assessment of current campus activities that encourage and support learning and the development of an overall campus environment that is supportive of engagement in teaching and learning in the broad sense, and 2) identification and development of smaller "intentional learning communities" that focus on more limited endeavors and specific outcomes.

Learning Community Defined: To this end, after reviewing the extensive literature on learning communities, discussing material from an American Association for Higher Education workshop on "Designing a Learning Community," and examining activities at other institutions which have been involved in the National Learning Communities Project, we developed the following working definition:

Though the development of intentional learning communities seems inherent in the goals of our campus Strategic Plan, our committee has found little evidence that the campus had systematically promoted this concept or developed extensive mechanisms for development and support of existing or new learning communities. A good deal of time was spent brainstorming possible methods and types of learning communities our campus might offer and looking at the possibility of sending a team to visit other campuses and/or attending upcoming regional and national workshops or conferences on this topic, but we decided our committee could not take on this task. It was hoped that proposed projects of the Teaching Resource Center focusing on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and a new faculty Academy for Teaching and Learning would take on this project. It was also recommended that our campus begin to participate in the national conversation about this topic through participation in AAHE teaching initiatives, The Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, the AAHE Summer Academy, and the National Learning Communities Project.

Formation of CSUSB Teaching Academy. The Teaching Academy (TA) was formed in May of 2002 with appointment of 18 faculty fellows with representation from each of the five colleges and the library. In order to gather an interested group of volunteers represents a wide variety of disciplines, the first Teaching Academy members were appointed by the Provost upon recommendation of the TRC's Instructional Quality Committee after reviewing the nominations of the College Deans and individual application letters of faculty expressing interest, describing their teaching accomplishments, and describing their concept of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and how to best promote SOTL at CSUSB. (The Faculty Senate Executive Committee has expressed concern about this appointment process and wishes to be consulted about future appointments.) A method of rotating out current members and appointing new ones still needs to be developed along with a leadership and support structure for the group.

At a workshop in June 2002, the TA met to get more acquainted, share ideas and aspirations for the group and begin to identify critical topics for the focus of the group's efforts. The academy first focused attention on defining its purpose, and developing a Mission, Goals and Objectives Statement as well as plans for the first year and long-term, and identifying key issues to be addressed by the project. After a draft document had been developed by the AAHE Summer Academy, the Teaching Academy met prior to the start of the academic year in September to revise and ratify the planning documents. (See: http://trc.csusb.edu/academy/)

The Theme I Committee and the Teaching Academy assisted Associate Provost Pritchard in writing a proposal for our campus to participate in the AAHE Summer Academy. This proposal was accepted and the campus sent a ten-member team to Vermont in July 2002, where they had access to consultants who assisted the team in developing a comprehensive plan of activities the new CSUSB Teaching Academy and for developing intentional learning communities.

Activities of the TA during the 2002-03 academic year have involved getting the academy publicized, understood, and accepted by the campus. The Faculty Senate asked to be kept better informed about the background, purpose and development of the TA as it was at first seen as a new Center or Institute requiring Senate endorsement rather than a project initiated by the Teaching Resource Center. The charter and policy on the TRC is being revised to explicitly include reference to the work of the Teaching Academy.

In October of 2002 the Teaching Academy participated in campus-wide workshop on development of student and faculty Learning Communities which was presented by Dr. Milton Cox, University Director for Teaching Effectiveness Programs at Miami University of Ohio. He also worked with the TA members in the afternoon on strategies for developing faculty learning communities. In addition, at a noon luncheon our first campus conversation on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning was held. Attendees were asked to discuss 1) what learning communities do we have or need to have to enhance student engagement, and 2) what areas of assistance do we need to further improve teaching and learning on campus? We had a good turnout and lively interchanges at each table.

The Teaching Academy has focused its attention so far on a few critical topics, including: