I am anxious to get a copy of a new novel by first time author Alex Kudera, who has written about a day in the life of an adjunct professor who teaches at four urban universities. Bringing a comedic slant to what we do is sure to be a crowd pleaser on campuses around the world. Looking forward to October 8. That is when the Writing Across the Curriculum Teaching and Learning Circle will gather to discuss Elizabeth Wardle's excellent article "Understanding ‘Transfer’ from FYC: Preliminary Results of a Longitudinal Study." There is still time to join by simply contacting Circle Facilitator Melissa Hudler at melissa.hudler@lamar.edu. I hope you received the email yesterday announcing the upcoming workshop on students with disabilities to be delivered by Callie Trahan. The resources available for helping students overcome challenges have never been better. LU is blessed to have a diverse population of students and this workshop promises to be very beneficial.

I have been doing a lot of reading lately about how the brain works. It has also exposed me to several articles on educational games. The one that is really intriguing to me is Democracy, a government simulation game where the player must introduce and alter policies in seven areas - tax, economy, welfare, foreign policy, transport, law and order and public services. I could see obvious uses in political science but also think it would be interesting to have students in philosophy, accounting, social work, and civil engineering play the game as well. Let me know if you have used this type of teaching resource or have played it yourself. The Southern Regional Faculty and Instructional Development Consortium (SRFIDC) is currently accepting proposals (due December 13) for their annual conference to be held March 25-29. They are looking for proposals that focus on strategies, tools, pedagogies, or technologies related to this year's theme: Reflecting on the Past, Building for the Future. All sessions should include a strong and practical element of audience involvement. If you are interested in online course design, I would recommend this short (11 minute) podcast by Dr. Robin Smith.

Richard Sennett (1976) defined civility as "the activity which protects people from each other and yet allows them to enjoy each others company." He also noted that it may require a facade in order to maintain civility. Although that sounds like he is encouraging in-authenticity, I actually think he is saying that we need to be polite and respectful even in disagreement. As faculty, civility is part of our culture. We experience it in many ways throughout our academic careers. I found it very interesting the first time I attended a professional conference. It seemed at first blush that the "discussant" was being overly critical to the presenters. I soon realized it was part of the process when I saw the entire group at the head of the room gather together after the session. They were smiling and thanking each other for the feedback. It was definitely a lesson in civility. I am hoping to learn more from the Sandy Harris workshop on Thursday about this important topic. There was a nice article on the value of libraries that I wanted to share with you. I would also recommend an interesting article on the benefits of team-based learning and how it promotes student accountability that appeared in New Directions for Teaching and Learning.

We are accepting reservations for the conflict workshop on Thursday. In addition, you might want to check out Jeff Davidson's Complete Idiot's Guide to Assertiveness as well as Patrick Lencioni's Leadership Fable from the Library before the event. Defending Collegiality by Michael Fischer is also recommended reading. Tom Matthews is looking for a few more members for the Test Scanning, Scoring and Item Analysis Teaching and Learning Circle. Contact him at tom.matthews@lamar.edu. I wanted to remind you of a funding opportunity that we have had up on the Center's website for awhile now. The NEH Enduring Questions grant program supports the development of a new course that will foster intellectual community through the study of an enduring question. The grant deadline is September 15, 2010. Let us know if we can help.

The inaugural Lunch and Learn was a rousing success with 20 participants and a nice mix from business, education, engineering, as well as administrative units. So what did we learn? Critical thinking is a very important skill that is complex to measure but we are committed to helping our students acquire the ability and assured that they are fully capable of becoming "good" thinkers. It was a great opportunity for building community as well. We spent some time talking about the use of technology to enhance teaching which prompted an interesting discussion about digital versus immigrant natives (a term attributed to Marc Prensky) as it relates to technology. Daryl Ann Borel, Department of Educational Leadership Adjunct Assistant Professor, recommended a Teacher Tube video that sets the stage for engaged learning. There was also discussion about the need for faculty to get to know their students and to be deeply involved in their education. The idea of a learner-centered/oriented university emerged as the target for LU. Steve Busar, Director of the Southeast Texas P-16 Council, recommended a witty video that illustrates the predominance of technology in our lives. The conversation about critical thinking is to be continued.

We are in the final stages of preparation for the inaugural Lunch and Learn. The first session, focused on the concept of critical thinking, will take place in room 101 of the Dining Hall tomorrow from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. Registration begins at 11:45 a.m. Critical thinking is one of the attributes that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has identified as a required outcome for all core courses taught at LU. If you attended Dean Brenda Nichols session at the 2010 Faculty Professional Development Symposium, you are well aware of what a complex topic this promises to be for all concerned. This Lunch and Learn will only be the beginning of an ongoing discussion that will eventually need to include our students. The top article in The Chronicle of Higher Education today, Why Teaching Is Not Priority No. 1, focuses on a topic at the heart of the scholarship of teaching and learning. Happy to report that Colin Mumbach has joined the Center for Teaching and Learning as a graduate assistant. Colin is pursuing a master's degree in the Department of Art and holds a bachelor's degree in communication from LU. He joins Olivia Macon, the Center's original graduate assistant, who is pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership and holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Ole Miss.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is embarking on an interesting journey. Over the next few months, they will explore the issue of quality as it relates to universities. Should be an interesting study. James Lang has an interesting take on the topic of writing your teaching philosophy which is worth reading. It is a topic that I hope rises to the top of the conversation about teaching and learning at LU. Please remember that there are currently two Teaching and Learning Circles in the formation phase but there is always room for more. If you have an idea about a topic that you would like to explore, let us know and we will try to find a few others that are also interested. We have two requests from your colleagues who are looking to form a Circle exploring the use of blogs in the classroom. If you are interested, send us an email (omacon@lamar.edu). Time management is always a big issue and can be very costly for faculty. If you have not heard of the 80/20 rule, take a look at this podcast and try it out for yourself.