Register for the First Annual CAFE Conferenceconference logo with people sitting and discussing together

Reimagine, Reinvest, Reinvigorate

Location:  School of Education

Date:  May 18, 2022

Time:  8:00am - Noon

 

 

Conference Schedule

8:00am-8:30am  Registration and Refreshments

 

Session One 8:30am - 9:30am

Mid Career Malaise - Where Do We Go from Here? Lorie Holt This panel discussion will facilitate conversation on issues faced by mid-career faculty in various disciplines. The panel aims to advance understanding of mid-career faculty experiences, facilitate sharing of best professional development practices for mid-career faculty and identify gaps in the current support infrastructure.

UMKC Adjunct Faculty Focus

LaVerne Berkel

In this session, we will share the results of our first UMKC Adjunct Faculty survey and series of focus groups.  A panel will also share their experiences as adjunct faculty, including highlights of their work and suggestions for improving their experience at UMKC.

Applying a Gap Analysis for Assessment Data

Billie Anderson

This presentation will provide an overview of the Data Outcomes Labs that is part of the Service and Learning pillar of the inaugural CAFE (Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence) Faculty Fellows for academic year 2021-22. This project’s focus is to assist Deans and Chairs with utilizing student outcome data. For this project, a gap analysis has been applied to several academic programs across the university.

A gap analysis is determining if a difference exists between what the academic program expects the student to be able to perform and the reality of what the student can perform.  Engaging visualizations that incorporate best practices and formal statistical tests will be employed to present the results of the gap analysis for three academic programs. The Data Outcomes Lab project has led to a generic gap analysis tool being developed in Canvas. The presentation will conclude with a live demonstration of a gap analysis tool that is still under development in Canvas.

Leveraging Public Engagement for Research and Recruitment

Rebecca Best
Beth Vonnahme

This session will address ways in which faculty can use public engagement and public facing scholarship – including social media, media interviews, policy briefs, and academic blog posts – to enhance their research agendas, expand research networks, and reach communities and families for recruitment.

 

Break  9:30am-9:45am

Session Two  9:45am - 10:45am

Recognizing and Helping Students in Crisis


Arnold Abels

The COVID-19 pandemic, racial tensions, economic distress and more all converge to produce unprecedented levels of stress, hardship and uncertainty for many. Concerned about a student in crisis? Don’t let uncertainty stop you from taking action. In this session we will explore strategies for faculty to support students to survive and thrive in times of crisis.

“But I’m Not a Writing Teacher”: Helping Students Grow as Writers

Henrietta Rix Wood
Amy Mecklenburg-Faenger

Helping students improve their writing is challenging, but research shows that effective response from instructors is crucial to this process. To learn more about how to provide productive feedback to the writing of students in any class at UMKC, join Dr. Amy Mecklenburg-Faenger, director of ParkWrites, the writing across the curriculum program at Park University, for an interactive workshop facilitated by Henrietta Rix Wood, the CAFE Faculty Fellow for Teaching Writing.
Flash Talks: Adventures of Innovation & Creativity

 

Alexis Petri

Now seeking five eight-ten minute presentations about innovation or creativity. The presentations can be creative expression, scholarly presentation, or a hybrid. Contact Dr. Alexis Petri with your ideas: petria@umkc.edu.

 

Break  10:45am - 11:00

 

Session Two  11:00am - 12:00pm

Empathy for Self-Care

Carla Noack

Literature on “burnout” indicates that relevant components include feelings of detachment and a sense of ineffectiveness (Malesic, 2022). One proactive response to burnout is to strengthen personal empathy skills. In this session we will explore the importance of presence and connection as they relate to empathy and healing.

An Introduction to Shared Governance for Junior Faculty and Other Inquiring Minds

Viviana Grieco

Shared-governance is the preferred leadership style in higher education. It promotes collaboration, transparency, and accountability. In this panel, we will discuss shared-governance principles and practices. If you've ever wondered about the ways that faculty participate in university decision-making and/or have considered running for election to the faculty senate but haven't been sure what to expect, this session is for you. Panelists will include current senate leaders and the Provost.

Developing Our Culture of Inclusion on Campus: FITIC Past, Present and Future

Matthew Edwards

The Faculty Institute for Teaching Inclusive Pedagogies (FITIC) has a long history at UMKC. This panel will highlight recent updates, including its transition onto Canvas as a permanent faculty training certificate, much like our Online Teaching programs.  A panel discussion with FITIC alumni Crystal Doss, Andrew Heise and Meg Reuter, and hosted by CAFE Fellow and FITIC co-facilitator, Matthew Edwards, will discuss the program’s structure and the impact left by its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-centered mission.
WeListen:  AI Facilitated Focus Group Yugyung Lee
Ye Wang
WeListen is an AI and machine learning assisted platform that  has multiple capabilities from running focus groups that are completely anonymous to answering student questions in the middle of the night. Yugi Lee and Ye Wang discuss the design, development and uses of WeListen.
The Fulbright Scholar Program Peter Morello

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar program offers a world of opportunity for UMKC faculty interested in teaching, researching or leading professional projects abroad. This panel discussion will cover suggestions for building a competitive application, choosing and country and program that fits your needs, and much more. 

Panelists include: Jordanna Enrich, Director of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, at the Institute of International Education (IIE), Washington, D.C.; Dr. Theodore Davis, Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer, General Manager of Business Services J.B. and Associates, Chicago; and Dr. Peter Morello, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Communication & Journalism at UMKC, Fulbright Scholar & Senior Specialist in Ethiopia, Russia and Eswatini.

 

Afternoon Events on May 18th (Register Here)

  • 4:00pm - Faculty Awards and Recognitions
  • 4:30pm - Keynote Presentation with Todd Zakrajsek, Ph.D.
  • 5:30pm - Faculty Reception

 

Click here for a printable flyer for the conference