A number of faculty learning communities will be offered during the 2025 Summer Session. Themes and Meeting schedules are determined by the facilitators. Please check the schedule carefully.
| Days/Times | Topics and Facilitators |
| FULL 1-2pm SUMMER 1 June 10, 17, 24, and July 1, 8 (5 meetings) ZOOM | In College Students’ Sense of Belonging, Terrell L. Strayhorn dives into why feeling like you truly belong on campus can make or break your college experience—especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds. He mixes research with real talk to show that belonging isn’t just a bonus—it’s essential for doing well in school and sticking with it. Join for a 5-week engaging book study and discussion areound creating welcoming spaces where all students feel seen, supported, and part of the community. Facilitator: Jeri Heileman The book is available from UA library: https://www-taylorfrancis-com.ezproxy3.library.arizona.edu/books/mono/10.4324/9781315297293/college-students-sense-belonging-terrell-strayhorn |
| FULL 10-11am SUMMER 1 June 11, 18, 25, and July 2, 9 (5 meetings) ZOOM | The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control Join this summer book-club style FLC as we dive into The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schlafer. Together, we’ll look at the five types of “perfectionists” and explore how embracing our perfectionism can lead to greater creativity, balance, and personal growth—both on and off campus! Note: This book is not yet available via the UA library, but there are several copies at Pima Public Library or on Bookshop.org or Amazon for around $10. Facilitator: Kristin Winet |
| FULL 11am-12pm MIDSUMMER June 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16 (5 meetings) ZOOM | Teaching in Challenging Times Reminiscent of the pandemic, the current political turmoil and concurrent advent of AI have created untold challenges for teaching and learning. In this FLC we will apply lessons learned from previous years, as well as more recent experiences and resources to help us plan how to adapt our in-person and online courses to changing times in 2025 and beyond. Come discuss how to address challenges facing students and educators in today’s world, from politically-inspired anxiety to financially-induced stress, and the temptation to use AI inappropriately. Facilitator: Rivka Fidel |
| FULL 2-3pm MIDSUMMER June 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16 (5 meetings) ZOOM [also available asynchronously] | AI and Teaching and Learning: Teaching Students How to use AI This FLC brings together educators interested in exploring effective strategies for teaching students how to use AI as a productive tool in their academic and professional journeys. Through five interactive sessions, participants will develop a comprehensive approach to integrating AI literacy into their curriculum. Sessions will include discussions, demonstrations, and resource sharing through both synchronous Zoom sessions and asynchronous D2L interactions throughout the summer 2025 term. Facilitator: Kathleen J. Kennedy 6/18/25 Session 1: AI and ML Foundations for Educators 6/25/25 Session 2: Selecting AI Applications and Building an AI Stack 7/2/25 Session 3: Designing Student-AI Co-creation Assignments 7/9/25 Session 4: Ethics and AI Use Disclosures 7/16/25 Session 5: Building Trust and Classroom Community Around Responsible AI Use |
| FULL 11am-12pm SUMMER 2 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4 and 8/11 (5 meetings) ZOOM | Grading and Assessment to Motivate Students and Expand Learning Description: Grading often seems like a perfunctory (and time consuming) activity for both faculty and students. This FLC will explore ways to grade and assess student work in ways that seek to expand student learning while providing helpful assessment of student achievement and progress. The FLC will use a mix of readings and podcast material to inform our exploration. Facilitator: Michael Mulcahy, Professor, School of Theatre, Film and Television |
| Tuesday 10-11am SUMMER 2 July 8-August 5 (5 meetings) ZOOM | Students Define Meaningful Writing – What Does This Mean for Us? In this Faculty Learning Community, supported both by CUES and WAC, we share our research on how almost 500 U of A students define meaningful writing and how it connects to the book Making Writing Meaningful: A Guide for Higher Education. We will use this research to help instructors revise, develop, and implement meaningful writing and learning experiences to serve and motivate our students as thinkers, learners, and members of our disciplinary and local community. Participants will end with revised materials, such as assignments, rubrics, syllabi statements, for Fall 2025 and beyond. Facilitators: Emily Jo Schwaller, Aimee Mapes |
| Wednesday 10-11am ZOOM SUMMER 2 July 14-August 13 (5 meetings) | Enhancing TA/LA Socratic Questioning Skills with SocrAIties: This Faculty Learning Community (FLC) brings together instructors of large-enrollment courses to explore how SocrAIties, an AI-driven tool, can support TAs and LAs in developing effective Socratic questioning techniques. Through collaborative design, testing, and reflection, participants will create and implement scalable strategies to enhance student engagement and critical thinking in high-enrollment learning environments. Facilitator: Spencer Willis |
| FULL 10-11am [also available asynchronously] SUMMER 2 July 17, 24, 31, and August 7 (4 meetings) | AI and Teaching and Learning: AI Workflows for STEM literature reviews Join me for an interactive workshop on AI Workflows for STEM Literature Reviews, where you’ll learn how to leverage cutting-edge AI tools to streamline the research process. Discover practical techniques for sourcing, organizing, and synthesizing scientific literature efficiently using AI-powered methods. Facilitator: Amelia Herb |
| Online resources and interactions ZOOM and fully online | AI and Teaching and Learning This year long FLC brings together educators interested in exploring AI applications, teaching methods, and research as they relate to higher education. Multiple facilitators will guide discussions, demonstrations, and resource sharing through both synchronous Zoom sessions and asynchronous D2L interactions throughout the summer and next academic year. Participants will engage with current AI news, emerging applications, pedagogical approaches, SoTL research, and AI and data science concepts to enhance their teaching practice and student learning outcomes. In addition, members will be able to join the FLC’s online discussions about ideas, collaborations, Q&A, and requests for help. This sign-up is to join the larger group and gain access to resources. For summer FLCs, please register for the specific summer FLC sessions. Coordinating facilitator: Kathleen J. Kennedy |