Supporting Faculty Development in Improving Student Feedback
Awarded to: Janis Barner, Lora Hromadik, Teresa Gongloff, Rebecca Smith, Rebecca Zolocsik, Lauren Succheralli, and Benjamin Martin
Feedback has fallen below department benchmarks for several semesters. Faculty with an interest in this area have opted to form a teaching circle (TC) focusing on student feedback (last academic year and again this year). Last year, the TC reviewed the literature and to better understand specific department assessment of student learning outcomes and dis/satisfaction with feedback, a survey was distributed to students. Results and recommendations will be presented to nursing department faculty at a Lunch and Learn (LNL) in November. The TC would like to purchase a book for LNL attendees to use as a supplement to the material.
Building Faculty Capacity for Teaching with AI in Graduate Nursing Education
Awarded to: Meigan Robb and Kristy Chunta
This mini-grant proposal seeks funding to support faculty professional development. Specifically, funds will be used to enable Teaching Circle members to participate in the Magna Publications online course, Practical Strategies for Inclusive, Engaging, and AI-Ready Teaching. This 7-hour, self-paced program offers practical, research-based approaches to inclusive course design, student engagement, and the thoughtful integration of AI in higher education. Upon completion, Teaching Circle members will apply these strategies to graduate nursing curricula and extend their impact by sharing insights through peer workshops, mentoring, and the creation of sustainable teaching resources.
Interprofessional Education in Health Sciences: Building Collaborative Learning Across Health Majors at IUP
Awarded to: Lei Hao, Benjamin Martin, Johanna Boothby, Riah Hoffman, Jim Racchini, Chris Harancher, and Michelle Richards
This Teaching Circle brings together faculty from Nursing, Allied Health, and Psychology to advance Interprofessional Education (IPE) within the College of Health Sciences. The group will examine best practices in IPE curriculum design, identify opportunities for implementation at IUP, and develop recommendations for establishing a sustainable IPE framework or center. The project aims to promote collaborative teaching and learning among future healthcare professionals at IUP, aligning with national standards and supporting the establishment of IUP’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Writing for Publication: Exploring the Ethical and Responsible use Poe’s AI and Chat Bots
Awarded to: Crystal Machado, Kelli Jo Kerry Moran, and Ben Ford
Competing demands limit the faculty’s ability to engage in scholarship. The Writing Group, which meets every Friday via Zoom, provides circle members with a virtual space for discussing and engaging in scholarship related to teaching and learning. We will use grant funding to purchase 2-3 books to enhance our AI literacy. We will also buy a one-year license for Poe, a popular Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, for two circle members. This software will enhance our ability to use AI for research design and writing for publication. Additionally, we will be better able to mentor graduate students and support their use of AI for coursework, dissertations, and publications.
Faculty Mentoring and Development in Academia
Awarded to:Kristy Chunta, Meigan Robb, Riah Hoffman, Shannon Dusack, Edward Pavlosky, Benjamin Martin, Regina Shinsky, Brittanie Perla, and Christine Wollet
This mini-grant proposal, Faculty Mentoring and Development in Academia, seeks funding to support faculty professional development. Grant funds will be used to purchase journals, writing guides, and scholarly writing resources that build faculty writing skills and confidence. Through structured mentoring and peer collaboration, teaching circle members will apply these strategies to their academic roles, ultimately developing a sustainable scholarship trajectory. These resources and teaching circle activities will create a supportive environment that nurtures faculty growth and fosters a community of nurse educators committed to scholarly development.
First-Learning-Year: Faculty Collaboration for Student Success
Awarded to: Melinda McIsaac, John Kapusta, and Erin Reed
This project will pilot a series of active learning modules, community-building activities, and innovative assessment formats within First-Learning-Year (FLY) courses, specifically on the Punxsutawney campus, with feedback collected from participating faculty to guide refinement. Through this process, instructors will engage in collaborative experimentation, sharing strategies that address both academic and social dimensions of first-year student success. The Circle will also curate a resource toolkit, shared digitally, that includes adaptable lesson plans, reflection templates, and engagement strategies. This toolkit is designed for broader campus use, ensuring that effective practices developed in the pilot can be scaled and sustained across disciplines.