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Office of IDEAS

Spring 2025 Faculty Professional Development Opportunities

Applications for these opportunities are now closed. You can still register for the CSU Online Course Services - Quality Learning & Teaching (QLT) workshops (found at bottom of the page) or visit our Spring 2025 AI Workshop Series to register for ongoing one hour workshops. 

Note: Funding priority will be given to faculty who have not yet participated in 2024-25. However, all faculty will be considered, if there is space available.

 

Clifton Strengths Finder

The goal of our Strengths Finder program is to explore what you do best in each of the 34 Clifton Strengths themes. The assessment provides you with a list and descriptions of each of your strengths and our faculty learning community will be to explore your signature strengths as well as your social identities in our educational context. There will be three faculty learning community sessions to discuss and explore the meaning of your strengths in the context of your teaching, research, and service. You will also have access to small group or one on one Clifton Strengths coaching sessions. 

  • Meeting Dates: February 21, March 21, April 25 at 2-3:30pm
  • Modality: in Person
  • Stipend amount: $200

Equity Minded Pedagogy (EMP)

The goal is for faculty to understand the specific structural barriers for underrepresented students as well as pell eligible students. Faculty will use Human-Centered and course design principles to redesign content, assignments, assessments, support, stories, and imagery in their courses.

Faculty will engage in the co-creation of their course with student input. Faculty will set data-driven goals to improve inequities in their classroom and positively impact retention and graduation at Fresno State. 

  • Dates: March 3 - May 9
    • Note: There are four required, synchronous Zoom sessions and two optional Zoom synchronous sessions
      • Friday, 3/7, 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. (optional course orientation and technology overview; will be recorded)
      • Friday, 3/14, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. required
      • Friday, 3/21, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. required
      • Friday, 4/11, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. required
      • Friday, 4/25, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. required
  • Modality: Fully Online (Canvas course & Zoom meetings)
  • Stipend amount: $1000

Humanizing STEM Academy

This six-week, fully online professional development program will introduce you to research that defines the problematic inequities in the STEM academic pathway, evidence-based strategies shown to improve the problem, and eight humanizing elements to adopt into your online course(s).  You will achieve the learning outcomes by completing activities staggered throughout each module that will require you to work independently and interact with peers to improve your ideas through peer feedback and meaningful discussions. The assignments are designed to foster critical awareness of your growth as an equity-minded online educator and put theory into practice by applying your new knowledge to your online course.

  • Dates: February 17 - March 28
  • Modality: Fully Online (Canvas course)
  • Stipend amount: $1000

Introduction to AI Tools in Higher Education

This three-week online course is an introduction to Artificial Intelligence tools where guided experimentation empowers participants to understand some of the basics of AI functionality, including its workings and methods for detecting its usage. Learn basic AI terminology, engage in hands-on exploration of AI Tools, learn strategies for detecting AI-generated content, and techniques to address potential misuse of AI tools by students. Participants will apply the knowledge gained to develop a personalized AI use policy for their course, and find resources to maintain currency in this dynamic field. This course will be open to Fresno State faculty and staff.

  • Dates: February 24 - March 16 |  March 24 - April 13
  • Modality: Fully Online (Canvas course)
  • Stipend amount: $0

Introduction to AI for Higher Education Professionals

This 4-week fully online training is designed to explore the practical uses of generative AI in the everyday work and research of higher education professionals. Participants will consider ethical dimensions of AI use and learn foundational AI concepts, how to select and utilize AI tools effectively, and best practices for integrating AI into their regular workflows. Through hands-on activities and real-world examples, attendees will develop the skills to streamline tasks, enhance productivity, and innovate within their professional roles. This course is offered by the Office of IDEAS and will be open to Fresno State faculty and staff and offered on the Fresno State instance of Canvas.

  • Dates: February 24 - March 23
  • Modality: Fully Online (Canvas course)
  • Stipend amount: $0

Publishing Scholarly Works

The class is based on Wendy Belcher’s 12 Weeks to Writing an Article. The class will loosely go over the book (not required to purchase but suggested). The first hour we will go through the book chapters and the last 2 hours will be a writing retreat.

Other Resources: Writing a Book Proposal by Laura Porter, Economical Writing by Dierdre McCoskey and The Craft of Writing by Helen Sword.

  • Dates: February 3 - April 21 (Mondays 11:00am-2:00pm on Zoom)
  • Modality: Fully Online (Zoom)
  • Stipend amount: $0

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Workshops

Designing a W Course

This workshop is designed to prepare a prospective W course to receive feedback and approval from the University Writing Subcommittee. The session is ideal for instructors planning to submit a course proposal by the Fall 2025 deadline.

Participants will learn more about the course proposal process at Fresno State, including the specific requirements for a W-course as outlined by the University Writing Subcommittee. The workshop will then focus on key components of a successful W course, such as developing strong course objectives, selecting an appropriate writing textbook, and designing high-stakes, writing-intensive assignments.

Deliverable:
A “justification that links this writing course to the discipline” as required by the University Writing Subcommittee’s procedures for proposal development. 

  • Dates: Wednesday, February 26, 4:00 - 600 p.m. (Zoom) | Thursday, February 27, 10:00 a.m. - noon (In-person)
  • Stipend Amount: $100

AI and the Writing Course

At the moment, there is no consensus on the role AI should play in a writing course. Many questions, misunderstandings, fears, and tightly held beliefs about student writing and assessment persist as higher education works to keep pace with technology. 

This workshop will explore the perspectives of the University Writing Subcommittee, the university’s AI task force, and scholarly organizations such as the MLA and CCCC to better understand the discourse, research, and policies surrounding AI in the classroom.

Participants will learn strategies on how to set clear expectations for students and effectively address concerns about the inappropriate use of generative AI. There will also be time set aside for participants to share experiences, discuss challenges, and exchange resources on AI in the classroom relevant to their courses and disciplines.

Deliverable:
A revamped writing-intensive assignment that lists writing outcomes and a clear statement on what type of generative AI, if any, is appropriate to use for the assignment.

  • Dates: Wednesday, March 19, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (Zoom) | Thursday, March 20, 10:00 a.m. - noon (In-person)
  • Stipend amount: $100

CSU Online Course Services - Quality Learning & Teaching (QLT)

Registration for spring sessions is now open

All CSU-OCS courses are taught by Certified CSU Facilitators, 3-weeks in length, online, asynchronous, and require 15-20 hours. While you are able to move ahead in the course, you must follow the due dates as peer-to-peer collaboration is integral to each course.

Introduction to Teaching Online (Q1)

For faculty new to teaching online using the CSU QLT rubric. Content includes orienting students to the online course, setting up the structure and navigation, designing online modules for content delivery and engagement, developing discussions, developing assessment tools, and using technology tools.

Reviewing Courses Using the QLT Rubric (Q2)

Ideal if you have prior knowledge and familiarity with QLT and plan to review courses seeking QLT certification. Participants will engage in hands-on experiences using the QLT objectives to rate elements of a sample course, learn how to write helpful recommendations, and discuss examples for setting up a peer-review process on their campus. 

Advanced QLT Course in Teaching Online (Q3)

Participants will complete a QLT Core-24 self review on their own course for reflection and to identify areas of improvement and will produce a final project showcasing three course changes made in the course while completing the training. Faculty will need to have a partially or fully developed online/hybrid course is required prior to registration.

Introduction to AI Tools for Teaching & Learning

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence tools where guided experimentation empowers participants to understand some of the basics of AI functionality, including its workings and methods for detecting its usage. Learn basic AI terminology, engage in hands-on exploration of AI Tools, learn strategies for detecting AI-generated content, and techniques to address potential misuse of AI tools by students. Participants will apply the knowledge gained to develop a personalized AI use policy for their course, and find resources to maintain currency in this dynamic field.

Apply for an OCS course