Volume III Number 4
March 1997
College employees are feeling better this semester. This statement is true for those who have been attending the Stress Reduction Workshops that Kay Mengers has been leading as part of her Resource Faculty project for the Faculty Center. Every Monday from 2:30 to 3:30, Thursday from 3 to 4, and Friday from 1 to 2 pm in the Orangery, Kay gets faculty and staff members stretching, challenging habits, and ridding themselves of tension through a very gentle regimen of movement, breathing, and readings.
For some time now, stress has been a fairly common topic of conversation on campus. There are a variety of sources of stress. Similarly, there are a number of ways to alleviate or reduce stress. In these workshops Kay offers techniques and approaches including meditation, Feldenkrais, and Hatha Yoga.
Although the workshops are offered three times weekly, you are welcome to attend as you are able--as frequently or as irregularly as your schedule permits or demands. Come stretch your body and mind. Move your muscles. Expand your lungs. Relax. Stimulate your brain.
All are invited to participate in these sessions which combine Yoga, Feldenkrais, stress-reduction and relaxation. No pre-requisites at all. Participants do lie on the floor, so dress comfortably. Tune in whenever you have time. Move as it suits your needs and limits. This is an opportunity you truly cannot afford to miss.
The Advisory Board of the Faculty Center hosted the first Faculty Showcase in November. It was not the last! The Showcase was a marvelous success. The Center was packed with full- and part-time faculty members, a number of College administrators, and several members of the Board of Trustees.
The next Faculty Showcase is scheduled for Thursday, April 10 from 5 to 7 pm. All are invited. We look forward to another evening of highlighting faculty achievement and of learning from each other. As was true last time, the focus is on the teaching/learning process. The plan is to feature the techniques and perspectives of four faculty members. Each presentation will last approximately fifteen minutes.
At this point the tentative schedule includes Barry Sysler and Tom Mazurek, along with Kay Mengers, who will offer a sample from her workshops, and Tom O'Keefe, who has worked with colleagues in science, accounting, psychology, and mathematics to develop guides for students' study approaches in each curriculum.
Faculty members who wish to volunteer to present may contact Lyn Allison or members of her subcommittee: Jon Alley, Joanne Drechsel, Bill Ford, Mary Ann Klicka, Jean Konkel, Marilyn Puchalski, or Helen Wilson.
Once again, refreshments will be part of the festivities. The Advisory Board baking squad will perform their usual magic. The Showcase is another example of learning that is pleasurable. Don't miss it!
On Thursday, January 9, thirty five faculty members braved snow and cold to come on campus during semester break to participate in the Technology Day sponsored by the Faculty Center. Arta Szathmary, who holds the Faculty Center's Professional Development Resource position in support of technological development, developed the day-long program of workshops for faculty members.
The day included an intermediate session on managing e-mail and organizing and maintaining vax storage space, an investigation of discussion lists as a class tool, a session on digitizing images (including practice with scanners and digital cameras and computer manipulation of the images), and a Web workshop which covered how to find information quickly and considered issues of copyright and plagiarism as they relate to use of materials from the Web. Other sessions offered introduced MS Publisher 97 and familiarized faculty with Windows 95 and the Macintosh. Individual mentoring was also provided.
Presenters were faculty volunteers. Warren Troust led the sessions on use of the Web, Joan Weiss introduced Publisher, Jon Alley showed how to make the most of digitized images, and Susan Darrah, Jean Konkel, Leticia El-Naggar, Barbara Korb and Betty Tsai provided mentoring to meet individual faculty requests for support.
Faculty members from almost every department on campus participated in the workshops. In addition to expanding their knowledge of tools available, participants also enjoyed the interaction with colleagues, exchanging ideas on how to apply new skills.
On Wednesday, March 26, from 1 to 4 pm in the Fireside Lounge, publishers' representatives from a number of publishing houses will display their texts for disciplines in the College curriculum. The focus will be on those texts that integrate technology, including test managers, presentation aids, and supplemental versions for students.
Arta Szathmary is coordinating the event, which she is developing in response to faculty requests for an opportunity to see what is available for their discipline in the way of text books and software support.
Drop in at the Fireside Lounge during the afternoon to learn about what is availablefor your students. Several publishers are supplying refreshments and door prizes.
Please respond to the survey on pages 7 & 8 of this newsletter to indicate your preferences for future technology-based programs.
Later on the same day, Wednesday, March 26, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the Faculty Center, Voices, the unofficial organization for those interested in issues affecting women on campus, will meet. This session will feature student speakers who attended the conference, Women as Leaders: An Academic Seminar, held over semester break at the Washington Center of Internships and Academic Seminars.
Dinner will be part of the festivities. The cost will be $5 per person, which will include the usual delectable surprises. RSVP to Barbara Korb (korbb or extension 8043).
Through a project proposal supported by the Strategic Initiative Process, the Faculty Center has purchased a multi-media laptop computer and projector, available for faculty members to borrow.
The laptop is a high end Toshiba laptop with CD-ROM drive and a modem. The projector, an Eiki LCD unit, is also portable and can be used in tandem with the laptop. This combination affords us portable multi-media presentation and display capabilities that are effective even in those spaces where light has been a problem in the past.
To reserve the equipment, contact Donna Iwanczewski in Academic Computing at extension 8002.
In addition to the laptop and projector, the Faculty Center makes available a range of equipment, services, and facilities. For example, do you know:
If you would like to carry out a project in support of teaching and learning that you feel supports the goals of the Faculty Center, consider applying for one of the Faculty Center positions for next year.
All faculty members (full- and part-time) are invited to submit proposals for Resource Faculty positions and/or to participate on the Center's Advisory Board. In addition, applications are invited from full-time faculty members who have served a minimum of one year on the Advisory Board for the position of Facilitator of the Faculty Center.
Resource projects must support the goals of the Faculty Center. The goals are:
The scope of proposed projects should require at least the equivalent of time and effort expended to teach a three-credit course, as Resource Faculty are awarded release time for their projects.
Projects are selected by the Advisory Board through a blind review process, on the basis of merit of the proposed projects. Past projects have included the investigation, initiation, and development of the Bucks County Community College home page (http://www.bucks.edu); collaborative development of approaches to study tailored to individual curricula; the professional development workshop series focusing on technology; and stress reduction series.
Workshop on Adaptive Technologies: Marie Cooper & David Weiss
Attend this workshop to familiarize yourself with adaptive technologies available to our students. These technologies are particularly helpful in overcoming barriers for students with disabilities who may be in your classes.
Discussion Series:
Learning Styles and Teaching Modalities: J. Hartwick, M. McCreadie
This discussion series operates somewhat like a graduate seminar. Through this series we will help each other investigate theoretical and research literature on learning. Plans include developing a research project to investigate learning styles and needs of BCCC students.
Workshop Series: Multimedia in the Classroom: Jon Alley
As part of the Perkins Grant, Jon Alley is offering workshops for faculty, including Digitizing Materials for the Classroom , A Practical Look at Using the Web for Your Class (, Basic Basics , and Multimedia Presentations Old and New. You may also make appointments for individual attention.
Student Success Series: Mary Ann Klicka
A re-offering of programs presented last semester: The ADD Student in the College Classroom, and Motivating Students: A Summary of the Research. Mary Ann will also offer a workshop on using graphing calculators.
Distance Learning Roundtable Series: John Bradley
This discussion series will focus on a variety of topics, including retention, agoraphobia, and the prison population, as they relate to distance learning.
Techno Teas Series: Susan Darrah
An ongoing group discussion to address apprehensions and aspirations for teaching and learning as enhanced by technology. The next session will focus on helping those who plan to participate in an online conference at the beginning of April.
Roundtable Discussion: Academic Computing Plan: Marilyn Puchalski
Attend this roundtable discussion to learn about the long range plan for Academic Computing. You will be welcome to make comments on the Plan.
Texts and Technology Open House: Arta Szathmary and Publishers' Reps
Publishers' representatives from a number of publishing houses will show off their texts for the various disciplines. The focus will be on those texts that integrate technology, including test managers, presentation aids, and supplemental versions for students. Drop in during the afternoon, learn about what is available in your discipline, and perhaps win a door prize.
Voices: For Those on Campus Interested in Issues Affecting Women: Barbara Korb
As is the custom for Voices sessions, dinner will be included. Our featured speakers will be three BCCC students who will report on their participation in the conference, Women as Leaders: An Academic Seminar, held over semester break at the Washington Center of Internships and Academic Seminars. RSVP to Barbara Korb (korbb) if you plan to attend.
Faculty Showcase II: Lyn Allison
Our Fall Faculty Showcase was such a success that we are scheduling another for this semester. The Showcase will feature refreshments, camaraderie, and presentations from several faculty members on techniques or approaches that enhance classroom performance. To volunteer to be a presenter, please contact Lyn Allison (allisone) in the Library.
SIFE Idea Exchange Series: Joan Weiss & SIFE Students
Experiential Approaches to Stress Reduction Series: Kay MengersSIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) hosts this monthly discussion series that provides opportunities for interaction between students and faculty members on a particular topic. This program includes refreshments as well as a lively exchange of ideas. The topic for the February 26 session will be effectiveness of the advising process.
Kay Mengers leads workshops combining Hatha Yoga, meditation, Feldenkrais, and stress reduction. Participants may attend as many sessions weekly as they choose.
Contact Maureen McCreadie (8055) with your questions and suggestions or to reserve the Faculty Center for use.