“The workshops for ‘Finding Ourselves in Community’ helped me think more deeply about how to be a good teacher,” responded a faculty member to an anonymous survey. “It wasn’t any one lesson or some secret teaching technique. Rather, it helped me think about my interactions with students and how to modify my approach as we think about the array of experiences students and professors bring to the classroom.”
This quote is one of many praise-worthy responses from faculty who have participated in workshops to embed “Finding Ourselves in Community” concepts into their courses. From Education to Management, Fine Arts to Nursing, more than 80 course sections at TCU are now part of “Finding Ourselves in Community (FSC),” the five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to improve specific student learning outcomes.
“The time invested was worthwhile and the intellectual experience very rewarding. The facilitators were outstanding,” remarked another faculty member in the survey.
“It is a great opportunity to get to know colleagues across different disciplines,” another responded.
After faculty complete the workshops, they embed what they learn into their unique courses. To date, 65 full-time faculty have completed the workshops and incorporated FSC into 82 courses, and 1,797 students have taken those courses.
“The goal is to empower students to deepen their social self-awareness, recognizing themselves as distinct individuals within a tapestry of diverse communities,” said Frank Hernandez, dean of the College of Education and workshop facilitator. “This aligns with TCU’s mission to cultivate ethical leaders and responsible global citizens who think critically and engage thoughtfully within our interconnected world.”
Responses from student surveys show that it is working:
“My instructor did a great job of helping me understand my own identity, along with learning about others.”
“I was able to learn from other people’s perspectives and points of view.”
“It helped me consider where I come from and how that affects me now.”
All full-time faculty from any department are encouraged to take part.
Applications are now being accepted for spring 2025 faculty workshops to be held on either Mondays or Fridays weekly beginning in January. Faculty receive a stipend of $1,000 for completing the workshops and an additional $1,000 for teaching the FSC-designated course section and submitting student artifacts.
