Applications open for student leaders of color for conference

The Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs is seeking a group of students to represent Ithaca College at The African American Student Leadership Experience. The conference is a four-day intensive experience where students from predominantly white institutions and historically black colleges and universities are challenged to put theory into practice.

Applications are now open, and 10 student leaders will be chosen to attend as delegates for Ithaca College. Applications can be found at the URL orgsync.com/90192/forms/221276. Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 23. The conference will be held Jan. 4–7 in the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel.

Students need not identify as African-American to apply. This experience brings together various communities and offers tracks with a focus on Asian/Asian-American, Pacific Islander and Chicano/Hispanic/Latino communities. Sophomores and juniors are strongly encouraged to apply.

Faculty and staff invited to attend annual Benefits and Work Life Fair

Ithaca College will be hosting its Annual Benefits and Work Life Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 31 in Emerson Suites for all
benefit-eligible faculty and staff.

There, they will be able to find out what’s new with the college’s benefit plans by talking with vendors like Aetna, The Hartford, Delta Dental and Davis Vision. Faculty and staff will also have the opportunity to win prizes. When attendees take a spin at the prize wheel, they win a prize and will also learn more about additional benefits offered to college employees. A college ID is required for attendance.

Workshop to be held for faculty and staff on study abroad programs

The Office of International Programs and Extended Studies is holding a workshop for faculty and staff to assist those interested in the development of short-term study abroad programs. The workshop will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 in 312 Job Hall.

In the workshop, faculty and staff will discuss the Ithaca College program proposal and approval process, guidelines for working with outside organizations for program planning and implementation, the student application and admission process, international programs and group leader collaboration. Best practices for risk management and student safety will also be discussed, including proactive risk assessment and crisis management tools.

Those interested in attending should RSVP to Rachel Gould at [email protected] or call 607-274-1676.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of International Programs at [email protected] or 607-274-3306. Requests for accommodations should be made as soon as possible.

VoiceThread technology workshop to be held for faculty and staff

The Center for Faculty Excellence and the Teaching and Learning Technology group will be holding workshops to offer a
hands-on experience for faculty and staff to learn how to use VoiceThread. An online environment for teaching, VoiceThread is an asynchronous, interactive tool that allows faculty and students to engage with a variety of media.

VoiceThread is free to use at Ithaca College. The college’s site license allows faculty to use VoiceThread with a college login. It will also be integrated with Sakai. Many faculty members on campus are already using it as part of their course design, according to the CFE.

At the workshops, faculty will get an overview of the VoiceThread activities. Then, over an eight-day period, faculty will complete three online learning modules in an asynchronous environment within Sakai using VoiceThread. Each module will take attendees through a series of activities that allow them to use features of the tool and interact with colleagues and moderators. The two upcoming sessions will be offered 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 1–9 in Friends 101 and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 6–14 in Friends 101.

Center for Faculty Excellence plans technology use workshop

The Center for Faculty Excellence will be holding a workshop for faculty on how to handle technology usage in the classroom. Faculty will discuss questions of student use of laptops and cellphones, whether or not these devices should be banned and any successful policies or practices regarding electronic device use in the classroom. Faculty are welcome to bring their syllabus statements regarding classroom digital etiquette and other ideas to meet the learning needs of students and develop equitable and accessible classroom policy regarding student use of technology. They are also encouraged to discuss their personal experiences using technology in the classroom.

The workshop will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Center for Faculty Excellence. Prospective attendees should RSVP by Oct. 27. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Kate Castle at
[email protected] or 607-274-3734. Requests for accommodations should be made soon.