WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.Faculty members in their first three years of teaching at a CCCU school gathered from 13 campuses at Palm Beach Atlantic University (FL) June 1-4, 2010. This years conference theme was Joyful Teachers / Joyful Scholars: Called to Christian Higher Education.
The goal of the workshop was to provide:
- An introduction to foundational issues in relating the Christian faith to learning
- An introduction to teaching from a Christian perspective
- An orientation to contemporary Christian students
- A conversation about balancing the demands of teaching, scholarship and service at a Christian university
Attending the CCCU New Faculty retreat was a wonderful experience! says Elizabeth Belcastro, assistant professor of education at Geneva College (PA). There were so many highlights, but I mostly enjoyed hearing from the guest speakers who have experience in the field of Christian higher education. Each speaker brought to us a wealth of knowledge that challenged us to become the best Christian educator as possible. [As a result of attending,] I will look toward others who can serve as my mentors to help me along the way. At the same time, I want to use my own gifts to help my students find God's plan for their lives.
Sessions and speakers for this years event included:
- Joyful Teachers, Joyful Scholars, Kina Mallard, Provost and VPAA, Carson-Newman College (TN) and CCCU Senior Fellow
- The Idea of a Christian College, Dave Guthrie, Professor of Higher Education and Sociology and Dean of Faculty Development, Geneva College (PA)
- The Mentoring Relationship, Ron Mahurin, VPAA and Dean of the College, Houghton College (NY)
- Student Engagement: Best Practices Inside and Outside the Classroom, Kim Ladd, Director of Faculty Development, Palm Beach Atlantic University (FL)
- The CCCU as a Resource for New Faculty, Mimi Barnard, Vice President for Professional Development & Research, CCCU
- Course Goals and Classroom-Based Assessment: What Professors Need to Know, Tim Ladd, Associate Professor of Education, Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Software and Soft Skills: Collaborative Design for Rapid Deployment, Pat Bassett and the Instructional Design Team, Palm Beach Atlantic University
- The Art of Professorial Renewal, Phil Howard, Professor of Christian Education, Toccoa Falls College (GA)
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of 184 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 109 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 75 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Councils mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.
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