The Teaching Center Faculty Survey – Spring 2023

Faculty at Nashville State Community College were invited in February 2023 to share insights about The Teaching Center through a 9-question survey. We are grateful for the participation that occurred.

The results of the survey are included here for all to be able to review. The Teaching Center is using and will be using these results to guide our planning and preparation of professional learning for faculty. The Teaching Center’s focus is on providing professional learning for faculty, though all employees of Nashville State Community College are always welcome to attend.

February 2023 Faculty Survey Results:

6.

What are key things you are looking for from the moderators of The Teaching Center sessions? What are your expectations for this role? 

35 responses

ID	Name	Responses
1	anonymous	Introduce the session and speaker(s) Provide responses in chat to questions/concerns Provide links to resources Provide post-workshop survey
2	anonymous	I want to learn skills that I can use in the real classroom context.
3	anonymous	Enthusiasm and preparation.
4	anonymous	Presently, I’ve no complaints with the moderators of the learning sessions which I have attended. Someone who has knowledge or experience in the subject matter of which is being presented. Not necessarily an expert, simply someone who has some general understanding.
5	anonymous	Make sure questions from the chat get answers and recorded if needed
6	anonymous	Activities; Discussions; Interaction
7	anonymous	Introduce presenter, keep session or presentation on track, keep track of time
8	anonymous	Have something to say, say it. Keep the discussion from going off the rails.
9	anonymous	Keep discussion on track.
10	anonymous	Bring us timely topics to learn and discuss that affect our performance in our daily jobs
11	anonymous	Varying the usual suspects–including faculty who aren’t in the usual roster of presenters would be a great way to hear different perspectives and deepen the learning experience. One expectation I have is for moderators to be faculty-focused.
12	anonymous	That they are knowledgeable experts
13	anonymous	Keep the event on track, maintain boundaries, help bring forward questions from the session chat
14	anonymous	To keep the discussion on topic and positive.
15	anonymous	Keep the discussion on task and keep participants focused on topic–no excessive veering from topic and information.
16	anonymous	clarity in presentation, organized thoughts, interaction with audience, relevance
17	anonymous	keep questions and discussions on topic.
18	anonymous	Welcoming, keeping order, monitoring chat, and keeping the group on track.
19	anonymous	Control of the discussion if necessary (keeping things relatively on topic, creating safe(ish) space for discussion)
20	anonymous	Unfortunately, I’m not sure what the purpose of the teaching center is. I attend workshops.
21	anonymous	knowledge, passion, engaging audience in solutions as well. One of my favorite sessions was when multiple faculty (“the old dogs”) contributed tips and then the audience members were given opportunities to build on their tips.
22	anonymous	Keep the conversation on topic and redirect as needed
23	anonymous	To keep the sessions on topic and progressing along.
24	anonymous	Professional development instruction, information, activities, and/or growth opportunities to enhance current skills and keep faculty currunt with evolving trends and technology.
25	anonymous	expertise
26	anonymous	* Applicable strategies to support learning.
27	anonymous	I want to work with engaging and encouraging moderators who use plain language and identify any abbreviations. I expect the moderator to know their material well and be able to answer questions within reason. I expect the moderator to be willing to help attendees apply the information in plain language.
28	anonymous	Keep the process moving and ending on time.
29	anonymous	You all do a good job of not dominating discussion, but rather, moderating it. Thank you.
30	anonymous	Knowledge in subject area.
31	anonymous	I expect moderators to have experience, knowledge, and interest about their topics
32	anonymous	Expertise. Ability to engage participants. Sharing of ideas.
33	anonymous	organized – informtative
34	anonymous	Staying on topic and supporting inquiries. A moderator should be able to support interaction and yet maintain focus control. In each of the sessions that I have attended this has been a strong point – excellent participation between moderator and attendees!
35	anonymous	Relatability

7.

What are the key things you are looking for from other attendees? What expectations do you have of others in our professional learning sessions?

32 responses

ID	Name	Responses
1	anonymous	Desire to learn Listen without interrupting others Stay focused on session topic Be respectful of others’ opinions and experiences Share information that is related to topic
2	anonymous	I want the attendees to concentrate on the group need, not on their own self centered problems. It is very distractive to have questions about specific skills that are no applying to all.
3	anonymous	Welcoming and engaging.
4	anonymous	Generally speaking – an interest and sharing of knowledge. I don’t expect a lot from the attendees – if they are like me – I am interested in learning as much as I can.
5	anonymous	Participation
6	anonymous	To let the speaker present their topic, ask topic related questions, keep comments to minimum unless asked
7	anonymous	Don’t talk just for the sake of saying something. Contribute meaningfully.
8	anonymous	To not take too many turns speaking. To not derail the session.
9	anonymous	Listen and ask good questions
10	anonymous	I think faculty attend a professional learning session to get something useful out of it. I don’t really have any expectations of others because I am there to learn, not interact with other attendees.
11	anonymous	That attendees will ask relevant, helpful questions
12	anonymous	Don’t dominate the discussion with anecdotes and stories; Please try to troubleshoot technologies before the session so you’re not taking time away from everyone else; Please be supportive of other colleagues’ thoughts and ideas
13	anonymous	These sessions are for leaning, not complaining.
14	anonymous	Participate as comfortable
15	anonymous	input and interaction, courtesy
16	anonymous	be respectful always. in person – keep side discussions silent, keep microphones off, participate when asked a question if you have input to share
17	anonymous	Engagement, focus, and no rabbit holes.
18	anonymous	Curiosity, attention, engagement when asked for
19	anonymous	Don’t know.
20	anonymous	I expect relevant participation and collegiality.
21	anonymous	Share knowledge and experiences
22	anonymous	Positive interaction supportive of the topic and activities presented during the sessions. Critical thinking on how we can benefit from the experience.
23	anonymous	etiquette
24	anonymous	*Active participation
25	anonymous	I expect other attendees to engage in discussions and be willing to help each other and build community within our faculty. I expect others to be respectful of the moderator and to take turns without monopolizing the conversation with non-related information or questions.
26	anonymous	N/A
27	anonymous	Respect of presenter and others attending.
28	anonymous	Be engaged and share their comments, thoughts, and experience
29	anonymous	participation and ideas.
30	anonymous	participation
31	anonymous	Focused questions and comments.
32	anonymous	Participation

8.

Is there any other advice, or are there key issues you want to convey, to help us have the best possible professional learning sessions we can? 

23 responses

ID	Name	Responses
1	anonymous	I am not sure!
2	anonymous	Professional learning sessions must be appropriate for instructional modality.
3	anonymous	I think listening to the campus community to see what skills that they need to develop.
4	anonymous	I have enjoyed and learned from the educational sessions of which I have participated in.
5	anonymous	Teaching Center does terrific work…. stay the course.
6	anonymous	A report just came out about the number of meetings and how those have increased significantly since 2020. I think we have too many meeting and people are getting burnt out because many are teaching overloads and sitting on committees and now there is a push for professional development
7	anonymous	It helps if there is someone helping the moderator with the chat.
8	anonymous	Please stop pushing badges and ACUE (pins). I don’t need a gold star to want to learn about something that interests me or will be useful to me. When I hear that I might earn a badge, it feels like a disincentive. There are many ways to advance faculty learning; the glorification of ACUE puts the focus on a single approach and on a specific group of faculty. I would like some sessions that discuss current scholarly publications in relevant fields.
9	anonymous	Sessions at different days and time during the week
10	anonymous	I think you’re doing great- keep it up!!
11	anonymous	A lot of these are sourced and moderated internally. Are there other people in the TBR system who we might be able to learn from?
12	anonymous	Excellent work!
13	anonymous	Provide alternative options for folks who don’t teach who attend Teaching Center presentations to have something to discuss in break-out rooms.
14	anonymous	None..
15	anonymous	I love attending sessions prior to classes, but it is so difficult for me to attend sessions during the semester. Instead, I sometimes watch session videos. It would be great to have a way to engage faculty somehow asynchronously. Time is one of the reasons I’m not attending during the semester, but I also sometimes just feel overwhelmed by all the new ideas and things I want to include/change/revise in my classes as a result.
16	anonymous	Just a sincere thank you for the excellent opportunities you are presenting to faculty, staff, and adjunct faculty.
17	anonymous	Too often it seems that the Teaching Center is “a hammer looking for a nail.” Once the semester begins, we largely have a tiger by the tail and are not looking for professional development.
18	anonymous	Thanks for all you do!
19	anonymous	I think our in-person sessions need moderators like our online sessions. I enjoy our professional learning sessions and want to continue to be inspired by what my peers and colleagues are doing.
20	anonymous	I am not interested in the content of the professional learning provided by the teaching center. I pursue learning opportunities on my own related to the subject I teach. I hope that we will not be required to attend teaching center training in the future.
21	anonymous	Teaching Center could cover national professional development opportunities, such as active membership in Community College Humanities Association, and/or American Historical Association or relevant organizations for other fields. Or NEH, NSF opportunities. I have delivered 11 conference papers in 24 years…in Santa Fe, New York City, Atlanta, and Cambridge, MA and have published in national CCHA Review. Somehow feel that NSCC faculty are not encouraged by peer faculty to do these kinds of things…even though students benefit from our creative work. I feel that faculty sell their creative selves short even though our faculty are very talented!
22	anonymous	Include topics for all areas of the college.
23	anonymous	All aspects of customer service focus; also any possibility of adding some Linked In courses on various topics. Most of these require a completion exam of some sort that provides a certificate that could be used to document participation. There are some excellent coursed out there for free.

9.

When I choose not to attend a professional learning workshop, it is because: (select all that apply) 

52 responses52Responses

ID	Name	Responses
1	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
2	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
3	anonymous	[“The workshop does not apply to me.”]
4	anonymous	[“Time conflicts with other responsibilities (before & beginning of semester); mostly not of value for online instruction (my program is 100% online)”]
5	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”I don’t have time to read the material presented in the workshop. “]
6	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
7	anonymous	[“Most of the time – it is a matter of time I have available. “]
8	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
9	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
10	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
11	anonymous	[“The workshop does not apply to me.”,”My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”I am trying to avoid the politically charged \”culturally responsible\” certificate.”]
12	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
13	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”,”Too busy with other duties”]
14	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
15	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”It’s something that has been done many times and/or that I am already familiar with.”]
16	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
17	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
18	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
19	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
20	anonymous	[“The workshop does not apply to me.”]
21	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
22	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
23	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
24	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
25	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
26	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
27	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
28	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
29	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
30	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The sessions often present on pedagogical strategies, which is wonderful, but I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the things I feel I should be doing.”]
31	anonymous	[“Not interested in the topic and time is focused on grading and student support “]
32	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
33	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
34	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
35	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
36	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
37	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
38	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
39	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
40	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”,”I don’t know if I can apply the information to my classes.”]
41	anonymous	[“not interested in the topic, don’t think it will help me or my students”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
42	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
43	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
44	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
45	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
46	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
47	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
48	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
49	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”,”The workshop does not apply to me.”]
50	anonymous	[“The workshop does not apply to me.”,”My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
51	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]
52	anonymous	[“My schedule conflicts with the workshop.”]