Recently, some colleagues with Faculty Commons passed along this link to University of North Carolina History Professor Molly Worthen sharing about her spiritual journey. Professor Worthen received both her undergraduate degree and PhD from Yale University, and her testimony of coming to Christ as both an adult and an academic is encouraging.
We realize that – yes – this is a long podcast, but definitely worth listening to, in our opinion. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did.
Save the date for a special Faculty Commons lunch event.
When: Thursday, May 18, 2023 11:10am – 12:00 pm
Where: Bldg 10, Rm 100
What: Pizza lunch, panelists, and round-table discussion
Topic: ChatGPT & Teaching
As a freely-available AI, ChatGPT can write your students’ essays, code, and graphics. How do we respond in our teaching? Should we allow our students to use ChatGPT? How and when can we use it in our teaching?
Come hear the thoughts from a panel of fellow Christian faculty and then discuss your ideas too.
Please RSVP on the calendar invite by the night before to help order the right amount of food. But please come even if you did not RSVP.
Please save the date for a special Faculty Commons lunch event.
When: Thursday, Feb 23rd from 11:10 – 12:00 pm
Where: Bldg 10, Rm 100
What: Pizza lunch, panelists, and round-table discussion
Topic: Incorporating Christianity into your class content
Our Christian faith interacts with every part of us—including the subjects we love to teach. What does it look like to integrate Christian beliefs, teachings, principles, or stories into the material we teach in the classroom?
Come hear some examples from a panel of fellow Christian faculty and then discuss your ideas too.
Please RSVP on the calendar invite by the night before to help order the right amount of food. But please come even if you did not RSVP.
You are invited to join other professors and future professors at the 15th annual Winds of Change event. We hope you will be encouraged, inspired and have the opportunity to network with others who seek to fulfill God’s calling on their lives.
Saturday, March 4, 2023 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Pacific Time
Speakers: Charles M.C. Lee, Professor Emeritus, Accounting, Stanford University and his wife Lily
After Dr. Lee spoke at a webinar on “What is Success?” in February 2022, we invited him to speak on “What is success for a Christian professor?”
What are ways to navigate our individual calling and corporate calling as Christian professors? What does it look like to be fulfilled?
You can view a recording of Dr. Lee’s webinar on the Veritas Forum site: What is Success? A behavioral economist reflects on faith & career | Dr. Charles Lee
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Early registration: In-person $75/person, Virtual $30/person
Many thanks to everyone who took time to participate in the Faculty Commons “Grace and Justice in Teaching” lunch event last week. It was wonderful to hear different Christian perspectives on dealing with issues like cheating, plagiarism, and late assignments, and how to help students struggling academically. And – after almost a three year absence – to enjoy some face to face connection together. We look forward to future events.
Save the date for a special Faculty Commons lunch event.
When: Thursday, Nov 3rd from 11:10am – 12:00 pm
Where: Bldg 10, Rm 100
What: Pizza lunch, panelists, and round-table discussion
Topic: Balancing grace and justice in our teaching
As Christians we serve a just God who is also full of graces. What does it look like to emulate this balance of justice and grace in our teaching? How should we respond to cheating or plagiarism? Late assignments or struggling students?
Come hear some practical ideas from a panel of fellow Christian faculty and then discuss your ideas too.
Please RSVP on the calendar invite by the night before to help order the right amount of food. But please come even if you did not RSVP.
On behalf of Faculty Commons, we’d like to welcome each new faculty member to Cal Poly. We hope your experience here is successful and enjoyable. Please let us know if we can serve as a resource, either professionally or personally.
It’s our hope to drop off a small welcome gift before the end of the quarter. Please let us know if for some reason you haven’t received one yet — we’ll be sure and get one to you.
G3 groups are groups of 4-5 faculty members meeting for 50 minutes every other week for for community, growth, and prayer. The groups are committed to:
• building community: a chance to share with a few others about life – challenges and opportunities, both on and off campus.
• growing faith: taking time to discuss a passage of Scripture or short article together, and pray for each other.
• living out our faith: why has God called each of us to a public university? What does it mean to live out our faith on campus with our colleagues and students, to to love and serve those around us?
G3’s are open to faculty wherever they are at in their spiritual journey: whether interested in exploring Christianity or growing in their faith.
The groups are are scheduled around faculty member’s availability, and the small group format makes it easier to find a time when a group can meet. If you’d like to be in a group, you can let us know your availability here.
For the 2022-2023 academic year, we’ll have groups meeting both in person on campus, and virtually.
Please contact us if you’d like to be in a group, or have any questions.
As the new school year approaches, we look forward to connecting as a Christian faculty community at an outdoor pizza picnic! We hope our kick off gathering can help catalyze friendships so we can support one another this year.
We’ll provide pizzas, salad, and dessert, as well as some cold beverages. You bring chairs and blankets for picnicking on the lawn, and hats and sunglasses. We welcome families, but we will not be providing childcare.
Faculty Commons Welcome Back Picnic Sunday afternoon Sept 11th 3:30pm-6:00pm
We’ll be back at O’Briens Los Osos (please contact us for the location).
Please help us celebrate the end of the Spring Quarter and join other Faculty Commons colleagues for a complementary lunch at Mustang Station in the UU, Friday June 10th 12pm-1pm.