Professional Development

Upcoming Professional Development Events

Spend Summer With the CEL

The Center for Engaged Learning is offering a variety of professional development opportunities this summer.

CEL Summer Webinar: “Engaged Learning: Where We’ve Been, and Where We’re Going” –The Center for Engaged Learning staff will provide a brief overview of community engagement, service-learning, Research That Reaches Out, and other engaged learning practices. In addition to discussing the history, current definitions, and recent successes of these initiatives, we will also share how faculty and staff can get involved with current and new initiatives. This online webinar will be held on Tuesday, June 17, from noon – 1 pm and repeated on Friday, August 1, from noon – 1 pm. To register: https://tinyurl.com/CELSummer-webinar

Summer Office Hours – Drop-in Zoom time to chat about community engagement, service-learning, Research That Reaches Out, and more.

• Have a question about community partnerships? Want to talk through high-impact practices? Need a space to talk through an upcoming course or project? Just want to say hi? Office hours are our informal space to do that and more. No sign-up needed, use the Zoom link during any of the summer office hours days and times.
• Summer 2025 drop-in office hours: Fri. 5/16 noon-1 pm; Wed. 5/28 1-2 pm; Thurs. 6/12 2-3 pm; Tues., 6/24 noon-1 pm; Thurs., 7/10 11 am – noon; Wed., 7/23 noon-1 pm; Mon., 8/4 noon- 1 pm

Appointments – Yes, we are available for in-person and Zoom appointments! Reach out to Kathy at Kloepper_kd@mercer.edu.

August 5 National Webinar: Lauren Shinholster hosted by Campus Compact – Please save the date for 8/5 at 1 pm for Lauren Shinholster’s national webinar, “Empowering Visionaries: How Mercer University’s Visionary Student Panel Transforms Ideas into Impact”. Registration details to come.

• This webinar will explore how Mercer’s Visionary Student Panel (VSP) fosters student agency and prepares undergraduate students to become changemakers. Through intentional coaching, community-based problem solving, and mini-grant funding, VSP empowers students to move their ideas from discovery to implementation. Attendees will gain insight into the program’s history, structure, and impact on students and the communities they serve.

August 6 workshop in Macon with the CEL: “Strategies for Amplifying Impact” – Our interactive workshop for faculty will focus on increasing the impact of academic work. Interactive discussions will address: helping students articulate specific skills developed in your classes, designing scaffolded assignments that require students to engage deeply and critically with course materials and experiences, creating meaningful celebrations and showcases of student work, and disseminating results beyond the classroom. Registration and more information are here: https://tinyurl.com/CELworkshopAug6

Workshops and professional learning cohorts offer faculty and staff opportunities for professional development, focusing on supporting high-impact practices in the classroom and fostering a community of practice. Cohorts are multidisciplinary and themed around one or more high-impact practices. Cohort experiences are offered occasionally.

Past Workshop and Cohort Experiences

HIPs are hard: Finding balance when implementing engaged learning practices in undergraduate classes

Designed for all Macon undergraduate faculty, from those starting their first year at Mercer in August to those who are starting their 20+ academic year. Join the CEL on Monday, August 7 from 9:45 am-12:30 pm. We will discuss a range of engaged practices for the classroom. While this will include high-impact practices (see more on HIPs here: https://cel.mercer.edu/high-impact-practices-hips/), we will be going beyond HIPs—there’s a place for anyone looking to chat through challenges to implementing engaged learning practices with undergraduates.

For additional information and to register for the workshop, visit https://bit.ly/HIPsworkshop.

Service Learning New Courses Cohort (2022-23)

Designed for instructors who would like to incorporate service learning into an undergraduate course in the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semesters. Cohort experience includes a 3-day faculty workshop in May 2022 and ongoing teaching support and professional development opportunities throughout the academic year.

Service Learning Renewed Courses Cohort (2022-23)

Designed for instructors who would like to refresh an existing undergraduate service learning course offering for Summer 2022, Fall 2022, or Spring 2023. Cohort experience includes a 2-day faculty workshop in May 2022 and ongoing teaching supports and professional development opportunities throughout the academic year.

Summer research cohorts support faculty-led undergraduate research and creative activities work. These cohort programs, designed to support projects that will continue through the academic year, facilitate growth and development for student researchers and their faculty mentors.  Summer research cohorts are open to all disciplines.

Past Summer Research Cohorts

Undergraduate Research Training Program

Virtual summer cohort. The program runs for 8 weeks from May 23 – July 18, 2022. Supports faculty in training undergraduates in preparation for on-campus research work for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. Goal to significantly progress a project with undergraduates in advance of the 2022-23 academic year.

Summer Undergraduate Service-Research Program

Supports an in-person summer cohort of faculty researching on the Macon campus with Macon traditional undergraduates. The program runs for 8 weeks from May 23 – July 18, 2022. Provides support for faculty in designing sustainable work with up to two undergraduate researchers. Projects are expected to continue through the 2022-23 academic year.

The Center for Engaged Learning facilitates cross-disciplinary chats and partnerships during the annual Networking with CEL event. Picture academic matchmaking without the bell. Networking with the CEL brings together undergraduate faculty, staff, and community partners on the Macon campus. t Conversations with ‘Networking’ participants will be supported by mini-posters that will serve as visual prompts for informal discussions about course ideas, travel experiences, scholarship, potential collaborations, and high-impact practices.

The 2025 Networking with the CEL was held on Tuesday, January 28, from 3:30 pm-5:30 pm in the University Center’s Presidents Dining Room.  Click the image to see our 2025 presenters.

HIPs and Chips is a monthly opportunity for faculty and staff to engage with one another on topics related to engaged learning and high impact practices. Based on the “lunch and learn” model, HIPs and Chips provides space for structured dialogue among faculty and staff. Formats vary between in-person, virtual, and hybrid based on speaker and participant needs.

If you’re interested in helping facilitate a HIPs and Chips, contact Lauren Shinholster or Kathy Kloepper.

Past Events

Battling High-Impact Fatigue
An engaging discussion about designing and managing effective high-impact practices in ways that can help reduce instructor burnout.

Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers
A multidisciplinary discussion open to all levels of experience that focuses on effective mentoring of undergraduate researchers.

Access to Undergraduate Research
A conversation on expanding access to undergraduate research (UR) that addresses student recruitment, barriers to student access, and challenges for faculty.

For faculty who are interested in learning more about community-engaged learning, Service learning 101 provides an introduction to this high impact practice.

Available upon request for individuals or groups. Contact Lauren Shinholster or Kathy Kloepper for more information.

BearPulse (powered by GivePulse) is a platform that supports student engagement in the community and on campus. Although primarily a volunteerism and service learning tracking platform, the system is also useful for departments that provide co-curricular engagement opportunities for students.

Available upon request for individuals or groups. Can be tailored to meet specific needs. Contact Lauren Shinholster for more information.

The Center for Engaged Learning supports faculty and staff in implementing high-impact practices by providing tools and strategies to enhance teaching, integrate technology, and support professional growth. Contact Lauren Shinholster to access educational resources related to tutoring, IRB, poverty, and classroom strategies.