LIFT Faculty Fellowship

The LIFT Fellowship (Learn.Inspire.Foster.Transform.) is designed to support instructors in this work. We use teaching methods and modules that have been shown to improve students’ engagement, connection, and learning, to decrease course withdrawal and fail rates, and to increase retention.

Once accepted to the program, faculty fellows are engaged in an intensive learning environment as they explore and integrate evidence-based active learning and behavioral interventions in their teaching plans. We’re excited to welcome our fourth cohort of LIFT faculty this coming spring (2020) and congratulate our most recent program graduates (December 2019)! Here’s looking forward to another successful year of connection and collaboration as we forward our commitment to students’ success at WSU. Faculty fellows’ willingness to engage and practice innovative techniques demonstrates evidence of their commitment to the undergraduate experience and to excellence in instruction and student mentoring.

Learning outcomes

After participating in LIFT, faculty fellows will be able to transform their courses using methods that have been shown to increase student engagement, connection, and learning. Through participation in LIFT, faculty will:

• Increase knowledge of theory and research related to active learning approaches and brief behavioral interventions
• Apply active learning techniques and brief behavioral interventions in their classes
• Support and be supported by your colleagues who share your commitment to student success

Faculty members highlight value of LIFT

Leticia Fanucchi, DVM, PhD, WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital

“The training program was very useful for me and I certainly learned a lot from it. The lectures and assignments were flexible and I did not feel overwhelmed by it. The team organized it really well, and gave us several opportunities to discuss our plans and activities. Also, the scholarship was much appreciated.

The highlights of the training for me were:

– Learning how to be more mindful of oneself, of the teaching (content), and more mindful of the students and their impressions/perspectives.

– Plan and gradually execute active learning without having to change your entire course overnight. You can take your time and implement one small change at a time.

– The peer observation activity was my favorite homework of the program, and I learned a lot from observing my colleague.

I highly recommend the LIFT program, not only for junior faculty, but for those who want to stay current on teaching strategies.”

Krista R.A. Nishida, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry

“The LIFT program has gotten a lot of us in chemistry implementing and researching additional things to benefit the students and their learning, so it was a very much appreciated opportunity. Thanks, again to the LIFT team!”

Application overview

The following questions are included in the online application. Please take a moment to peruse the questions before applying. We look forward to hearing from you!

• What is the course number for the class in which you will be implementing LIFT practices? 
• What is the average enrollment for this course?
• Why are you interested in participating in the LIFT Faculty Fellows Program?
• Address how you would like to transform the way you teach and/or the ways your students learn.
• What are your intended outcomes for your students’ learning?
• Address your time commitment to adopt new practices.
• What challenges do you anticipate in implementing change to the way you teach or how students learn?

  

  

  

  

  

  

Commitment to participate in the LIFT Faculty Fellows Program

As a faculty fellow with the LIFT program, you are committing to the following meeting schedule and training requirements:

Date-specific meetings and trainings

• Attend Teaching Innovation Forum on February 17, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Attend LIFT orientation meeting on Feb. 26, 2019 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Attend two face-to-face behavioral intervention workshops facilitated by LIFT Trainers and complete homework following the workshops.
  • Pullman Workshop 1: March 24 or March 25
  • Pullman Workshop 2: April 21 or April 22
  • Everett, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver Workshops 1 and 2 at WSU Tri-Cities: May 13 and 14
• Attend peer observation training session on Tuesday, April 14, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• Attend LIFT fall 2020 kick off meeting on Tuesday, September 8 from 5:00 – 6:15 p.m.

Trainings and requirements to be completed between August 24 (first day of fall term instruction) and December 11 (last day of fall term instruction), 2020.

• Attend at least two of the pedagogical trainings associated with active learning strategies offered in conjunction with AOI.
• Incorporate at least one behavioral intervention using a high-impact practice/active learning (e.g., POGIL, team-based learning, service learning) in your classroom to increase resilience/enhance applied problem-solving and increase collaborative learning.
• Conduct an observation of a former LIFT faculty fellow and debrief.
• Observe and be observed by a current, peer LIFT Fellow and debrief.
• Administer LIFT-specific pretest and posttest assessments to students.
• Complete your own pretests, posttests and long-term LIFT evaluations.
• Complete a final progress report.

Additional information about these requirements will be offered by the LIFT team during orientation and at subsequent times throughout the year. We work diligently to make sure you are on track and successful.

Here is a visual representation of these requirements for your reference:

Apply now

Upon completion of the program

We recognize that LIFT involves a substantial time commitment.  For your participation, you will receive:

• A $1,200 payment in the form of faculty time card for completion of all LIFT Faculty Fellow requirements including the adoption and implementation of at least one brief behavioral intervention in an active learning style related to connection/social belonging, values/value-based decision-making, mindfulness/self-compassion or growth mindset/resiliency.
• A certificate of completion.
• A letter of thanks, copied to your department chair and dean.

LIFT Faculty Fellows 2019

LIFT Faculty Fellows 2018

LIFT Faculty Fellows 2017

Acronyms: College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Education (COE), College of Veterniary Medicine (CVM), Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture (VCEA), Carson College of Business (CCB)

LIFT trainers 2020

Pullman

From the Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership:

Denise Yost, Mary Kay Patton, & Anna Whitehall

Instructors, Human Development

Kara Whitman

Instructor, School of the Environment

Many students entering college have not yet fully developed their learning skills, nor gained the confidence to self-direct that learning, and propose novel ideas and solutions.   Students at this stage in their education are also in a time of transition and are particularly susceptible to influences that will shape the mindset that will guide the type of learner they become, the skills that they acquire, and the experiences that they have during their time at the University and beyond. LIFT provides the evidence as well as ideas for approaches to enhance student self-confidence, sense of belonging, and provide a structured process to transform and/or enhance each student’s approach to growth, learning, and problem solving. I am very excited to be a LIFT Trainer and look forward to building a larger collaborative community of student-centered teachers!

Tri-Cities

Katie Banks

Instructor, School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs

My name is Katie Banks, and I stand for community building, creating, and seeking wisdom. To me, wisdom encapsulates both knowledge and understanding, and when my values are aligned, I’m able to help co-create and shape the communities I belong to through promoting knowledge and understanding. I am passionate about helping those who are underrepresented—either in higher education or in our larger sociopolitical systems—to find voice and identity and, ultimately, to become empowered. My teaching, research, and service are extensions of these values: I teach classes in global leadership, good-enough activism, and civic engagement; I advise the campus’ GSA organization (Queers and Allies), supervise the GSA Internship, and serve on the President’s Commission for Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO) and the Vice President’s Working Group on Executive Policy 15; and I research global health policies and politics in international development. I’m part of the CTLL TCI’s LIFT program because I believe that the best pedagogical practices approach more than just course content; we must use more varied strategies to promote student academic, professional, and personal success—inside and outside of the classroom.

Janet Peters

Instructor, Psychology

As a teacher, I strive to engage, challenge, and spark intellectual curiosity in my students. In a perfect world, I would accomplish those goals within each course, class session, and assignment. But the reality is that teaching, good teaching, is hard. Maybe that’s why I’m passionate about it, because I like the challenge and complexity of the problem. I enjoy analyzing my classes for areas of improvement, scrutinizing my grading and course policies, developing new projects, and evaluating my own performance. But, like anyone else, I get stuck. After participating in the LIFT program as a faculty fellow, I was re-energized with fresh ideas to incorporate into my most difficult courses. Now, as a LIFT trainer, I am thrilled to be able to work with other faculty who want to positively impact their students through empirically supported interventions. I love the collaborative nature of the LIFT program and am happy to share my experiences and resources with anyone interested.

Vancouver

Aaron Whelchel

Instructor, History

My interest in student success developed out of my experiences teaching first year courses at WSU. I was struck by the pivotal role student motivation and mindset play in successful completion of those courses and intrigued by the evidence suggesting even brief interventions can impact these factors. After participating in the LIFT program as a Faculty Fellow, I implemented some brief interventions in my classroom. Both students and I viewed these activities as engaging, relevant, and effective in fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging resilience and “grit.” Based on these positive experiences, I was enthusiastic about the opportunity to become a LIFT trainer and help promote these techniques to the wider WSU community, especially at the Vancouver campus.