[https://mcusercontent.com/2bf982422cf9fae883f983c88/images/8f5e77e5-5892-9d68-a9e3-d6c8bafb5ec5.png]<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/> The Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Leadership Newsletter November 2025 Tomorrow Teaching & Learning Showcase [An excerpt from CETLL's Teaching & Learning Showcase flyer.] CETLL’s Fall Teaching & Learning Showcase, Generative AI: Evolving Classroom Practices, on November 14, 2025 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join us to learn about ways to approach generative AI in your courses, assessments, and assignments. REGISTER HERE<https://forms.office.com/r/13HnZjMbRx> The TLS will open with a roundtable of QC faculty members who will present specific tools and resources that engage with the impacts of generative AI in their classrooms. We will then turn to breakout groups where you can ask questions, brainstorm strategies, share materials, and receive feedback on your ideas. Feel free to bring course materials (including drafts) for workshopping and discussion, such as: * Policies and guidelines in your syllabus * Assessment tools and/or rubrics that consider generative AI * Assignment instructions that address generative AI through guidelines around usage, explicit engagement with these tools, or other strategies Faculty presenters include: Ashlyn Cavitt (Design), S.E. Hackney (GSLIS), Joshua Rogers (CMAL), and Amy Wan (English) Breakfast will be served. Funded in part by the CUNY OER Initiative. In the Spotlight: Nick Normal [Nick Normal.] Nick Normal (QC Makerspace) This month we interviewed Nick Normal, Head of the QC Makerspace located in the Rosenthal Library (RO 101). The QC Makerspace is a hands-on experiential learning lab - a place for all to tinker, craft, make, design, & learn. In this video interview, Nick Normal explains what the QC Makerspace is, what equipment is available, and how the QC community can access this unique resource. He describes various innovative projects that students have worked on utilizing the many tools available. He also mentions creative assignments that faculty have given their students to introduce them to the QC Makerspace as well as provide a hands-on learning experience beyond the classroom. Please click here to view the full video.<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH4R4El2X48> To learn more about the QC Makerspace, visit the website.<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/library/makerspace/> Here and Now Pedagogy Pop-Ups [An illustration of a chalkboard that reads "Pedagogy Pop-Ups".] Pedagogy Pop-Ups are a space for faculty to engage in peer-based discussion about teaching and learning at Queens College. Please join us for our upcoming pop-up: Best Practices for Working with Student Research Assistants<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/pedagogy-pop-ups/> with faculty presenter Dr. Daniel Cumming (Postdoctoral Fellow, History Department and Melting Metropolis: Everyday Histories of Heat and Health in London, New York, and Paris Since 1945) Join us to learn about ways to effectively work with undergraduate students as research interns or assistants, based on a model developed by QC History faculty members Daniel Cumming and Kara Schlichting. We will discuss ways to connect undergraduate students to research projects and support their skills development as well as the different benefits that these efforts have for students and faculty alike. Bring questions, stories, and your own strategies to share! We will meet on Wednesday, 11/19/25 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Kiely 111A and on Zoom: Register Here<https://forms.office.com/r/kCtj5L3398> Please contact CTLOnline@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:CTLOnline@qc.cuny.edu?subject=&body=> with any questions. Brightspace 2.0 Training This fall, CETLL is offering a series of workshops covering advanced features in Brightspace<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/brightspace-2.0/>. Please join us for our remaining sessions: Gradebook: Thursday 11/13/25, 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. (online) Topics: How to set up your Gradebook, weighting grades, curving grades, how to control student view of the Gradebook, Ungrading, Grade Passback Engaging Learners: Monday 11/17/25, 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. (online) + Thursday 11/20/25, 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. (online) Topics: Announcements, discussions, classlist, email, custom tool link Ask Me Anything: Monday 12/04/25, 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. (online) Topics: Ask any questions you have about Brightspace! Each session will begin with a demonstration, followed by a hands-on period where you can apply what you learned to your Brightspace course. Please visit our site to view the detailed schedule and register.<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/brightspace-2.0/> [Illustration of person in front of computer screen.] Future Focus CETLL Faculty Development Seminar: Pedagogies of Writing Facilitated by Amy Wan, Special Assistant to the Provost on Writing and Professor of English Apply here by December 8, 2025.<https://forms.office.com/r/qSbLgBasUn> Writing at Queens and CETLL invite applications for Faculty Fellows to participate in a seminar on writing pedagogy<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/pedagogies-of-writing/>, where they will learn about meaningful assignment design, feedback, assignment sequencing, writing with multilingual students, and the influence of generative AI. Fellows will consider how writing genres and expectations in their own disciplines shape how writing is assigned and assessed. There will also be an opportunity to design potential writing courses. We encourage applications from QC faculty members who: * Assign writing to your students * Teach (or plan to teach) CW2/writing intensive classes * Want to develop or convert CW2/writing intensive courses for your department We are particularly interested in participants who are pre-tenure and want to learn about assigning effective and meaningful writing or mid-career faculty who would like the opportunity to re-engage with their teaching. No expertise or previous training is necessary, and all disciplines are welcome. The seminar will be a chance to talk about teaching and learn from peers; it will be especially welcoming to participants who are interested in being more comfortable with their teaching. Faculty Fellows will commit to: * Attend 4 in-person seminar meetings on February 9, March 9, and April 20 during free hour (12:15 - 1:30 p.m.) (with an optional co-working meeting on May 4) * Attend 2 in-person workshops on Feb 23 and March 23 during free hour (12:15 - 1:30 p.m.) * Review seminar materials as assigned * Develop and share a teaching resource and brief reflection (250-500 words) by June 1, 2026 * Contribute materials to the CETLL Academic Commons site for viewing and use by other QC faculty Faculty Fellows will receive a stipend of $1,000 upon completion of the seminar. Interested faculty members should fill out this short form of interest<https://forms.office.com/r/qSbLgBasUn> by December 8th. All applicants will be notified of their status by December 19th. For questions, contact Amy Wan (amy.wan@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:amy.wan@qc.cuny.edu?subject=&body=>) CETLL Faculty Development Seminar: Pedagogical Approaches to Career-Connected Learning Facilitated by Cristina Di Meo (Director of Experiential Education) and Eric Goldfischer (Lecturer and Service Learning Coordinator, Urban Studies) Apply here by December 8, 2025.<https://forms.office.com/r/DP3fAYpAL5> CETLL invites applications for Faculty Fellows to participate in a seminar on pedagogical approaches to career-connected learning<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/career-connected-learning/> where they will learn about approaches to “career competencies”, ways to integrate skills-building into course goals (and the role of faculty in these efforts), and pedagogical strategies to engage students in structured reflection to deepen their ideas of their futures, in work settings and beyond. Faculty Fellows will have the opportunity to work on a teaching-related project (e.g. developing an assignment, syllabus revision, in-class activities) that supports students to build connection between experiences in and outside the classroom as they think about their post-college lives. Who should apply? * We encourage applications from QC faculty members who want to incorporate experiential learning and/or engage students to apply their academic work to settings beyond the classroom. * We are particularly interested in participants who are pre-tenure and want to learn about ways to integrate career-connected learning in their course learning goals or mid-career faculty who would like the opportunity to re-engage with their teaching. * No expertise or previous training is necessary, and all disciplines are welcome. The seminar will be a chance to talk about teaching and learn from peers; it will be especially welcoming to participants who are interested in being more comfortable with their teaching. Faculty Fellows will commit to: * Attend 4 in-person seminar meetings on February 9, February 23, March 9, and April 27 during free hour (12:15 - 1:30 p.m.) * Attend 1 in-person workshop on March 23 (12:15 - 1:30 p.m.) * Review seminar materials as assigned * Develop and share a teaching resource and brief reflection (250-500 words) by June 1, 2026 * Contribute materials to the CETLL Academic Commons site for viewing and use by other QC faculty Upon completion of all seminar activities, Faculty Fellows will receive a stipend of $1,000. Interested faculty members should fill out this short form of interest<https://forms.office.com/r/DP3fAYpAL5> by December 8th. All applicants will be notified of their status by December 19th. For questions, contact Soniya Munshi (soniya.munshi@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:soniya.munshi@qc.cuny.edu?subject=&body=>), CETLL Director [A vibrant illustration of QC's Rosenthal Library.] Faculty Resources Recognition of Service: Information for Faculty Seeking Tenure, Certificate of Continuous Employment (CCE), and Promotion [Panelists of the March Faculty Service Workshop.] From left: Susan Davis (ACSM), François Pierre-Louis (Political Science), Schiro Withanachchi (BALA), Kate Pechenkina (Dean of Social Sciences), Soniya Munshi (CETLL/Urban Studies) Introducing a new resource from CETLL: Recognition of Service: Information for Faculty Seeking Tenure, CCE, and Promotion<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/recognition-of-service-information-for-faculty-seeking-tenure-cce-and-promotion/> Service is an important element of the faculty experience at Queens College. In Spring 2025, the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership (CETLL) convened two panels about fulfilling expectations for service activities for QC faculty at various stages of tenure and promotion. Each of the panels was comprised of deans, department chairs, and faculty members, including a Provost’s Faculty Fellow. The panels aimed to address recurring faculty questions about service, including: * what activities are recognized as faculty service * how to document service activities * how service activities factor into tenure, promotion, and CCE decisions This informational document<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/recognition-of-service-information-for-faculty-seeking-tenure-cce-and-promotion/> condenses the panelists’ remarks. The document is recommended for faculty seeking tenure, CCE, and/or promotion to associate professor, full professor, or senior lecturer. (As per the 2023-2027 PSC-CUNY Contract, Lecturers have a pathway to promotion to Senior Lecturer.) We invite you to read the full document<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/recognition-of-service-information-for-faculty-seeking-tenure-cce-and-promotion/> to have the benefit of panelists’ insights, and to share this information widely with your faculty colleagues. This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/>. CETLL Support for Blackboard Retirement [Illustration of a laptop showing code with a cactus, coffee cup, and books on an orange background.] As you may know by now, CUNY will be retiring Blackboard in December 2025. Faculty have until December 15 to retrieve course content from their Blackboard courses. For more details, you may review the full memo<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/communications/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2025/10/Blackboard-Reitrement-Memo_10.29.25.pdf> from Senior University Dean Evan Silberman. In addition to the support resources listed in the memo, CETLL offers Backup Blackboard Courses to Brightspace (PDF)<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/cetll/wp-content/uploads/sites/99/2024/06/Backup-Bb-Courses-to-Brightspace-2024-06.pdf>, a step-by-step guide to exporting Blackboard Courses and downloading Collaborate recordings. For additional support with this process or other questions relating to Brightspace, please visit CETLL’s virtual Drop-in Hours on Tuesdays + Wednesdays from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Zoom link to Drop-in Hours: https://bit.ly/QCxCETLL__Zoom If your schedule prevents you from meeting CETLL staff during Drop-in Hours, please email us at CTLOnline@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:CTLOnline@qc.cuny.edu?subject=&body=> or Brightspace@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:Brightspace@qc.cuny.edu?subject=&body=> so we can make other arrangements. CETLL is located in Kiely 111 Phone: (718) 997-4650 Email: CTLOnline@qc.cuny.edu - If you are experiencing issues with Brightspace, please visit our drop-in hours on Zoom<https://bit.ly/QCxCETLL__Zoom>: Tuesdays, 2pm - 4pm Wednesdays, 2pm - 4pm - For future newsletters and other CETLL updates, subscribe to our mailing list: Socrates<https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=s_BgbwZfCU6XFZiduozH2Fx_8Od4E2JElhg04WSeV_pUMFAxWTQ2Slk3MVlKVEIyTEVIVjg1OVQ3WS4u&route=shorturl> - View email in browser<https://mailchi.mp/10dac916f230/november-2025-cetll-spotlight-10353971?e=2c2527c30b> [https://mcusercontent.com/2bf982422cf9fae883f983c88/images/6a885b89-55d1-1e2...]