Westfield State Hosts Professional Development Workshops at PD Days Mini-Conference

Westfield State recently hosted three days of professional development workshops for faculty and staff titled “PD Days Mini Conference,” was coordinated by several groups dedicated to educational reform: the Special Committee on Reforming General Education, Writing Across the Curriculum, and additional faculty from Westfield State. From May 22-24 around 23 workshops were held at the University featuring topics including community and equity and exploring Chat GPT.

Event contributor Dr. Kimberly Sherman, Professor of Economics and Management, said, “The PD Mini Conference provided a great opportunity for faculty to come together to explore ways to create new and revised courses for general education and to discuss integrating high-impact practices into our curriculum. In addition, we had a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company while sharing lunch. It was so nice to spend time with colleagues from across all departments.”

Over 90 faculty from Westfield State participated in the event. Speakers included, Dr. Rachel DiCioccio, director of the Office of Innovation in General Education at the University of Rhode Island. Her address, “Grand Challenges at URI: The Good, the Bad, and the Exciting Opportunity!” largely focused on her experiences with the general education program at URI.

The inaugural event provided opportunities for faculty and attendees to exchange ideas and share experiences related to developing and integrating new course work into curriculums.   Activities included  a free pickleball lesson from Dr. Heidi Bohler of Westfield State.