Faculty Professional Development
Webinars and Workshops
Tribal college and university (TCU) faculty members have specialized knowledge and skills that TCUs rely on to offer high-quality academic programs and to help students succeed.
The College Fund supports the continued professional development of faculty so they can keep up with the research in their fields, share their knowledge and research with others, and expand their skills and knowledge in areas such as teaching strategies and Indigenizing curriculum.
The College Fund hosts professional development webinars and workshops on topics that faculty have identified as important. If you have questions or ideas about faculty professional development, please contact Heidi Normandin, Faculty Development Program Officer, at hnormandin@collegefund.org.
Past Workshops
Engaged Student Learning Sampler for TCU Faculty
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Workshop 1: Practical Strategies to Engage Students
This workshop for tribal college faculty was held September 25, 2024. It was the first of three workshops in our fall 2024 professional development series, Enhanced Student Learning Sampler for TCU Faculty.
The series was facilitated by Dr. Shannon Amiotte, Dean of Education at Oglala Lakota College. This workshop was co-facilitated by Martin Red Bear, Jr, education faculty member at Oglala Lakota College.
The workshop facilitators reviewed eight research-backed student engagement techniques (SETs) and gave participants time to discuss them in small groups.
Workshop 2: Collaborative Learning Techniques
This workshop for tribal college faculty was held October 23, 2024. It’s the second of three workshops in the College Fund’s fall 2024 professional development series, Engaged Student Learning Sampler for TCU Faculty.
The series was facilitated by Dr. Shannon Amiotte, Dean of Education at Oglala Lakota College. This workshop was co-facilitated by Whitnee Coy, English and communications faculty member at Oglala Lakota College.
The workshop facilitators summarized research-backed collaborative learning strategies that can help faculty to incorporate culturally sustaining pedagogy while meeting course outcomes.
Shannon Amiotte and Whitnee Coy’s slides, Collaborative Learning Techniques Quick Reference Guide
Research and TCU Faculty Professional Development Series
This series is for faculty at all knowledge levels–from those who want a refresher on how to conduct research to those who consider themselves researchers and want to make a bigger impact.
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Session 1: Demystifying the Research Process
This session, held February 28, 2024, was the first of a four-part professional development series on “Research and TCU Faculty.” We discussed what research is, the importance of conducting research in an ethical and respectful way with Indigenous communities, different research methods, how to involve students in research projects, and how to get started as a busy TCU faculty member.
The session was led by Susan Faircloth, PhD (Coharie), of Two Feathers Consulting. Susan is a former professor and higher education leader (most recently at Colorado State University), academic journal editor, and chair of the technical review panel for the National Indian Education Study.
The co-leader for this session was Andrew Kozich, PhD, Chair of the Environmental Science Department at Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC). Since joining KBOCC in 2011, Andrew has brought in more than $2 million for community-based research projects. His water and forestry research projects heavily involve students in data collection, analysis, and publishing. His projects often support tribal leaders in understanding the land and making decisions.
Session 2: Indigenous Research Methods: What Does This Mean and Why is It Important?
This session, held March 21, 2024, is the second of a four-part professional development series on “Research and TCU Faculty.” We discussed what Indigenous research methods are and are not, the 6 Rs of Indigenous research methods, and when to use these methods in your research.
The session was facilitated by Susan Faircloth, PhD (Coharie), of Two Feathers Consulting. Susan is a former professor and higher education leader (most recently at Colorado State University), editor of several academic journals, and chair of the technical review panel for the National Indian Education Study.
The co-facilitator for this session was Christine Ami, PhD (Diné), Associate Professor of Native American Studies and Anthropology at Diné College. Among other subjects, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Indigenous research methods. In 2022, Dr. Ami was awarded a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to turn her dissertation on Navajo sheep butchering into a book, which will be published soon.
Session 3: Tribal/TCU Oversight: Helping Ensure Ethical and Respectful Research
This session, held April 3, 2024, was the third of a four-part professional development series on “Research and TCU Faculty.” We discussed why we have ethical codes of conduct for research, the main ethical considerations in conducting research, and guiding principles and protocols of TCU and tribal institutional review boards (IRBs).
The session was facilitated by Susan Faircloth, PhD (Coharie), of Two Feathers Consulting. Susan is a former professor and higher education leader (most recently at Colorado State University), editor of several academic journals, and chair of the technical review panel for the National Indian Education Study.
The co-facilitators were College Fund staff members David Sanders, PhD (Lakota), Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Faculty Development and Crystal LoudHawk-Hedgepeth (Dine), Senior Program Officer–Research.
Session 4: Writing and Talking About Your Research: Tips for Publishing and Presenting
This session, held April 26, 2024, is the last of a four-part professional development series on “Research and TCU Faculty.” We discussed the steps in the peer-review process, ways to publish your work outside of academic publications, tips for presenting your work at conferences and other speaking engagements, thinking bigger about sharing your unique perspective through keynote speaking, and ways to get started with speaking and publishing.
The session was facilitated by Susan Faircloth, PhD (Coharie), of Two Feathers Consulting. Susan is a former professor and higher education leader (most recently at Colorado State University), editor of several academic journals, and chair of the technical review panel for the National Indian Education Study. She earned her PhD in educational administration with a concentration in special education from the American Indian Leadership Program at Pennsylvania State University.
The co-facilitators for this session were Karen Colbert and Tyler Parisien.
Karen Colbert, PhD, is the General Education Department Chair and Lead Math Faculty at Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College. She started as a staff member in 2015 and began teaching in 2016. She recently completed her PhD in Computational Science and Engineering from Michigan Tech University.
Tyler Parisien, EdD (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), is at Turtle Mountain Community College where he serves as the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, oversees the Allied Health Department and the genetics lab, and is a full-time faculty member. He’s been at the college since 2014 and earned an EdD in Higher Education and Administration from Concordia University.
Susan Faircloth slides | Karen Colbert slides | Tyler Parisien slides
Supporting Transfer Students at Your TCU: The Faculty Role
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Supporting Transfer Students at Your TCU: The Faculty Role
This one-hour professional development webinar for TCU faculty was held April 21, 2023. We discussed the research on transfer students and the efforts underway to support transfer students at Montana TCUs in completing their degree. We also discussed the five steps faculty can take inside and outside the classroom to support transfer student success.
For more information about the five steps, see this article.
The presentation was led by Deborah Wheeler, PhD, MBA, College Fund Program Officer for the Montana Transfer Pathways Program.
