BUILD Faculty Learning Community (BFLC)
The CSULB BUILD Program is designed to engage students early and then consistently throughout their undergraduate experience, including with innovative teaching and mentoring that emphasizes research and incorporates culturally diverse role models. Dr. Kelly Young is our Education Innovation (E-I) Coordinator, and she runs the BFLC each semester. The BUILD Faculty Learning Community (BFLC) is a two-semester, outcome-driven program wherein each semester a cohort of ~10 faculty members (from multiple colleges and disciplines) takes part in a hybrid course that provides resources and weekly on-line discussions on topical modules (see below). This is followed by a second semester where new methods are implemented and tested in the classroom or laboratory. Participants receive honoraria and the BFLC is designed to be time efficient for busy faculty.
- Module 1: Engaging and Motivating Students
- Module 2: Infusing Research into the Classroom
- Module 3: Intercultural Communication – Ideas That Work to Engage Underrepresented Students
- Module 4: Mentoring Research Students for Success
In Fall 2015 (second semester of BFLC), the same participants will test a hypothesis they proposed in Spring 2015 to make a change in their teaching or mentoring approach, implement the change, and then assess and report results. Hypothesis topics ranged from emphasizing research processes and thinking in the classroom, to providing career-directed mentoring for research students, to providing better strategies for thesis writing. The results of these activities will be highlighted in the next Annual Report.
BFLC alumni may opt to serve as a BFLC Peer Leader and are provided assigned time to do so. The E-I Coordinator serves as a meta-leader of the BFLC, guiding the quality and consistency of the projects proposed, evaluation of BFLC outcomes, and publishing in the peer-reviewed literature, as appropriate. In addition to addressing faculty pedagogy and mentorship skills, an important outcome of the BFLC is the testing of 'research-emphasized' and 'culturally-tuned' methods to determine "best practices", which are then disseminated to the broader scientific community.
In Spring 2015, faculty participants were highly positive about the benefits of the BFLC. This included that 90% of BFLC members reported that meaningful cross-college communication occurred and 60% reported they now have more connection with faculty outside of their college than they did prior to the BFLC (reducing "silos"). Overall, 100% will "definitely" or "likely" recommend the BFLC to colleagues.
