About the CSUSM Faculty Center

The primary mission of the Faculty Center is to support faculty in their multiple roles as teachers, scholars, artists, intellectuals and members of the university and wider community. Through diverse programming, the Faculty Center fosters a culture of continuous improvement in order to positively impact student learning.

• Faculty Center Annual Reports

Supporting:

• Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning
• Distinction in Research and Creative Activity
• Enhanced Collegiality and Community

• Leadership Skills

Faculty Center Goals

• Advance innovative, effective teaching and learning strategies throughout the university further developing what is already quality teaching and extending our expertise on teaching and learning to the benefit of each student
• Assist faculty in their efforts to improve teaching by exploring the nature of the teaching/learning relationship
• Promote individual and collaborative research and creative activities
• Help faculty seek funding to support individual and institutional research and creative activity goals
• Support faculty in the tenure track evaluation process
• Create opportunities for faculty to develop cross-disciplinary collaboration

• Promote faculty leadership and service to the university and wider community

Faculty Center Services

The Faculty Center serves all university faculty (tenure-track and lecturers). In addition to the programs below, we also offer one-on-one consultations to discuss any issue of importance to faculty. All services are free, and all consultations are confidential.

• New Faculty Institute: The Faculty Center sponsors orientations for new tenure-track and lecturer faculty members, providing important resources, information on policies, and introduction to service and programs. New faculty will also have the opportunity to gather with their new colleagues throughout the year and build community. For more information, please contact the Faculty Center.
• Workshops: The Faculty Center organizes workshops and information discussion groups that explore alternative teaching strategies, help faculty generate and interpret useful feedback on classroom instruction, and advance research and creative activities. Workshop, brown bag lunches, and special interest groups explore topics like cooperative learning, proposal development, technology-assisted teaching strategies, teaching narratives and scholarly and professional writing, and other creative and performance-based activities. Current workshops
• Faculty Learning Communities: A Faculty Learning Community is a peer-led group of faculty who engage in active, collaborative learning structured to provide encouragement, support, and reflection. The FLC should promote collegiality and collaboration both within and between departments; encourage innovation by creating a safe place to investigate, question, explore and apply new or different techniques; improve teaching and learning across campus, both in the group members’ individual classes and as the groups’ insights spread to colleagues inside and outside the department. Topics are centered around the areas of teaching and learning, research and scholarship, leadership and service, work/life balance, or another area of common interest.
• Professional Development Grants: The Faculty Center Professional Development Grant program is designed to help faculty make progress toward their professional goals. Grants support professional activities related to teaching and learning, research/creative activities, and/or community or disciplinary service.
• Faculty Center Library: The FC Library offers resources and space for faculty to engage in independent learning. The collection is highly curated to address topics relevant to CSUSM and our students, and is available through the University Library Catalog. The FC Library is also available as a space for faculty to meet and learn individually or in a small group. To reserve the Library, contact the Faculty Center.
• Faculty Center Conference Room, Kellogg Library 2413: The Faculty Center provides a room where meetings, workshops, research collaboration, team teaching coordination, etc. can be held. This room can be reserved through Events Scheduling.