Welcome to the Faculty GUR Group

The idea behind the Faculty GUR Group is that faculty–as well as students–need to sustain their general education. With this in mind, the Faculty GUR Group was formed to bring together faculty from different departments across the university in a learning community that will seek to enhance each participant’s general education by relying on each other’s domain of expertise.

Faculty learning communities (FLCs) are a growing method to promote a culture of learning on campuses. General education is well suited for the FLC approach. General education is interdisciplinary; it is ongoing; and it requires the active collaboration of various departments within the University.

Goals

The Faculty GUR Group program intends to:

• promote a culture of learning at Western;
• enhance faculty general education;
• increase support for Western’s liberal mission;
• encourage interdisciplinary thinking & research;
• improve undergraduate advising; and
• encourage innovative pedagogy.

The "Mini-Course" Model

During the 2008-09 academic year, each Faculty GUR Group member will teach a 2-day mini-course for other faculty at WWU. These mini-courses will be composed of a sequence of two 1.5 hour sessions separated by 1-3 days (e.g., Tuesday and Thursday of the same week). The content of each mini-course is determined by the instructor, and will be based on material addressed in his or her GUR, or designed to promote cultural literacy and exhibit teaching.