May Symposium 2024 compiles a variety of roundtables, speakers and workshops on various topics such as course design, scholarship networks, inclusion, equity and mentoring. This exciting collaborative effort provides full-time faculty, part-time faculty and academic unit leaders with opportunities to focus on teaching, scholarship, career planning, service and leadership.

May Symposium Day 2, R-Day, is co-sponsored by REDI.

The symposium will begin with breakfast at 9 AM followed by a welcome in the 3rd Floor Flex space of Rose Library.

The morning programming includes one-hour and two-hour sessions. We we will break from 11:30 AM - 1 PM to allow participants to participate in the Employee Appreciation Day luncheon in the Festival Conference & Student Center. Afternoon sessions will take place between 1 - 3 PM.

Start the day off with breakfast and coffee courtesy of the division of Research, Economic Development and Innovation (REDI). Opening remarks provided by Dr. Anthony Tongen, Vice President and Chief Research Officer, REDI and Dr. Dayna Henry, Interim Assistant Director for Scholarship, CFI.

Flower Darby (via Zoom) - see prior registration

9:30 - 10:20 AM

Equity-minded teaching can be defined as evidence-based course design and teaching strategies, which, when paired with critical self-reflection, help all students have an equal chance to succeed in any class, especially historically underserved students.

Join this virtual session with Flower Darby as she discusses the book, "The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching" (2022). A free copy of her e-book is available online.

Presented by: Emily Gravett (CFI & CAL)

Note: The Zoom link will be provided by email the day before the event.

Mentoring Students through Undergraduate Research and Fellowships at JMU

10:30 - 11:20 AM

From the First Year Research Experience Program (FYRE) through presenting and publishing researching, there is a life-cycle of research-based experiences available to undergraduate students at JMU. Similarly, there are fellowships and awards open to students from first year through graduate school (and beyond).

Student Awards, Initiatives, and Research (STAIR), an office within Research, Economic Development and Innovation at JMU, aims to support inclusive excellence for students seeking intellectual engagement at JMU. Faculty are uniquely positioned to support and encourage students in this journey, and this session offers an overview of STAIR, including ways to support, mentor, and encourage students on their intellectual journeys.

Presented by: Luke Wiley and Ashley May Maher (REDI)

Engaged Teacher-Scholar Program All-University Program

9:30 - 11:30 AM

During this two-hour workshop, current leaders in the Engaged Teacher-Scholar Program will explain what the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is and how participants could design a project in their discipline. Participants will also learn about best practices, including how to collect and assess data.

In addition, a panel of experts will focus on SoTL research and the IRB process. At the end of the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to meet other participants through a “speed dating” process with an eye toward possible collaborations.

Presented by: Sombo Muzata (CAL), Ben Riden (COE), Eva Strawbridge (CSM), Bisi Velayudhan (CSM), and Hui Zhao (CHBS)

Introduction to R Programming Language

9:30 - 11:30 AM

The Introduction to R workshop provides participants with a foundational understanding of the R programming language, a free, powerful tool widely used in data analysis and statistical computing. Through hands-on exercises, attendees learn essential concepts such as creating objects, using basic functions, data manipulation and descriptive analyses.

By the end of the workshop, participants will gain the skills necessary to effectively navigate the R environment, write basic scripts, and conduct simple data analyses. This workshop is suitable for beginners with little to no prior experience in R, or those with some R experience who are interested in a refresher course. Prior to the workshop, the facilitator will reach out to registered participants with instructions for R installation.

Presented by: Sarah Blackstone (PAIR & CFI)

Lunch is provided in the Festival Conference & Student Center for Employee Appreciation Day. Feel free to grab lunch and head back to the third floor flex space of the library to eat and network with other May Symposium attendees.

Survey Instrument Development

1 - 3 PM

The Survey Instrument Development workshop offers participants a comprehensive guide to crafting effective surveys for research and evaluation. Through practical exercises and discussions, participants delve into topics such as survey design principles, types of survey questions, item writing, reliability and validity of items, and pre-testing survey items. Examples will be given in both Qualtrics and QuestionPro, which can be access through JMU.

By the end of the workshop, attendees gain the skills and confidence to create well-designed surveys tailored to their specific objectives, ensuring reliable and meaningful data collection outcomes. This workshop is ideal for those seeking to enhance their survey design proficiency and improve the validity and reliability of their data collection instruments.

Presented by: Sarah Blackstone (PAIR & CFI)

Increasing the Impact of your Scholarship

1 - 3 PM

Are you looking for ways to increase the impact of your scholarship, research, and creative activity? This session aims to have participants learn more about REDI’s support for economic development and innovation.

By the end of the session, participants will 1) have an overview of REDI with a focus on economic development and innovation, 2) create a personal journey map for how they might work with Innovation and Economic Development to advance and amplify your research and scholarship, 3) Identify one or two collaborative opportunities they might pursue in their area of scholarship.

A short presentation will provide the overview, a mini-workshop will help participants achieve the second outcome, and discussion will help achieve outcome three.

Presented by: Patrice Ludwig (CSM), Keith Holland (CISE)

Want a quiet space to work on your scholarship, plan your summer teaching, complete your annual review documents, or other work? Have a scholarship question and want to consult with the CFI? The third floor flex space of the library has been scheduled all day for you to quietly work among colleagues. A CFI consultant will be available to provide support for your scholarly questions and projects. Join us all day!

TIMES: 9:30 - 11:30 and 1 - 3

Facilitated by: Dayna Henry (CFI & CHBS)

Additional programming listed on the May Symposium website will be added to this event page and the day's agenda as it is assigned!

Selections must be made during registration for all programming and meals.

Please direct questions to cfi@jmu.edu.