CTL Newsletter

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Georgia College & State University is excited to bring to you Elevate to Celebrate, our bimonthly newsletter dedicated to recognizing and honoring the incredible instructors at GCSU.

In each issue, we’ll highlight faculty achievements, innovative teaching practices, and the impactful work happening across campus. We believe that celebrating excellence in teaching fosters a strong academic community and inspires continued growth.

Stay tuned for stories of dedication, creativity, and collaboration. We invite you to join us in uplifting and applauding the instructors who make GCSU a place of transformative learning!

Dr. Scott Butler

Why GCSU? Scott Butler Explores What Students Value Most

Why do students choose Georgia College? What keeps them engaged, and how can the university better prepare them for successful careers? Those questions are at the heart of Dr. Scott Butler’s Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty Fellowship project, Why GCSU?

A professor of Public Health who has taught at Georgia College & State University for nearly 19 years, Butler has spent much of his career helping students connect classroom learning with meaningful real-world experiences. His fellowship project builds on a question he has been exploring for more than a decade: what makes Georgia College a place where students choose to learn and grow?

What Students Are Telling Us

Working with colleagues from Public Health, Nursing, and Exercise Science, Butler and his team have spent the past two years gathering data from health sciences students through focus groups and surveys. Student participation has been remarkably strong, with nearly all students present during data collection choosing to participate. Their findings reveal that students are drawn to Georgia College’s small class sizes, strong academic reputation, and meaningful access to instructors and staff.

Perhaps most notably, 99 percent of surveyed students reported that the university’s liberal arts mission benefits their educational experience. While many students may not initially choose Georgia College because of its liberal arts identity, they come to recognize its value once they arrive.

Turning Insights into Action

The next phase of the project will focus on understanding how the university can better support students’ professional goals and career preparation. Butler hopes the findings will help instructors, staff, and administrators strengthen recruitment, retention, advising, and career readiness efforts across the health sciences.

He also plans to bring the research back into the classroom, using student feedback to guide improvements and spark conversations about the value of a liberal arts education.

Learning Through Collaboration

For Butler, the fellowship experience has reinforced the importance of collaboration. He credits CTL’s collegial environment and opportunities to engage with instructors across disciplines as valuable parts of the experience. Even after nearly two decades at Georgia College, he remains committed to learning, growing, and finding new ways to support student success.

As the Why GCSU? project continues, Butler hopes the research will help the university better understand what students value most and how Georgia College can continue providing the transformative educational experiences that make it different here.

Dr. Butler at commencement with student Emma Vann.

Ms. Sara Jordan

Learning Through Engagement

If you've ever talked with Sara Jordan about teaching, one thing becomes clear very quickly: she loves helping students discover things for themselves.

As an Assistant Professor of Library Science and Teaching and Learning Librarian for the Ina Dillard Russell Library, Sara believes learning works best when students are actively involved. Whether it's a classroom discussion, a hands-on activity, or a one-on-one research consultation, she enjoys seeing students make connections and gain confidence in their abilities. That passion for student learning is at the heart of her work as a CTL Faculty Fellow.

Helping Instructors Connect Students with the Library

For her two-year fellowship project, Sara is exploring ways to help instructors more easily integrate library resources and research skills into their courses. Her goal is to create practical tools, such as assignments, modules, or other ready-to-use resources, so instructors can adapt and incorporate them into their own teaching while helping students become stronger researchers.

The idea grew out of a familiar experience. During research consultations, Sara often hears students say, "I didn't even know this was here."

"I hear that so often," she said. "Oh my gosh, I didn't even know this was here."

She hopes her project will help more students discover the resources available to them while building the confidence to move beyond a simple Google search and engage more deeply with information.

Growing as an Educator

The fellowship is also giving Sara an opportunity to grow as an instructor. She has spent time exploring active learning, assessment, and instructional design, while gathering ideas from colleagues and institutions across the country. As she develops her project, she hopes to learn even more about how students learn and how instructors can better support that process.

Building Connections Across Campus

Ultimately, Sara sees the project as a way to strengthen connections across campus. By helping instructors incorporate information literacy into their courses and making library support easier to access, she hopes to benefit both instructors and students.

"If I can walk away with at least a student having more curiosity about how to find [things] and [feeling] a little bit more confident doing research," Sara said, "that's what matters."

Looking Ahead

As she moves forward with her fellowship project, Sara is excited to continue building connections between the library, instructors, and students. Her work reflects a commitment to curiosity, collaboration, and lifelong learning, all qualities that will continue to benefit the Georgia College community for years to come.

Dr. Alex Berglund (top left) co-presenting with Dr. Hiller Crook (front right), co-presenting with their students on Empowering All Learners: The Science of Reading and Interactive Read-Alouds in Special Education Classrooms at the Empowering Educators conference at Georgia Southern University.

A Community of Learners

For Dr. Alex Berglund, Assistant Professor of Reading, Literacy, and Language, great teaching begins with community.

From the first days of class, Berglund works with her students to create a community contract built on kindness, critical thinking, and mutual respect. The approach stems from her years teaching in P–12 classrooms, where her guiding principles were simple: be kind, be wise, and be safe. Today, those same values continue to shape the learning environments she creates for future educators.

Berglund sees her classroom as a community of learners where everyone, including the instructor, has something to contribute. As her students spend time in local schools and bring new experiences back to campus, she finds herself learning alongside them. “I feel like I learn so much from my students,” she says. “They teach me something new every day.”

Helping Students Reflect on Their Learning

That commitment to student growth inspired Berglund’s Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty Fellowship project. After hearing colleagues discuss challenges with the Student Rating of Instruction Survey (SRIS), she began thinking about a deeper question: How can students learn to provide meaningful feedback about their learning experiences?

Her answer centers on reflection. Through regular formative assessments and weekly reflections, Berglund encourages students to think critically about what they are learning, how they are growing, and how instructors can best support that growth. She believes these reflective habits benefit students long after a course ends, especially for those preparing to become teachers themselves.

Learning and Growing Together

As part of her fellowship, Berglund is developing a practical guide and workshop focused on classroom assessment and reflection strategies that faculty can adapt across disciplines. Along the way, she has welcomed the opportunity to deepen her own understanding of assessment and learn from other faculty fellows and CTL staff.

For Berglund, that spirit of shared learning is at the heart of the fellowship experience. Whether working with colleagues or students, she believes meaningful growth begins when people come together to learn from one another. As she continues her project, she hopes to foster a campus culture where reflection is not just an end-of-semester activity, but an ongoing practice that strengthens teaching, learning, and community.

Dr. Alex Berglund (far left) and her students at Lakeview Academy in Milledgeville, Georgia, where they had class each week this past spring to provide individualized literacy interventions with local third-grade students.

Dr. Brad Fowler

For Dr. Brad Fowler, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, teaching is less about delivering information and more about helping students connect with it. Drawing on a background in jazz performance, Fowler approaches the classroom much like a musician approaches an ensemble: listening carefully, adapting to the moment, and paying attention to how people learn.

“I’m always chasing those moments when things click for students,” Fowler said. Whether students arrive eager to learn or are still finding their footing, he sees teaching as an opportunity to meet learners where they are and help them move forward.

A Teaching Philosophy Rooted in Curiosity

Fowler’s approach is shaped by both his experiences as a learner and his commitment to helping students find meaning in what they study. Rather than assuming concepts will be immediately understood, he works to make learning accessible, relevant, and engaging. By connecting course material to real-world applications and remaining attentive to student understanding, he creates an environment where curiosity can grow and learning can take hold.

Exploring AI Through Faculty Collaboration

That student-centered mindset is at the heart of his Faculty Fellowship project with the Center for Teaching and Learning. Over the course of his two-year fellowship, Fowler is interviewing faculty across campus about the ways they are using generative artificial intelligence in their courses. His goal is to collect and share practical examples that can spark new ideas and conversations about teaching.

The project grew from his own experimentation with AI-supported learning activities. In one assignment, students engage in guided conversations with an AI tool, exploring course concepts through questions, dialogue, and reflection. Fowler has found that the format encourages students to interact with content in ways that feel more active and personalized than traditional approaches.

Sharing Ideas to Strengthen Teaching

Rather than promoting a single method, Fowler hopes to create a resource that highlights the creativity already happening across Georgia College. He envisions faculty discovering an idea they can adapt, refine, or build upon in their own classrooms.

For Fowler, the fellowship is also an opportunity to strengthen connections across disciplines and increase awareness of the resources available through the CTL. He believes some of the most valuable teaching insights come from conversations with colleagues who approach learning from different perspectives.

Looking Ahead

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Fowler said. By sharing ideas, learning from colleagues, and remaining curious, he hopes his fellowship project will encourage continued innovation in teaching and learning across campus. Through collaboration, reflection, and a willingness to experiment, Fowler sees opportunities to create even more meaningful learning experiences for Georgia College students.

When Dr. Jamie Downing first arrived at Georgia College, she often found herself admiring the innovative work of colleagues across campus but wondering how to become involved herself. That experience, and conversations with other faculty who felt similarly, sparked the idea for her CTL Faculty Fellows project, a comprehensive approach to mentorship that aims to make connections and opportunities more accessible for faculty at every stage of their careers.

Creating Communities of Learning

“I always challenge myself to get out of the way,” Downing explained. Rather than positioning herself as the sole authority in the room, she works intentionally to help students learn from one another through structured peer review, discussion, and collaboration. Those moments, she says, are often the most rewarding parts of teaching.

That emphasis on connection has also inspired her work as a CTL Faculty Fellow. Downing’s two-year fellowship project focuses on creating a mentorship framework that supports faculty development both within and beyond their departments.

From Personal Experience to Campus Initiative

The project grew from her own experiences as a faculty member. While navigating her early years at GCSU, Downing often saw colleagues doing innovative work but was unsure how to become involved or where to seek guidance. Through conversations with faculty across campus, she discovered that many shared a similar desire for stronger mentoring relationships and broader professional networks.

Building a Broader Network of Support

Her vision includes two complementary approaches. The first would connect new faculty members with mentors outside their departments, providing a trusted resource for questions, support, and campus navigation. The second, a project-based mentorship model, would help faculty pursue initiatives such as Open Educational Resources, community-engaged scholarship, or vertically integrated learning by pairing them with experienced colleagues who can help them get started.

Downing acknowledges that creating meaningful mentorship opportunities requires thoughtful planning and a realistic understanding of faculty workloads. Still, she is energized by the possibilities.

Looking Ahead

Ultimately, she hopes the project will help faculty feel more connected to one another and to the wider university community. In turn, those stronger connections can enrich the liberal arts experience for students and strengthen the sense of belonging that makes Georgia College a vibrant place to teach and learn.

Summer is ending, classes are near - our IT updates will prepare you for the upcoming academic year.

IT Staff Updates

• James Carlisle's last day on campus was 6/4/2026 as he transitioned to a position at Georgia Military College. We are working to post this Director of Enterprise Applications position.
• Maria Gordon announced her plans to retire on 12/1/2026. We are working to obtain approval to post this Operations Manager position.
• Lucas MacFarland transitioned from a student employee position to a full-time position as Technology Support Specialist I on 7/6/2026.
• We are currently searching for a Systems Administration Manager and are in the final stages of searches for the positions for the positions of Director of Data Services, Senior Web Developer, and System Administrator-Intermediate.

Departmental Information Security Plans

As we prepare for the upcoming fall semester at GCSU, it is time to distribute the Departmental Information Security Plans. Following GCSU’s loss of custody of Personal Identity Information (PII) in 2013, a campus-wide program was established. As part of this program, each department is required to maintain its own Information Security Plan. The key focus of these plans is the secure handling and protection of PII by individuals in sections VII, VIII, and IX.

Since the program’s implementation in 2013, we have achieved 100% participation. Completion of this process is required by GCSU policy and has been incorporated into our campus training procedures.

Departmental plans have been emailed to the designated security coordinators for each department and area on campus. These coordinators will assist with distributing the plans and collecting the required signatures. It is essential that all individuals review, understand, and acknowledge the requirements outlined in the plan.

Maintaining these security practices helps GCSU remain compliant with FERPA, HIPAA, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, GPIPA, and other applicable federal and state regulations.

We appreciate your attention to this important responsibility and look forward to receiving your signed plan by the end of September.

Questions? The IT Service Desk is ready to help. Contact us via one of the following methods:

• Submit a self-service ticket at https://askit.gcsu.edu
• Use the “AskIT” tab at the top left of https://my.gcsu.edu
• Call: 478-445-7378
• Email: AskIT@gcsu.edu
• Visit us: Chappell Hall Suite 100

Gifts to the Center for Teaching and Learning Fund help elevate the quality of instruction at Georgia College & State University. Your support empowers faculty through innovative development opportunities, recognizes excellence in teaching, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement in the classroom.

By contributing to this fund, you are directly investing in the academic experience of every student at GCSU - supporting the educators who shape their journey.

Email: ctl@gcsu.edu
Website: https://www.gcsu.edu/ctl
Phone: (478) 445-2520

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