Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE)
IMPORTANT: In-person or phone support for Canvas and other learning technologies support will be available by appointment only during Spring Break (March 31 – April 4, plus weekends). Service requests and emails will be answered as usual; please make a request or send email to set up an appointment. CAFE will be entirely closed on March 31 for the observance of Cesar Chavez Day.

Upcoming Programs & Events

Spring Generative AI Workshop Series

Join CAFE for a series of 1 hour and 15 minute Zoom workshop/collegial conversations on learning to use AI in your classes. Each workshop will begin with some "content" and move on to examples, while including plenty of discussion time. Register separately for the topics you're interested in - come to just one, or come to as many as you like.

AI Events Module

AI Events Module

Understanding Generative AI Through a Pedagogical Lens

DATE: Apr 10, 12:00pm-1:15pm
FORMAT: Online via ZOOM
PRESENTERS: 
Devon Hackelton, PhD, EML
Rachel Van, PhD, CLASS
Richard Feldman, CAFE

Join us to discuss the transformative potential of generative AI in educational settings as a problem-solving tool to creatively enhance teaching and learning. By highlighting real-world examples, we will explore how generative AI can meet the varied needs and interests of students through diverse course content, activities, and assessments.

Join us to discover how generative AI can enhance teaching and support learning amongst our diverse students.

Discipline-Specific AI Tools for Enhanced Learning

DATE: Apr 15, 12:00pm-1:15pm
FORMAT: Online via ZOOM
PRESENTERS:
Dana H. Marshall, PhD, CLASS
Kevin Finch, PhD, ENV
Yajaira Garcia, CAFE

Explore how to effectively leverage generative AI in understanding current trends and practices throughout various disciplines.

Participants will engage in hands-on demonstrations of discipline-specific generative AI tools, learning how to incorporate these technologies into lesson plans, labs, and projects.

Join us to gain practical insights and skills for leveraging AI to enhance learning and prepare students for their future careers.

Crafting Prompts as Teaching Tools

DATE: Apr 24, 12:00pm-1:15pm
FORMAT: Online via ZOOM
PRESENTERS:
Jennie Watson, PhD, EML
Erick Zelaya, CAFE

In this workshop, participants will learn how to craft effective prompts to maximize the potential of generative AI in educational settings. Since the quality of AI output depends on how we communicate with it, we will explore techniques for designing more effective prompts.

Participants will also gain insights into integrating prompts into pedagogy. Specifically, discussing how prompting can enhance student engagement, enrich content materials, foster critical thinking, and support personalized learning. Additionally, the workshop will touch on teaching students to use prompting ethically.

Enhancing Course Alignment with gAI

DATE: May 1, 12:00pm-1:15pm
FORMAT: Online via ZOOM
PRESENTER: Brandy M. Jenner, PhD, Teaching & Learning Manager, Anderson IDLX

We will start by examining our learning outcomes and rethinking our courses from the ground up. The focus will be on helping faculty apply and align generative AI to course outcomes, emphasizing how generative AI can enhance, rather than replace, traditional teaching methods and strategies.

Designing Assignments and Feedback with gAI

DATE: May 8, 12:00pm-1:15pm
FORMAT: Online via ZOOM
PRESENTER: Yingjie Liu, PhD, Director of Digital Learning Strategies, San Jose State University

Explore how to design productive activities and assessments that align with our learning outcomes. Faculty will learn how to create assignments where generative AI supports effective and engaging learning.

Join us to discover innovative ways to leverage generative AI in improving the design of assignments and enhancing feedback that enriches the student learning experience.

Faculty Community and Career

Faculty Zooms

Date: Various dates, Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Location: Online via Zoom
Overview: Drop into this open Zoom room to share ideas, questions, strategies, just talk, or maybe get a little tech help.

Faculty Day 2025

Date: Apr 17, 11:30am - 1:00pm
Location: TBD
Overview: Faculty Day is a long-standing tradition when all CPP faculty - full-time, part-time, retired, new, and all in between - are invited to enjoy lunch and time with colleagues.

Leadership FLC for 2025-2026

Date: Applications Due Apr 22
Overview: Hone leadership skills and think deeply about your leadership interests in the company of supportive faculty colleagues.

“CISA” Workshop for Supporting Colleagues

Dates: Apr 25, 10:00am – 2:00pm
Location: University Library, 4th Floor, Special Events Room
Overview: This interactive workshop is based on the NSF-funded CSU Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate's Culturally Informed Strengths Approach (CISA) to faculty success.

Effective, Efficient, and Enjoyable Teaching

Offer an outstanding hybrid or remote course

CSU Online Course Services offers professional development courses that are accepted by most CPP departments as training for offering courses in hybrid or remote formats.

CAFE Espresso Reviews

Trained CAFE team members can go through your Canvas course in 2 hours and provide detailed feedback based on the core elements of the QLT Rubric.

 

Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities

Summer Institute 2025

Date: Jun 2 - 30
Overview: This multi-week, fully remote experience invites us to treat our classrooms as spaces worthy of serious, systematic, publishable study.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity

CPP has an institutional membership to the premier professional development provider for faculty success. Activate your membership to get extensive resources on scholarship, publishing, and mentoring.

On Your Own Resources

Resources for New Lecturers

CAFE has lots of support for new and returning lecturers

Recommended Reading & Resources

An assortment of useful materials to peruse at your leisure.

Fundamentals of Accessibility

Format: Online via Canvas
Overview: The Fundamentals of Accessibility eCertificate will show you how to get started with incorporating best accessibility practices as an instructor at Cal Poly Pomona; certificate available for completion.

Intro to Teaching with Canvas Course

Format: Online via Canvas
Overview: This course will walk you through the basic steps for using Canvas to offer a good experience for your students.