Teaching Cooperatives and Communities of Practice

Teaching Cooperatives - Spring 2026

These faculty-led co-ops offer an opportunity to innovate pedagogy and other practices by exploring topics of shared interest with colleagues. They include many new topics related to emerging issues; allow for multi-semester discussion, application, and further research; and build and leverage faculty leadership and expertise.

The following is a schedule for the Spring 2026 teaching cooperatives, including Communities of Practice, Discussion Groups, and ULO Scholar meetings. Meeting dates and times will be updated as soon as the information is available.

Communities of Practice                                       

Topic

Facilitator(s)

Schedule

Location(s)

Reading Apprenticeship: Deepening Our Practice

Rebecca Kersnar

2/26/2026 , 3/12/2026, 3/26/2026, 4/9/2026, 4/23/2026, and 5/7/2026 from 11:00-12:00 PM

                                Zoom

Culturally Responsive Teaching (Hybrid) (Lecturers only)

Yhashika Lee, George Station, Salina Lopez, and Ibrahim Shelton

First Fridays, schedules permitting

                                Zoom

Developing AI-Enhanced Instruction & Course Activities

Chris Beem

2/19/2026, 3/5/2026, 3/19/2026, 4/9/2026, 4/23/2026 from 2:00-3:00 PM

                                Zoom

Discussion Groups

Topic

Facilitator(s)

Schedule

Location(s)

Jr. Tenure-Track Faculty Support & Networking (Tenure-track faculty only)

Kelsey Nordstrom, Jimmy Guilinger, Sam Ogden, Jill Talley, and Renee Penalver

Meetings once a month, for 1 hour, to be determined based on poll participants.

       Zoom

Building Community Through Dialogue

Vivian Waldrup-Patterson and Rebecca Kersnar

3/11/2026, 3/25/2026, 4/8/2026, 4/22/2026, and 5/6/2026 from 11:00 - 11:50 AM

       Zoom

Critical Digital Pedagogy Learning Series (Faculty, Staff, & Administration Welcome)

George Station and Special Guests 

Check with the facilitator(s) for meeting dates and times

  Zoom

Writers' & Artists' Salon 

Shannon Snapp

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 AM starting 2/4/2026

  Zoom

Pedagogy, Scholarship, & Career Development Workshop

Rixing Lou, Cate Liu, and Alexis Lee

Check with the facilitator(s) for meeting dates and times

  Zoom

Faculty & Staff Spanish Conversation Group

Rebecca Pozzi

2/25/2026, 3/25/2026, and 4/22/2026 from 12:00-1:00 PM

  Zoom

ULO Coordinators - Spring 2026 Schedule

If you want to join a ULO Scholar group, please get in touch with TLA Director Vivian Waldrup-Patterson at vwaldrup-patterson@csumb.edu.

ULO Topic

Facilitator(s)

Schedule

Location(s)

ULO1-Oral Communication (GE A1)

Lee Ritscher

Friday 2/20 2:30-3:30, 3/20 2:30-3:30, 4/17 2:30-3:30, 5/15 2:30-3:30

Email leritscher@csumb.edu for location

ULO1-Written Communication (GE A2)

Kelly Medina-Lopez

Feb. 13 11-12, March 6 11-12, March 10 11-12, April 17, 11-12

Email kmedina-lopez@csumb.edu for location

ULO1-Critical Thinking (GE A3)

Patrick Belanger

February 16 @ 12:45-1:45pm
February 27 @ 10:30-11:30am
April 6 @ 12:00–1:00pm
April 17 @ 10:30-11:30am 

Email pbelanger@csumb.edu for location

ULO1-Information Literacy

Sarah Dahlen

2/17/26, 2 p.m.
2/24/26, 2 p.m.
3/17/26, 2 p.m.
4/7/26, 2 p.m.
4/28/26, 2 p.m.

Email sdahlen@csumb.edu for location

ULO1-Quantitative Reasoning

Peri Shereen

2/12, 3/5, 4/9, 5/7 (9-9:50 am)

Email pshereen@csumb.edu for location

ULO2-Personal, Professional, and Social Responsibility

Hojin Song

1/30 9-10 am; 2/27 9-10 am; 4/24 9-10 am

Email hosong@csumb.edu for location

ULO3-Integrative Knowledge

Amanda Pullum

Every other Wednesday 1:30 pm

Email apullum@csumb.edu for location

 ULO Coordinator Topic Descriptions

ULO Topic 

Description

ULO1-Oral Communication (GE A1)

Deploy our survey and analyze results. Hopefully, we can distribute our survey soon (our first meeting is next Friday), and begin analyzing as results come in. Input on how to distribute is desirable. I'm thinking MyRaft but know that you all have other ideas or venues. We also need to develop our research question for summer assessment. 

ULO1-Written Communication (GE A2)

This spring we are starting by developing a survey for faculty regarding AI use and AI policy; we hope to use the results to inform the creation of a collection of documents, including assignment guides, syllabus language, student facing docs on AI use. We are hoping to let the survey lead our work. 

ULO1-Critical Thinking (GE A3)

This spring, we'll work on three projects:

1) host a show and tell with interested faculty regarding the newly created digital commons CT assignment database: https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/teaching_ge_criticalthinking
2) create a survey for students regarding their views on, and ambitions surrounding critical thinking skills
3) given time, test the rubric for effectiveness

ULO1-Information Literacy

We will be planning for summer assessment, including creating an assessment question, desiging a sampling plan, considering indirect assessment measures, and choosing dates. We will also discuss various topic related to teaching and learning information literacy. 

ULO1-Quantitative Reasoning

This spring we are working on developing our assessment question/plan for the summer.  We are also revisiting the QR rubric and the role of AI in QR (as time allows).

ULO2-Personal, Professional, and Social Responsibility

Continue creating PPSR Canvas module.

ULO3-Integrative Knowledge

ULO 3 scholars are planning to study how faculty and student perceptions of IK compare. We are holding two focus groups this semester (one faculty, one student).