The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is presenting a Campus Behavior and Safety Workshop Series.

CETL is a support service for all faculty, instructors and graduate students that helps instructors enhance teaching and learning.

The series is categorized into four workshops: Dealing with Behavior Problems in the Classroom, Reporting Behavior Concerns and Disability Support Services, Emergency Preparedness, and The Active Shooter on Campus.

The workshops have been running since Feb. 7 and will end March 7. They take place in learning studio 200A Elliott Hall.

The director of CETL, Judith Ableser, discussed the program’s mission and the purpose of the series.

“The reason this center exists is, although faculty are teaching at the highest level of any teaching, [and] they have their expertise in their content area, they do not have training in how to teach,” Ableser said. “We are here to support faculty. We are not evaluating faculty, but we are here to help them improve their teaching.”

CETL runs the workshop series every February due to behavior problems caused by weather.

“We have seen it historically that when students start displaying either inappropriate behaviors or behaviors of concern, [it] tends to come around in February, as is typical of most people living in sorts of winter climates like this,” Ableser said.

When behavioral issues are displayed, faculty can take a unified approach toward handling these situations.

Because faculty spend a lot of time dealing with behavior problems in the classroom. She often hears faculty saying they did not realize problem behavior would require such attention. 

The workshop series started five years ago because Ableser recognized a lack of support for faculty experiencing behavioral issues.

“It is not that services and supports are not there, it is that people do not realize they are there and how to access them,” she said. “There are unique challenges that we face, and there are certain things that you can only do so much.”

First-year graduate student in communication and CETL assistant, Candace Campbell, shared her perspective about the series as a grad student.

“I think all faculty members should attend a certain amount of workshops per school year,” she said. “Not only because [of] professional development. This is something that you can learn, and can enhance your teaching skills.”

As Campbell has been observing the faculty in the series, she has overseen different situations.

“I’m a grad student, so I was listening in to see the perspective of the faculty and how they handle the different behaviors,” she said.

To contact CETL, call (248) 370-2751.