Course Design Spa: Bringing Calm to the Start-of-the-Semester Rush

Faculty development is a perennial higher ed challenge: workshop attendance is low, emails go unread, and faculty feel overwhelmed and don't know where to turn for help. Staff feel frustrated by emergency issues that could have been avoided with planning. Four years ago, Emerson College Instructional Technology Group, the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, and the Iwasaki Library banded together to hold a "wraparound" faculty enrichment event, where up to 12 support departments and 20–30 faculty come together in the same place. After 9 successful Course Design Spa days, we would like to share our challenges, feedback, and lessons learned.

Outcomes: Define how to start planning your own Course Design Spa * Identify partners at your institution * Discuss the logistical challenges of running an event of this type