CELT Notes for June 17, 2026: Quality Initiative Update–Integrated Advising and NetVUE

Dear Faculty,

Thank you for your partnership this year as we developed Luther’s Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Quality Initiative (QI), The Luther Way: Integrated Advising for Student Success and Career Readiness, which will guide our advising and career preparation efforts over the next two years.

Building on the great work already happening across campus, The Luther Way initiative seeks to strengthen how we support students’ academic, personal, and vocational development across all four years of their Luther experience. Recently, Luther was awarded a NetVUE grant of nearly $100,000 to further support our efforts in this work. The NetVue grant will fund workshops, speakers, professional development opportunities, and mini-grants that help faculty and staff integrate vocational reflection across the curriculum and co-curriculum.

As the quality initiative moves forward, we will provide monthly updates highlighting project progress, quality improvement activities, opportunities for engagement, and continued avenues for faculty feedback and collaboration. 

In addition, the project will be led by a Steering Committee, which will include representatives from the Student Development Board as well as at-large faculty members, ensuring broad perspectives and meaningful collaboration throughout the project. We plan to convene the committee in late August. In the meantime, if you are interested in becoming involved or have questions about participation, please reach out to Kate Elliott.

This summer, we are laying the foundation for The Luther Way by developing a coordinated advising framework, aligning advising learning outcomes and success metrics, creating assessment and data tools, and expanding opportunities to connect academics, career exploration, and vocation. As this work progresses, faculty will have access to new resources, professional development opportunities, and partnerships designed to strengthen advising, support career preparedness, and help students make meaningful connections among their academic experiences and future careers.

We also have two specific vocational integration opportunities for faculty development this summer that continue throughout the academic year. The application can be found here. (Please fill out this application even if you have previously indicated your interest). 

1. Faculty Vocation Integration Cohort (VIC)  Faculty will focus on designing or redesigning a course with a significant vocational reflection and/or EXPL component. These experiences are especially targeted toward juniors and seniors completing Luther’s EXPL requirement. Examples may include, community-based learning, applied research, internship, vocation-centered disciplinary courses (ex: “Careers in Health Care”)
   
   VIC participants will:
   1) Attend the Summer Course Redesign Institute (July 6-10)
   2) Participate in monthly Faculty Learning Community-style cohort support focused on interdisciplinary collaboration and idea sharing, reflective and experiential pedagogy, vocational exploration and career integration, and mentorship, accountability, and sharing best practices. (Monthly TBD)
   3) Receive a $1,500 stipend for their work
   
   VIC Application closes June 29.

2. Faculty Partners for Vocational Reflection (Faculty Partners)  Faculty will focus on adding a vocation-focused reflection module into an existing course — especially first-year, sophomore, gateway, and  major core courses. Faculty work with the Career Center to integrate reflection modules, assignments, or discussions that help students connect: disciplinary learning, purpose and values, identity formation, career pathways
   
   Faculty Partners will:
   1) Attend a summer workshop in mid-August (Week of August 17)
   2) Participate in monthly cohort meetings for professional development, implementation support, and interdisciplinary collaboration. (TBD)
   3) Pilot reflection activities in chosen courses
   4) Receive a $1,000 stipend for their work
   
   Faculty Partners Application closes July 27.

NOTE: Applications for mini-grants ranging from $250–$1,500 to support vocational exploration, experiential learning, community partnerships, and innovative curricular or co-curricular projects will open in September.

Thank you again for your continued partnership and commitment to our students. We look forward to sharing additional updates as this work progresses. Please let any of us know if you have questions or ideas for collaboration. 

Best regards,

Kate Elliott, Heather Cote, Sarah Crose
QI/NetVUE Integration Team

CELT Programming for Summer 2026

This summer in CELT we will offer a mix of in-person, hybrid and asynchronous faculty development opportunities in addition to the first round of NetVUE Vocation grant programming opportunities. 

June Development Opportunities

 Sign up for summer programming opportunities here. Please register 48 hours before the workshop begins. Workshops/programming with 2 or fewer registrations may be canceled. 

Supporting Neurodiverse Students at Luther with Dr. Anita Carrasco

At Luther College, roughly 20% of our students are registered for accessibility accommodations—and many more navigate our classrooms with undocumented “invisible” disabilities. But what happens after the accommodation letter is signed? Born from a year-long Faculty Learning Community (FLC), this workshop offers two critical nuggets: (1) discussion about how some of our neurodivergent students perceive our current campus disability climate; and (2) an example of how effective faculty-student communication can reduce anxiety and foster a sense of belonging. Please join us to explore how a shift toward radical empathy can help dismantle a perceived “culture of mistrust” that is hindering neurodivergent student success. 

Wednesday, June 24, 10:00-11:30 a.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242. 

Beyond Accommodations Workshop with Director of Accessibility Services, Dr. Ann Smith

This interactive session explores how disability impacts student success in higher education and challenges participants to shift from a compliance mindset to a proactive, inclusive mindset.  Framed by the social model of disability, the session highlights structural and attitudinal barriers students face and offers practical strategies for building accessible, student-centered learning and support environments.  Through case studies, dialogue, and reflection, attendees will deepen their understanding of identity and equity issues, not just a legal obligation.  

Tuesday, June 30, 10:00-11:30 a.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242 

July Development Opportunities

 Sign up for summer programming opportunities here. Please register 48 hours before the workshop begins. Workshops/programming with 2 or fewer registrations may be canceled. 

AI Literacy in Online Research (hybrid) with Emily Mineart

Discuss your thoughts and concerns about AI in a no-judgment setting, develop strategies for critically evaluating AI output, and learn to make informed decisions about when to use (or not use) AI. We will practice with several AI tools that you and your students may encounter in online research. Please bring your laptop/device. 

Wednesday, July 1, 1:00-2:00 p.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242 or via Zoom.

NetVUE Vocation EXPL Course Design Institute with directors of the Career Center, Experiential Learning, Community-Based Learning and CELT.

NetVUE Vocation EXPL Course (re)Design Institute with directors of the Career Center, Experiential Learning, Community-Based Learning and CELT. 

This grant-supported CDI will operate as a standard CDI with a twist. Over the course of the week, participants will either design a new course or re-design an existing course that embeds significant vocational reflection and/or experiential learning, supporting students in making connections between their academic learning, future work, sense of purpose, and contributions to their communities. Faculty selected to participate in this 5-day CDI will receive $500, with the possibility of receiving an additional $1000 over the course of the school year for participating in our monthly Faculty Vocation Integration Cohort (VIC) and completion of deliverables.

If interested in this opportunity, apply here by June 29.

Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 10, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242. 

Writing Your Review/Tenure/Promotion Docs with Christy Vrtis

In this workshop, participants will focus on one document for their review files each day. Each day will begin with a brief focus on specific elements of that day’s document, along with tips and writing exercises. Then, participants will have at least 90 minutes to work and get feedback on their document. Participants should register for each session individually. Attending all sessions is encouraged, but not required. 

Tuesday, July 7: Writing your teaching and advising report, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., via Zoom.

Wednesday, July 8: Writing your scholarship and service report,  9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.,via Zoom.

Thursday, July 9: Putting it all together: Writing your personal statement,  9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., via Zoom.

Sign up for summer programming opportunities here. Please register 48 hours before the workshop begins. Workshops/programming with 2 or fewer registrations may be canceled. 

Evaluating sources, news, and AI enhanced media (hybrid) with Kay Bronshteyn

In this workshop, participants will examine a variety of evaluation techniques to determine the credibility of a source. We will apply the techniques to example sources to help you decide which method to share with your students.

Tuesday, July 14, 1:00-2:00 p.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242 and via Zoom.

Ross Gay’s “Dispatch from the Ruins” and Alternative Grading Systems with Dr. Anna Peterson

In his essay “Dispatch from the Ruins” celebrated poet and Professor of English at Indiana University, Ross Gay describes the university as (ir)reparable. But Gay doesn’t leave us without hope. In the essay, he likens his practices of alternative grading to bees making honey in the walls of a dilapidated structure. Come to this workshop to discuss Gay’s ideas and explore alternative grading systems. You’ll leave with concrete ideas for creatively practicing alchemy in the ruins.

Wednesday, July 15: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242. (Hybrid possible)

Sign up for summer programming opportunities here. Please register 48 hours before the workshop begins. Workshops/programming with 2 or fewer registrations may be canceled. 

Your Syllabus, Reimagined with Christy Vrtis and Erin Zidlicky 

Join us for a syllabus redesign workshop dedicated to increasing student engagement and accessibility while capturing the essence and tone of your course. Together, we will explore practical strategies to transform your syllabus into a more inclusive and effective learning tool that invites students into your discipline. This session is designed to help you align your course materials with your teaching goals and create a welcoming, supportive environment for every learner. 

Tuesday, July 21: 9:30-11:30 a.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242. (Hybrid possible)

Learn Adobe Express with Key McCain

Join us for a beginner-friendly introduction to Adobe Express, where you’ll learn to create professional-quality graphics, videos, and web pages with ease and brainstorm how you could use Adobe Express in your courses. This hands-on tutorial will guide you through the essential tools and templates, empowering you to design engaging visuals for your courses and teaching materials. Come discover how this accessible platform can help you elevate your digital content and simplify your creative workflows.

Thursday, July 23: 9:00-10:30 a.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242 (Hybrid possible)

Creative and Alternative Assessments with Christy Vrtis

Are you looking for alternative ways to assess student learning beyond the essay/paper or typical exam – or to make your assessments more AI-resilient? In this workshop, we will explore creative and alternative ways to assess student learning to truly assess the skills and human values that we are trying to teach our students. We will explore alternatives like media projects (podcasts, videos, posters, moodboards, social media posts, etc…), presentations, oral exams, escape rooms, and more!

Tuesday, July 28: 1:30-3:00 p.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242 (Hybrid possible).  

Thursday, July 30: 9:00-10:30 a.m., CELT Conference Room, Valders 242 (Hybrid possible).