Professional Development

Professional Development Day
January 16, 2026

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 9:00 – 9:50 am

Search Committees That Hire Right
Presenter:     Dana Collins
Moderator:     Sarah Peters
Location:    Zoom
Description:     This training provides search committee members with the essential tools to conduct fair, consistent, and legally compliant hiring processes. Participants will learn best practices for equitable recruitment, effective candidate evaluation, and maintaining EEO standards throughout each stage of the search. 

What Your Liaison Librarians Can Do for You
Presenter:     Brandi Schur, Shawna Bishop, and Allison Crutchfield
Location:     Linscheid Library: Active Learning Center
Description: The library can help support instructors and students through the use of innovative         technology, information literacy resources, academic integrity instruction, research materials and so much more. Whether you are a newer instructor or a seasoned pro, this session will break down how your liaison librarian can help you and your students leverage the power of the Linscheid Library!

Custom Categories & Conditional Access: Blackboard Release Conditions, Sequencing, and Gradebook Customization
Presenter:     CETL – Wendy McKibben & Skye Norman
Location:     Administration Building Room 214A
Description:  Design your course so students see exactly what they need, when they need it—without getting overwhelmed. In this hands-on session, faculty will learn how to use Blackboard Ultra’s Release Conditions and Force Sequence tools to control content visibility, support early access expectations, and create guided learning paths. We’ll also explore a few gradebook customization techniques to streamline grading, calculation, and reporting for both instructors and students. 

ECU Security Policies
Presenter:     Mary LaMack
Moderator:     Dani McClellan
Location:     Zoom
Description:      An introduction to ECU’s Security Policies, highlighting the points all faculty and staff need to know. Topics include (but are not limited to): Acceptable Use, Access Control, Passwords, Change Management, Wireless Use, Bring Your Own Device, and AI. 

Concurrent Sessions 10:00 – 10:50 am

The Power of De-Escalation
Presenter:     Destany Schafer-Morgan & Amy Ward
Moderator:     Dani McClellan
Location:     Zoom
Description:     Join us for an empowering and practical training on The Power of De-Escalation. Whether you work directly with the public or support those who do, this session will equip you with the skills to stay safe, calm, and confident when tensions rise. You’ll learn how to recognize early signs of agitation, use proven communication strategies to prevent escalation, and know precisely when and how to disengage and report. Through real-life scenarios and hands-on practice, you’ll walk away with tools you can use immediately in your day-to-day work. This training is designed to strengthen your professional confidence, protect your well-being, and help you build safer, more supportive interactions with the community.

Awareness. Interaction. Direction. (A.I.D.)
Presenter:     BWI – Holli Witherington & Taryn O’Brien
Moderator:     Angela Sliger
Location:    Zoom
Description:     Awareness. Interaction. Direction. (A.I.D.) is a mental health awareness training that equips individuals with the necessary information and skills to be a champion for mental health in their communities. A.I.D. training emphasizes a course of action that helps identify a person experiencing mental distress and helps connect them with necessary resources and care. 

How Can I Do That? A Faculty Guide on Providing Accommodations in the Classroom
Presenter:     Kim Rogers
Moderator:     Sarah Peters
Location:     Zoom
Description:     Making adjustments in the classroom can sometimes pose challenges. This presentation will address various types of support beyond simply offering extended time on exams. We will explore the concept of Flex Attendance and provide guidance on managing situations where accommodations impact instructional methods. Additionally, we will review strategies for communicating with students who may have a disability but are not currently receiving support, including how to determine when accommodations can be implemented within the classroom versus when a temporary disability should be referred to Testing and Accessibility Services.

AI in Academia: Insights from a Faculty Panel:
Presenters:     Mark Jones, Jeaneen Canfield, & Ying-Chih Sun
Moderator:     TBD
Location:     Linscheid Library – Active Learning Center
Description:     Transforming Classroom Engagement: Using Vibe-Coding to Make Programming Click for Students – Ying-Chih Sun
This presentation explores how faculty can leverage AI-supported vibe-coding to simplify complex concepts, boost student motivation, and reduce instructional friction. This session demonstrates practical, classroom-ready techniques that help students grasp programming through intuition, pattern recognition, and creativity.
        
So…Who Really Wrote This Paper? Strategies for Ethical Use of AI in the Writing Classroom – Jeaneen Canfield
The rise of AI-generated writing tools prompts interesting conversations about ways writers write. It is my belief that these conversations are a necessary part of my pedagogical development and curriculum design. My part in this panel is to foster curiosity about the possibilities afforded to us (particularly writing teachers) through AI-generated writing.

Getting Students Beyond the Shortcuts: Modeling and Teaching Effective AI Use for Learning – Mark Jones
This topic explores practical ways instructors can guide students to use AI as a learning scaffold rather than a shortcut. The focus is on modeling effective prompting, supporting metacognition, and helping students gradually move from AI-assisted understanding to independent thinking and skill development.

General Education Seminar Courses
Presenter:     Matt Lynam & April Nesbit
Location:     Administration Building Room 211
Description:     This session will introduce a new course offering option: General Education Seminar Courses. Learn what these courses are, what elements make for a strong seminar course, and the steps involved in getting one approved.

Concurrent Sessions 11:00 – 11:50 am

Oh no!....PCard or PO? Purchasing Essentials & Processes 
Presenter:     Chandra Miller
Moderator:     Mary Tarver
Location:     Provost Room (Danley 235)
Description:     Whether a beginner or looking to enhance your understanding of university purchases of goods and services, this session will provide several key takeaways for procurement success. 

YuJa Essentials: Creating and Sharing Video Content Across Campus
Presenter:     CETL – Wendy McKibben & Skye Norman
Location:   Zoom
Description:     Discover YuJa, ECU’s campuswide video platform designed for faculty and staff in all departments. This session will guide you through accessing YuJa with your ECU credentials, recording high-quality videos, organizing your media library, and using built-in captioning tools. For Blackboard users, we’ll also cover embedding videos and adding interactive quizzes—though these features are optional. Whether you’re producing instructional content, training materials, or departmental resources, this workshop will equip you with practical skills to integrate video into your daily work.

University Preparedness: Safety, Conduct and Emergency Action & Classroom Career Development
Presenter:     Student Affairs & Career Development 
Location:     Administration Building Room 211
Description:     University Preparedness - Cassie Haley & Doug Cardy
     This training gives a simple overview of university conduct expectations, basic safety practices, and what to do in an emergency. Participants will learn how to recognize and respond to potential risks, including medical emergencies, while understanding the resources and support systems available across campus. 

Classroom Career Development – Angela Sliger     
Career readiness core competencies and five strategies to implement them in the classroom. 

Excel at (Microsoft) Excel: Advanced
Presenter:     Dani McClellan
Moderator:     Brittney Whitsell
Location:     Zoom
Description:     Boost your productivity, streamline your workflow, and make data work for you—so you can simplify your job and free up more time for what matters.

When Good Teachers Meet “That Student”: A Classroom Management Survival Guide
Presenter:     Kerry Rhone & Darcy Tessman
Location:     Linscheid Library – Active Learning Center
Description:     Ever had a student who could derail your perfectly planned lesson in under 60 seconds? You’re not alone. Join us for an interactive professional development session that flips the script – literally. You’ll step into the shoes of your most challenging student (or draw one from our collection of “greatest hits”), while we collectively navigate the chaos of a disrupted classroom in real time. Through this eye-opening simulation and candid colleague-to-colleague discussion, we’ll move beyond survival mode to examine what actually works when theory meets reality. Whether you’re managing side conversations, chronic absenteeism, technology battles, or outright defiance, we’ll help you build a transparent framework of expectations and consequences that creates structure without sacrificing the learning environment you envisioned. Bring your war stories, your questions, and your sense of humor – because sometimes the best professional development happens when we admit that “that student” has taught us all a thing or two about the limits of our lesson plans. 
 What to expect: Simulation activity, peer discussion, practical strategies you can use on the first day of classes, and the validation that you’re doing better than you think. 
 

Recordings of the online sessions from PD Day are now available at this site: https://ecok.libguides.com/c.php?g=1413182&p=11298341