Welcome
The Crown Center for Teaching (CCT) is a resource for educators who want to expand and hone their teaching toolkits. You will find information throughout this webpage about our Educational Development programming, including New Faculty Orientation, the Mentoring Alliance Program, Crown Conversations, Crown Affiliate Events, DocuGuides, Educator Learning Communities (ELCs), and Scholarly Writing and Research Groups (SWARGs), and additional funding opportunities.
The Crown Center Office is located on the second floor of Tutt Library across from the Colket Center. Please contact Associate Director Jessica Hunter to schedule an appointment: (719) 352-1586.
24-25 Crown Programming
Regular Crown Center Programming during the 2024-25 academic year will consist of formal lunches on the second Tuesday of each block, from 12:15-1:30 pm in Tutt 317, unless otherwise indicated. Please see the schedule of dates and topics below, along with links to RSVP. An RSVP is strongly suggested to ensure we have enough food for lunch, thank you!
Crown will also host Block Breakfasts on the Thursday of fourth week in Cossitt Commons from 8:30-10:30 am. Bagels, coffee, tea, and informal conversation about the block just finished or yet to come. We’ve made this opportunity available in response to a request for more informal space to converse. No RSVP needed.
Educator Development Days will take place on the Friday before the start of Block 5 (January 17, 2025) and the Thursday before Commencement (May 15, 2025). See 2025's offering below.
Crown Lunches
Hosted by Crown Center Director Ryan Bañagale
As part of CC's participation in the 2024-25 AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum, we invite you to a lunch discussion on the evolving landscape of teaching and generative AI at our college. Faculty and staff from the institute team will share insights on current pedagogical strategies and considerations for implementation of AI in the specific context of our CC classrooms. This will also be an open forum to hear your experiences, insights, and concerns as we navigate these technologies together on our campus.
Hosted by Assistant Dean Marion Hourdequin (Philosophy)
Supportive advising enables students to chart a thoughtful path through CC and beyond, taking advantage of the college’s rich curriculum and co-curricular activities, as well as opportunities such as study away, internships, and undergraduate research. Whether you’re new to advising or a seasoned advisor, please join us for a lunchtime workshop on advising at CC. We’ll briefly discuss advising nuts and bolts, then invite colleagues from across campus to share approaches and ideas for effective (and efficient!) advising, leaving plenty of time for questions and broader discussion. Although the focus of this session is on faculty advising, all interested members of our educational community are welcome.
Hosted by Crown Center Director Ryan Bañagale and Director of the Career Center Brett Woodard
(description to follow)
Hosted by Director of Creativity & Innovation Kris Stanec
Monday, January 27, 12:30 -- 2:00, Tutt Library, Room 317
Come experience Possibility Books (PB) and have time to adapt the prompts to align with any course. PB materials are provided for each class using this method.
Possibility Books are a brief daily exercise (~10 minutes at the start of class) in which students are asked to respond to various prompts through mark-making and dialogue. PB have been found to increase students’:
- sense of community
- well-being
- creative thinking
- engagement, and
- learning of course content
Over a thousand students across all disciplines have used PB. Most students surveyed indicated that the daily practice of PB was valuable in learning new ways to engage with content.
Hosted by the Health Professionals Advising Committee
Thursday, January 30, 12:15 -- 1:30, Tutt Library 317
Join a session focused on writing letters of recommendation hosted by the current Health Professions Advising Committee (Jane Byrnes, Eryn Murphy, Sara Hanson, and Amy Kohout). This session will cover what makes an excellent letter of recommendation, as well as strategies for managing lots of requests, and for gathering the most useful information from the students we write for. While our committee sees a lot of letters focused specifically on medical and dental school applications, we think this session might be useful for both newer letter-writers and seasoned recommenders from all divisions, writing in support of students pursuing a wide range of opportunities.
Hosted by Crown Faculty Fellow Professor Sophia Fenner (Political Science)
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Tutt Library Room 317
What makes a conversation work? What sets an effective conversation apart from one that leaves its participants confused, frustrated, or disillusioned? Do important conversations have to be difficult? And how can we experience even difficult conversations as valuable?
Join us to reflect on some of the themes that have emerged from this project so far. We’ll exchange strategies for generative conversation, think together about the challenges we’re currently facing, and test-drive a few case studies. All are welcome.
Hosted by Marion Hourdequin, Professor of Philosophy and Assistant Dean of the Faculty
Friday, March 28, 2025
12:15 -- 1:30
Tutt Library Room 105
Register for B7 Advising Workshop
This lunchtime workshop will cover key need-to-know information for faculty advisors and academic mentors, including tips for effective use of Stellic and Banner, and the nuts and bolts of preregistration advising. In addition, we will discuss ways to develop constructive advising relationships and have meaningful advising conversations that support students in their personal, academic, and professional development. All members of our educational community are welcome, and faculty advisors are especially encouraged to attend in preparation for spring registration advising.
Register for B7 Experiential Learning & World Readiness
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Educational Development Day: AI at CC
Thursday, May 15, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Tutt Library Room 105
Wrapping up a year of cross-campus conversations on Generative AI (GenAI) at Colorado College, this Crown Educational Development Day addresses the present moment while inviting exploration of the future. Together we will explore foundational concepts, ethical considerations, and strategies for navigating GenAI within the context of our liberal arts, antiracism, and sustainability values. The morning session will focus on where we are now, while the afternoon will follow the World Café Method to foster collaborative discussions on various topics as we look to the future.
Participants are encouraged to register for either or both morning and afternoon sessions.
Coffee service, snacks, and lunch will be provided.
Morning Session (9am to Noon): Where We Are
- Foundational Concepts
- Faculty/Staff Stories and Case Studies
- Critical AI Literacy at CC
- AI Syllabus Statement Workshop
Afternoon Session (1pm to 3pm): Where We're Going
- Welcome and Introduction
- Small-Group Rounds (20-minute conversations)
- Reflection and Takeaways
Topics for discussion include:
- Ethical Implications of GenAI
- GenAI and Academic Integrity
- Creativity and GenAI
- GenAI Refusal
- Personal and Professional Applications
Announcing Blocks of Opportunity!
Have you ever wondered what happens in other people’s classes? Do you have colleagues you know well in other contexts but have never seen them teach? If so, the Crown Center encourages you to follow your curiosity during your next non-teaching block by participating in Blocks of Opportunity. This new initiative supports faculty in sharing their expertise by visiting colleagues’ classes and having lunchtime conversations about teaching.
How it works:
- Faculty members interested in attending a class and/or hosting a colleague complete the Blocks of Opportunity Form If you know which class you’d like to visit, please indicate it on the form. If you are open to ideas, we can match-make based on your interests.
- When the day and time of the visit are confirmed, the host and the visitor receive a coupon to have lunch together at Rastall.
- The visiting faculty member submits the Report Form to the Crown Center. Crown will then deposit $100 in both parties’ research accounts to continue to refine teaching skills.
Space in the program is limited, so if you’d like to participate, we suggest you reserve your spot quickly! Please get in touch with Jessica Hunter, Associate Director of the Crown Center for Teaching, at jhunter@coloradocollege.edu.
24-25 C&I Programming
Presented in collaboration with the Mellon Humanities grant and the Crown Center for Teaching
Open to all faculty and staff.
To ensure we have enough food, please RSVP using the Google Form under each workshop description.
When: 3rd week of the block
Where: in C&I’s Honnen classroom (101)
Thursday 9/12 12:30-2:00
Multiple Narratives, Kris Stanec
Multiple Narratives lays a foundation for the creative process by valuing students' lived experiences and cultural identities as they construct knowledge collaboratively. This method promotes active listening and inquiry. It can be easily adapted for check-ins as well as integrated with course content to get students thinking metaphorically and creatively about the class.
Tuesday, 10/8 12:30 – 2:00
Ten questions, Jessica Hunter
This problem-finding activity is designed to help us think through messy, ill-defined problems where the parameters aren't clearly specified and the goal isn't clear. The Ten Questions exercise asks participants to practice using divergent and convergent thinking to generate multiple questions surrounding their problem, then choose the question that best fits what they want to explore.
Thursday 11/7 12:30—2:00
Lyrical Questions, Kris and Jessica
Lyrical Questions is a community-building experience that can have a profound bonding effect. The interviews give participants insight into one another in a surprisingly short time. For groups that will be working together in an ongoing way, the exercise creates a foundation of respect and empathy, which makes all the work go more smoothly. It may also allow people with differing perspectives to engage in generative and respectful conversations.
No formal workshop – find spaciousness
Give yourself the gift of an hour that you don't fill with work- alternatively, during this time, experiment with finding ways to connect to something that you find uplifting. What kind of spaciousness can you create in this now unplanned hour? What possibilities can you explore that might put you in a positive "place" - physical or metaphorical? How can you stay open to whatever happens? We see this practice as a radical act of self-compassion, and we hope you take the hour to be creative in ways that bring you joy during a busy time.
Thursday 2/6 2:00-3:30
Perception and Creativity at FAC– Jessica Hunter
Although remaining open and receptive when faced with ambiguous situations is a component of creative thinking, we typically make decisions about unfamiliar things quickly. This session features exercises designed to help build participants’ tolerance of ambiguity so they might eventually make more creative decisions.
Thursday 3/6 2:00-3:30
Polarity Thinking – Kris Stanec
Polarities, also called dilemmas, tensions or paradoxes, are differences between two alternatives. Each pole brings something positive to the interdependent pair and each pole becomes a liability without its pole partner. This workshop will explore this phenomenon and the dynamics by which it functions to more creatively and effectively leverage its energy.
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Mission & Vision
Our Vision
The CCT mobilizes students, staff, and faculty to collectively cultivate a learning community that co-creates innovative, inspiring, inclusive, and equitable educational experiences.
Our Mission
The CCT aims to do the following through its programming and services:
- To foster curricular innovation through collaborative partnerships between faculty, staff, and students.
- To build educational awareness, knowledge, and skills about innovative pedagogies and curriculum development
- To provide opportunities to learn and implement evidence-based pedagogies to facilitate dynamic, inclusive, and equitable educational environments across the institution
- To support educators in varied institutional roles, at different career stages, and working in a multitude of disciplinary areas.
- To promote scholarship across field areas including research on teaching, learning, and educational development.