You’re invited to our Fall 2025 professional development sessions—an opportunity for faculty and staff to expand their skills, deepen their knowledge, and connect across campus. These sessions are more than just learning experiences; they’re a space to collaborate, exchange ideas, and build a stronger sense of community. Come share best practices, gain fresh insights, and grow together with colleagues from all departments and divisions.
Please click on the link below to register for the professional development sessions:
You’re Invited! Join us for the pre-fall 2025 professional development sessions—carefully crafted for PTC college faculty and staff. These engaging opportunities are designed to deepen professional expertise, broaden institutional knowledge, and elevate impact in the classroom and beyond.
Together, we’re building the foundation for a premier community college defined by vibrant learning communities, unwavering dedication to student success, and a shared vision for economic prosperity for all we serve.
Kindly note that the Mental Health professional development session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13th at 1:45 PM—not Thursday, August 14th.
Please click on the link below to register for the professional development sessions:
We’ve all probably heard some faculty concerns or complaints about students using AI on their assignments. Now the tables are turned as students start complaining about faculty using AI for providing feedback on assignments. This July, join the SPARK Committee for a discussion of the New York Times Article, “The Professors are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About it.” Read this brief article and then join SPARK for a virtual discussion on Zoom. A link to the article can be found on the AALHE website (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/technology/chatgpt-college-professors.html?ref=oembed).
What policies or guidelines on using AI are in place at your institution for grading student work by the faculty? Specifically:
Do you have policies about using AI to grade student work?
If your institution doesn’t allow AI grading.
If there are types of grading where it may be ok, such as grammar and spelling, but not for actual comments.
Whether or not some people may believe some percentage of AI-written comments is ok when used with faculty comments.
GPT, short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a series of advanced AI models created by OpenAI, designed to produce human-like text and content with remarkable fluency and coherence. If you are not familiar with a GPT, it is a specialized ChatGPT AI tool I created in my account that has been “infused” with specifications to look for certain things. The instructions include the assignment description, a list of typical feedback, an exemplary paper to use as a reference, and instructions not to allow re-writing through the GPT.
In the online courses that I teach, I do not use AI to grade student’s work, but I provide them with an AI-based GPT that they can use to “pre-flight” their draft papers before they submit them. The GPT does not grade their work – it is designed to indicate to students where their work needs attention, such as fulfilling the assignment requirements and covering all the topics.
Students are not required to use the Pre-Flight Evaluators, and I have provided a separate page that explains what the GPT does and what the results mean/don’t mean. The goal is to provide “feedback before feedback” so that it also reduces remediation effort by the instructor.
I have attached an anonymized sample paper for you to try it yourself. Go to my Pre-Flight GPT, upload it, and review the results. AI has the potential to enhance feedback in various ways, though it remains in an experimental stage.
Rethinking Assessment for GenAI is a free 60 page eBook which covers everything from ways to update assessments. This might be helpful resource for faculty to use in exploring ways to integrate AI responsibly while preserving the integrity of student learning assessments.
Advising: Tools of the Trade – Tuesday November 12th, 2024 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm ET – Virtual
Description: Join us for a focused session on effectively utilizing PTC’s advising technologies to streamline your advising process. We’ll cover essential features in Navigate such as managing advisor availability, documenting interactions, and leveraging new message templates. You’ll also learn how to review student records, navigate tools like DegreeWorks and Banner, and use Pathway to help with the advising process. This session will enhance your ability to support students through efficient use of technology and streamlined processes.
Deadline to register for this PD is by Monday November 11th by 2:00 pm ET.
PD Advising: Basics and Beyond – Friday November 15th, 2024 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am ET – Virtual
Description: Join us for an engaging session designed to deepen your understanding of academic advising at PTC. We’ll explore how advising is structured and walk through key tools like the Dynamic Catalog and DegreeWorks. You’ll learn how to guide students through academic planning, assess their career goals, and navigate policies such as SAP plans and course sequencing. This session is designed to enhance your ability to support student success and streamline your advising process.
Deadline to register for this PD is by Thursday November 14th by 12:00 noon ET.
Description: Join us for an engaging session designed to deepen your understanding of academic advising at PTC. We’ll explore how advising is structured and walk through key tools like the Dynamic Catalog and DegreeWorks. You’ll learn how to guide students through academic planning, assess their career goals, and navigate policies such as SAP plans and course sequencing. This session is designed to enhance your ability to support student success and streamline your advising process.
Deadline to register for PD is by Thursday October 24th by 12:00 noon ET.
