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Faculty & Professional Learning Communities
Our application is now open for Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 Faculty Learning Communities.
- Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Success
What is a CTLFS Faculty or Professional Learning Community?
Faculty and Professional Learning Communities (FLCs/PLCs) are:
- Peer-led groups of faculty and professionals. (8-30 participants per group).
- Designed for active engagement, collaboration, and action research on topics ranging from academic technology to equity in higher education.
- Year long programs with some shorter options.
You may apply and enroll in more than one FLC/PLC. You will be notified promptly upon acceptance of your participation.
Requirements
- Full-time or part-time Sacramento State employment during the entirety of the FLC/PLC.
- Commitment to attend meetings and complete all deliverables.
- Disseminate FLC/PLC work at the culminating event:
- Friday, December 11th, 2026 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm for semester-long FLC/PLCs.
- Friday, May 4th, 2027 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm for year-long FLC/PLCs.
Benefits
- Unique opportunities to build professional skills and network with engaging colleagues.
- Some FLC/PLCs are eligible for a $250-$1000 professional development stipend or additional employment (taxable). See individual FLC/PLC descriptions for eligibility.*
- FERP and Rehired Annuitants are not eligible for any compensation when participating in FLC/PLCs.
- Please refer to the limitations and eligibility requirements for receiving “Professional Development Stipends.”
A. ACUE: Promoting Active Learning (PAL 2)
(Fall 2026 - Spring 2027)
- Fall 2026 meetings:
- General Program Orientation: September 2026, Date: TBD
- September 2026 – Dec 2026: synchronous and asynchronous work in ACUE and Sac State Canvas course modules (exact dates TBD in coordination with ACUE.*)
- Spring 2027 meetings
- February 2027 - May 202 - Observe and Analyze Planning Sessions (Zoom, participants choose one to attend) TBD
- Culminating Event: Friday, May 14th, 2027 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Faculty will begin by participating in the ACUE Microcredential Course, "Promoting Active Learning". This course provides instructors with evidence-based teaching practices to facilitate group work and actively involve students in quality discussions during lectures and class sessions. Throughout the course you can learn and implement practices that elevate your teaching and propel student success. Designed for all types of faculty, the evidence-based teaching practices found within this course can be implemented in an online, hybrid, or classroom learning environment. In the following semester participants will focus on small group observations of and discussions on the implementation of ACUE strategies to promote active learning in the classroom. A taxable professional development stipend or additional employment will be awarded upon completion.
Facilitator: William Reliford Jr.
B. Preparing Your Course for QM certification: Four Standards
(Fall 2026 only)
- Fall 2026 meetings:
- Orientation: Friday 9/25 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Zoom
- Drop-in hours: Monday 10/19 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Zoom with Debra Welkley
- Drop-in hours: Friday 10/30 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Zoom with Tara Sharpp
- Drop-in hours: Monday 11/16 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Zoom with Debra Welkley
- Portfolio Making Session: Friday 11/20 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Zoom with Tara Sharpp
- Culminating Event: Friday, December 11th, 2026 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm
This FLC is geared for faculty with experience in online teaching and Quality Matters (QM) best practices, but any faculty interested in redesigning their courses based on QM standards can apply. Faculty will choose four of the eight QM standards to assess and redesign their course to meet standards. Redesign will vary based on selected standards, but may include organization, ensuring measurable objectives and alignment of course content, engaging activities, and accessibility and UDL. A taxable professional development stipend will be awarded upon completion.
*If you took the FLC in Spring 2026, you can choose to take the FLC again the following semester to complete the remaining four QM standards to prepare your course for review.
Facilitators: Tara Sharpp and Debra Welkley
C. Career Readiness in Your Community-Engaged Learning Course
(Fall 2026 only)
- Fall 2026 meetings: Five meetings, Wednesdays 12:30-2:30pm.
- Sept 23 – introduction to CEL & career skill development (IN-PERSON)
- Oct 7 – deeper dive into CEL & CELT (Zoom)
- Oct 21 – cultivating career readiness (Zoom)
- Nov 4 – community partnerships; student demonstration of career skills (Zoom)
- Nov 18 – reflections, finalize portfolios (Zoom/possibly in-person)
- Culminating Event: Friday, December 11th, 2026 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm.
Through this highly interactive FLC, we will collaborate to develop and test a variety of approaches to cultivating and assessing career skill development in community-engaged learning (CEL) courses, including Service Learning, Curricular Community-Engaged Learning, Academic Internships, and Community-Engaged Research/Creative Activities (CERCA) courses. You will leave this FLC with concrete guidance on developing a CEL course that explicitly cultivates and measures students’ career skill development. A taxable professional development stipend will be awarded upon completion.
Facilitators: Samantha Blackburn, Ann Moylan, Sayonita Ghosh Hajra
D. Designing Innovative and Engaging Writing Assignments
(Fall 2026) *NOTE: This FLC is already at full capacity
- Fall 2026 Meetings:
- Orientation
- Monthly Meetings
- One on One Consultations with Facilitators
- Culminating Event: Friday, December 11th, 2026 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Faculty will join a community of practice organized around integrating Adobe Express and multimodal composition into writing instruction across disciplinary writing-intensive courses and first-year composition. Faculty will gain a deeper understanding of how Adobe Express can support students throughout the entire writing process, from brainstorming and concept mapping during invention, to visual storyboarding during drafting, to the creation of multimodal compositions such as infographics, data visualizations, and digital stories during revision and reflection. Faculty will also enact equitable assessment practices that honor the diverse modes of communication Adobe Express makes possible. Sessions will focus on developing Adobe Express-integrated assignment designs, assessment rubrics, and Canvas modules that faculty can adapt for their own courses, supported by FLC facilitators who will provide both workshop leadership and one-on-one pedagogical consultation. A taxable $500 professional development stipend will be awarded upon completion.
Facilitators: Angela Laflen, Angela Clark-Oates
Faculty Learning Communities Culminating Experience Portfolios
Spring 2021 Faculty Portfolios
Spring 2022 Faculty Portfolios
Spring 2023 Faculty Portfolios
Spring 2024 Faculty Portfolios
Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment
All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Sacramento State provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Sacramento State complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.
Sacramento State is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Sacramento State, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.