Teaching Matters Resources

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Our priority is to improve retention, persistence and the ultimate graduation of our students through improved educational and professional opportunities by supporting faculty and instructors.

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Teaching Matters

Supporting and enhancing teaching through collaboration.

Teaching Matters has transitioned to a podcast hosted by the WSU Retention Fellows, with one gathering each semester. The podcast highlights campus resources that support faculty in strengthening student retention and persistence.

Our semester gathering continues to provide a valuable opportunity for faculty, instructors, and students to come together across disciplines to share ideas and strategies that enhance teaching and learning. Teaching Matters remains a safe space for exploration, growth, and collaboration—where improving one anothers teaching is the shared goal. We hope participants find the community supportive, caring, and collegial.

Teaching Resources

Faculty Toolkit Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) OIR's Teaching Today Steps faculty can take to improve students retention

The Teaching Matters Podcast

Episode 1: Faculty Collaboration Corner

In this episode of the Teaching Matters podcast, Chelsea Dey, Lead Success Coach in the Office of Student Success, joins Sarah Taylor, Retention Fellow Coordinator and Senior Educator in the College of Health Professions, to introduce the new Faculty Collaboration Corner. Together, they explore practical ways faculty can connect students with success resources through tools, strategies, and classroom-ready ideas that build community and improve retention. From quick Shocker Sparks activities to in-depth learning labs and creative classroom remix events, Chelsea highlights flexible options that make it easy for faculty to integrate support and engagement into their courses.

Connect with Chelsea: Chelsea.Dey@wichita.edu

Learn More! ARC Session Recording August 2025

Join the Student Success Team(s)! Email Kim.Sandlin@wichita.edu to be added to the MS Teams Faculty Collaboration Corner group and gain access to weekly messages, Student Success program information, and chat!

 

Episode 2: Student Early Alert System

Learn More about SEAS: www.wichita.edu/SEAS

Join the Student Success Team(s)! Email Kim.Sandlin@wichita.edu to be added to the MS Teams Faculty Collaboration Corner group and gain access to weekly messages, Student Success program information, and chat!

Show Notes:
In this episode, Sarah Taylor sits down with Kim Sandlin, Director of Student Success, to discuss why SEAS (Student Engagement & Advising System) is such a vital tool for tracking student progress and fostering engagement. They also explain how success coaches become involved in the process to provide personalized guidance and support. Listeners will gain practical ideas for improving student outcomes, strengthening faculty-student relationships, and leveraging SEAS to make a meaningful impact on student success.

Message for faculty to communicate the purpose of SEAS to students:
SEAS (the Student Early Alert System) is a tool used by faculty to identify students who, if they continue with their current academic behavior, are in danger of not doing well in their course. Faculty may go into the system at any time during the semester to flag your academic behavior for attendance, participation, assignments, quizzes and exams. The instructor will then send you an email encouraging you to seek assistance from them or other university resources. When you get the email you are not in trouble. It is a nudge for you to look at your current habits and see how you can improve. This message will also include a link to "raise your hand" virtually for assistance from the Student Success team if you need it.
 

 

Save the date! Virtual Student Panel October 15

Join the fall Teaching Matters session, ‘Navigating Transitions: Student Voices’

Teaching Matters brings faculty, staff and students together to share ideas that support student success and persistence. Each semester, the Retention Faculty Fellows hosts a group session and release podcast episodes featuring practical tools for faculty on the “Teaching Matters” podcast and helpful resources for students on the “Plugged In @WSU” podcast (episodes landing soon).

Grab your lunch and join online to hear from a panel of students sharing their insights on persistence and the impact faculty support can have on student success, especially during times of transition from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 15 via Microsoft Teams.

For questions or more information, contact Sarah Taylor at sarah.taylor@wichita.edu.

RSVP Here