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CETAL’s Spring Programming is Here!

Submitted by: Jennifer Brewer, jbrewer1@uca.edu on 01/12/2026

Title image showing CETAL Spring Programming is ready and registration is open.

CETAL’s Spring Programming Is Here!

Spring semester is officially in motion, and CETAL is rolling out a lineup of faculty learning experiences designed to fuel your teaching, spark new ideas, and build community across campus. Whether you want to explore new tools, strengthen your instructional practice, or connect with colleagues across disciplines, this spring lineup is built to meet you where you are—with strategies and conversations you can use right away.

Here’s what’s happening this spring:

  • Coaching Circles – guided, small-group support
    • New Faculty Teaching Academy
    • Early Career Coaching Circle
    • Academic Leadership Learning Community: Strong Ground
  • Faculty Learning Communities – collaborative, semester-long learning cohorts
    • Community Cafe: Teaching & Learning in STEM
    • Global Learning Research & Reading Group
  • Book Groups – shared reading, thoughtful discussion, and community connection
    • Teaching with AI Book Group: More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI
    • Student Success Book Group: Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge
  • Bear Bites Learning Lunches – bite-sized professional development over lunch
    • Creating Cultures of Thinking in the Classroom
    • Expanding Worldviews Through Our Curricula: Experiences with and Ideas for Intercultural Instruction
    • Making the Core Rubric Work for You: Practical Strategies for Assessing Student Presentations
    • First-Day Scavenger Hunt: Kickstarting Engagement
  • Bear Necessities – informative, faculty learning with a caffeine kick (We have snacks and coffee!)
    • Exploring Some Specs of Specification Grading
  • NEW! AI Community of Practice – explore generative AI with curiosity, creativity, and practical classroom applications

🔗 Explore the CETAL website for more details about our spring programming!

If you’re a longtime CETAL participant—welcome back. You know we aim for programming that respects your time and delivers ideas that matter. If you’re new to CETAL programming (or just haven’t jumped in yet), consider this your invitation: CETAL programming isn’t a closed club—it’s the place to get strategies, community, and professional development that gives you tools.

🔗 Registration is open now!

Come for the tools. Stay for the people. Leave with ideas that strengthen your teaching. 💜🐻

https://airtable.com/appZpCaym6Uuqk8WG/shrOGI9an8Rrz7cpo

UCA Observatory Public Night

Submitted by: Scott Austin, saustin@uca.edu on 01/12/2026

Weather permitting, the UCA Observatory will be open to the public to view astronomical objects through the 14-inch aperture telescope anytime between 6pm and 8pm Wednesday Jan 14. Entrance to the observatory is located in the front lobby of Lewis Science Center.  If the doors of the connector between LSC and the Conway Corporation Center for Science are locked, check the doors on the west side of LSC.

https://uca.edu/physics/observatory/

ACT Prep Registration for Spring Open – Starts January 19th!

Submitted by: Paula Myers, paulam@uca.edu on 01/12/2026

This interactive course via Zoom is designed for high school students (10th grade and above) who have previously scored between 17-25 on the ACT or for high schoolers who have yet to take the test. Current and former UCA faculty/staff members will review subject material and offer test-taking tips to help students progress through the exam in a more reasonable and timely manner. Choose one subject to focus on or choose all four at a reduced total rate. Class sizes are limited to 12 per section to maximize learning.

English: Mondays – January 19, January 26, & February 2, 2026
Reading: Tuesdays – January 20, January 27 & February 3, 2026
Science: Wednesdays – January 21, January 28 & February 4, 2026
Math: Thursdays – January 22, January 29 & February 5, 2026

Section A: 5:00 pm – 6:20 pm
Section B: 6:30 pm – 7:50 pm

https://uca.edu/outreach/testprep/

Purple Society Applications Now Open!

Submitted by: Kylee Horn, kbeetch1@uca.edu on 01/12/2026

Encourage your students to apply!

Purple Society at UCA recognizes students each year who excel academically, socially, and philanthropically. Each year, the top 2% of upperclassmen will be recognized. Selections are based on academic achievement, student involvement, and contributions to the UCA community and beyond while enrolled as a student at UCA.

Applications close on 11:59 PM on January 23rd, 2026. Make sure they don’t miss out!

Applicants must have a 2.75 cumulative GPA, have completed at least 90 hours by December 2025, be enrolled in Spring 2026 classes, and have not previously been named to Purple Society or National Who’s Who Among Students award are eligible to apply. No late submissions will be accepted, and all GPA and enrollment information will be verified.

https://uca.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/705403

Finding Funding: Hidden Gems and the Tried and True | Helping Me Help You

Submitted by: Jennifer Deering, jdeering@uca.edu on 01/11/2026

Finding Funding: Hidden Gems and the Tried and True | Helping Me Help You
📅 Tuesday, January 27, 2026
⏰ 2:40–3:30 p.m. (X-Period)
📍 Torreyson West, Suite 328

In this session, we’ll explore both well-known funding sources and lesser-known opportunities that often fly under the radar. We’ll also focus on how sharing the right kind of project information helps me conduct more targeted, efficient prospect research on your behalf—so the process truly becomes a partnership.

What to expect:

*We’ll generate key search words using AI.
*We’ll briefly cover using the Grants Resource Center’s Grant Search™ database.
*We’ll play a game of “Find the Funder.”
*We’ll crowdsource unusual places to search for funding.

💻 Please bring a laptop to get the most out of this hands-on workshop.
⚠️ Seating is limited, so advance registration is required.
👉 Sign up here: https://forms.gle/CfsroG7TDvHsQwKm7

Whether you’re new to seeking external funding or looking to refine your approach, this session is designed to meet you where you are. I hope you’ll join us!

Thank you!

https://forms.gle/CfsroG7TDvHsQwKm7