Faculty Viewpoints

Sharing Expertise Regarding Best Practices
in Teaching and Learning

Welcome to Faculty Viewpoints. Here, we share featured articles by the University of Detroit Mercy faculty that focus on best classroom practices and the art of teaching and learning.

We welcome articles from faculty at all levels and from across the disciplines. Articles must be focused on relevant teaching and learning topics including the following:

  • active learning
  • assessment
  • mentorship
  • innovative teaching assignments
  • course and syllabus design
  • inclusive teaching
  • DEIJ and pedagogy
  • service learning
  • mission-informed teaching
  • other teaching and learning topics

Submissions should be approximately 800-1000 words in length and should focus on teaching and learning. If you would like to contribute and share your knowledge with the University of Detroit Mercy community of faculty, email us at CETL@udmercy.edu or email Dr. Erin Bell directly at bellee@udmercy.edu.

Utilizing Top Hat and Collaborate Ultra for Student Engagement in Concurrent Synchronous and In-Person Classrooms

Utilizing Top Hat and Collaborate Ultra for Student Engagement in Concurrent Synchronous and In-Person Classrooms

By Sonya Kowalski and Traci Stewart, McAuley School of Nursing Teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic challenged educators to find creative and engaging ways to connect and meet the needs of students at a pace no one was expecting. Overnight the …
Attending to the Mental Health Needs of Students Using an Interactive Assignment

Attending to the Mental Health Needs of Students Using an Interactive Assignment

By Dr. Renady Hightower, Associate Professor, Health Services Administration COVID-19 changed the world in 2020. The effects of which reached into the lives of each of us in many ways. COVID-19 research documents the pain and anguish felt across the …
Mentoring and Teaching Students in STEM fields

Mentoring and Teaching Students in STEM fields

By Rachelle M. Belanger, M.Sc., Ph.D., Professor and Assistant Chair, Biology Department As a first-generation student, I earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Windsor. While working on research as an undergraduate and graduate student, I had …
Living With Grief

Living With Grief

By Kimberly Moner, R.N. An acquaintance is walking toward you. You ask, “How are you feeling?” but do not really want to know the answer. When was the last time you looked inside yourself and asked, “How am I feeling?” …
How to Increase Enrollment and Persistence of Women in STEM fields?                              Be an Accomplice, as Well as an Ally

How to Increase Enrollment and Persistence of Women in STEM fields? Be an Accomplice, as Well as an Ally

By Mara R. Livezey, PhD,Assistant Professor of Biochemistry As I have been mulling over how to write this column during the past few weeks, I couldn’t quite decide on the tone of the column I would write. In particular, I …
Jesuit Education Offers Tools to Meet the Mental Health Crisis

Jesuit Education Offers Tools to Meet the Mental Health Crisis

By Mary-Catherine Harrison, Associate Professor of English, Department Chair Since the Universal Apostolic Preferences were announced in 2019, I have worried whether, as an educator, I can meet the challenge of accompanying our youth toward a hope-filled future. But Catholic …
Supporting First-Generation and International Students: An Interview with Dr. Marwa Abdel Latif

Supporting First-Generation and International Students: An Interview with Dr. Marwa Abdel Latif

By Erin Bell, Assistant Director of Educational Development Dr. Marwa Abdel Latif is an assistant professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department at the University of Detroit Mercy. Growing up in Lebanon and being of both Lebanese and Palestinian descent, …
Here Is What We Need to Know about    Digital Mental Health

Here Is What We Need to Know about Digital Mental Health

By Janet M. Joiner, PhD, LMSW Department Chair, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, College of Liberal Arts and Education Chair, Athletic Board & Faculty Athletic Representative Much research is available focusing on the influence of technology on mental health …
Living with Grief

Living with Grief

By Kimberly Moner, R.N. An acquaintance is walking toward you. You ask, “How are you feeling?” but do not really want to know the answer. When was the last time you looked inside yourself and asked, “How am I feeling?” …