N.C. A&T introduces Professional Development Day

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is launching a new summer tradition this year: Professional Development Day. This day of information sessions, dialogue with colleagues and conversations over refreshments will provide an extra layer of support to ensure that faculty are familiar with resources helpful to their success in the coming year. Modeled on similar, successful experiences at other institutions, it is open to all faculty -- returning or new – and organizers in Academic Affairs and Human Resources have taken great care to focus on subjects that faculty have told us would be most useful. See the complete agenda for Professional Development Day below. 

Fall 2017 Professional Development Day Schedule

 August 10, 2017

8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Generation Z table discussion questions:

1. Today relevance is constantly being refined and Gen Z lives in a world of continuous updates. Gen Z processes information faster than other generations thanks to apps like Snapchat and Vine. Thus, their attention spans might be significantly lower than other generations. How will this impact the way you support students at A&T?

2. Though Gen Z can be less focused than their Millennial counterparts, in school, they will create a document on their school computer, do research on their phone or tablet, while taking notes on a notepad, then finish in front of the TV with a laptop, while face-timing a friend. Gen Z can quickly and efficiently shift between work and play, with multiple distractions going on in the background, working on multiple tasks at once. How might this kind of “workflow” reshape teaching and learning at A&T?

3. Many employers are predicting that more teens, between the ages of 16 and 18 will go straight into the workforce, opting out of the traditional route of higher education, and instead finishing school online, if at all. It is predicted that if a Gen Z’er knows they are capable of learning something themselves, or through a more efficient, non-traditional route, you can bet they’ll take the opportunity. What do we need to do at A&T in order to remain competitive and continue to attract students?

4. Generation Z grew up with technology, and for them, it’s probably hard to go without their devices. If this younger generation is constantly on their phones or devices, how might we be able to incorporate technology more efficiently in the student experience at A&T?