The CAFE works collaboratively within St. Francis College to advance teaching, learning, and faculty development. We are committed to the following shared goals:

• Work with faculty to implement innovative instructional design and curriculum development methods that positively impact student success (1.1, 1.2).
• Provide guidance and training that supports faculty in strengthening classroom assessment measures to more effectively gauge student achievement and identify areas of need (1.1, 1.2).
• Share resources, scholarship, and best practices on student-centered pedagogies and assessment of student learning and make these resources accessible to all members of the St. Francis community (1.1, 1.2).
• Establish and implement internal assessment measures for the efficacy of CAFE initiatives (1.1).
• Advance faculty development at all career stages through mentorship, workshops, and training (1.1).
• Prepare chairs and directors for their roles through leadership development and training (1.1).
• Support all faculty members through periods of transition and the changing landscape of higher education (1.1).
• Promote faculty excellence and innovation by showcasing teaching, research, and scholarship to foster further achievements (1.1).
• Connect faculty with colleagues throughout St. Francis College to facilitate the sharing of resources, mentorship, and opportunities related to teaching, service, and scholarship (1.1).
• Offer inclusive, accessible, and equitable opportunities for part-time faculty members to engage across the St. Francis community (1.1).
• Support college-wide efforts to expand co-curricular opportunities across campus and develop co-curricular maps that increase student awareness of and engagement with co-curricular opportunities (1.2, 1.3).
• Welcome and advocate for equitable and diverse perspectives and backgrounds to support faculty in creating learning spaces and experiences that are accessible and inclusive of all members of the St. Francis community (3.2, 3.3).

Faculty can visit the CAFE Canvas page to view upcoming events, resources for teaching and learning, assessment, and scholarship, and news about scholarly and creative works throughout the College.

We also send out a weekly e-newsletter, The CAFE Weekly Blend.

The Center for Advancement of Faculty Excellence at St. Francis College (SFC), better known as the CAFE, is preparing to launch a podcast series. Titled “Faculty Coffee Break,” it will be hosted by Molly Mann, Ph.D., the CAFE’s director.

The inaugural episode will feature Meaghan Davis, director of SFC’s First-Year Experience, and history professor Sara Rzeszutek in a conversation about the College’s Learning Communities, which are also scheduled to debut this semester. Learning Communities are sets of linked courses where instructors collaborate to share thematic content and assignments. It is a high-impact educational practice that produces strong learning outcomes for students.

Faculty Coffee Break podcasts will be distributed through Spotify, Apple and Anchor. Notes and related links will be posted after each show on this page, while upcoming episodes will be announced in The Weekly Blend, the CAFE’s e-newsletter.

To learn more, visit SFC's News Post.

Sara Rzeszutek, Ph.D.
CAFE Director
[email protected]

Daniel Cooper, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Curriculum Design & Assessment Specialist
[email protected]