Research Guides: Teaching & Learning Center: Overview

Welcome to the Teaching & Learning Center

About the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC)

Vol State The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at Volunteer State Community College (VSCC) is a faculty-driven initiative to support the community of educators at all of our VSCC campuses. The TLC will support existing initiatives on our campuses in order for our faculty to continue the valuable work they are currently pursuing. While supporting those efforts, the TLC aims to create more opportunities for our faculty to collaborate and learn from each other, all while showcasing the hard work and dedication our faculty have for their craft.

The TLC will provide:

Resources faculty want and need, allowing them to be successful in and out of the classroom.
Support to faculty while serving at VSCC.
Physical space for instructors/professors to share, learn, and relax.
Professional Development that is consistently tied to faculty development.

TLC Background

The TLC resulted from Vol State faculty expressing the desire for a faculty-led program with its own designated space(s) to support professional development and build community with other teaching colleagues. All faculty were invited to an initial meeting in the spring of 2019, followed by several additional brainstorming sessions and the creation of a faculty-wide survey sent out in the fall of 2019. Based on the input of meeting attendees and survey participants, a proposal for the TLC was submitted to Academic Affairs in January 2020 and approved in early March 2020. The TLC continues to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the faculty.

Get Involved with the TLC

Contact the Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center, Jessie McKinney (jessie.mckinney@volstate.edu), to be added to the Advisory Board for updates and meeting schedules.

Need help with the TLC guide? Contact Jessie McKinney or Bryan Saums (bryan.saums@volstate.edu) for information about this or any of the TLC guides. Let us know of resources to include.

The Teaching and Learning Center has a physical space in the Thigpen Library, in room 224.

Faculty are free to drop in to use this space at their leisure! The room has several whiteboards, tables, and chairs. It is also a designated Zoom Room, so it is virtual and/or hybrid capable.

If you would like to schedule a meeting or event in this room, please contact Jessie McKinney (jessie.mckinney@volstate.edu).

Can't find information that you need?

Finding information at Vol State is sometimes difficult because much of the information is not available on the Vol State website (volstate.edu). This means that the website's Google search or A-Z index does not find the desired information. This guide is an example as the content on this guide is not discoverable through the College website.

Start your search at the Employees page on the Vol State website as this page links you to information, applications, and resources relevant for faculty needs.

Look at Orientation page for common resources needed new and adjunct faculty. In addition to those resources, here are a few links that faculty may need:

ClassLink (Portal) The portal, ClassLink Apps, is where you find links to Dynamic from, Banner, service requests, and more.
Electronic Fact Book (Vol State)
Knowledge Base Collection of articles that assist the Vol State community with using software and other technology.
Organizing a Vol State Event Knowledge Base article that provides the recommended steps for setting up an event at the College.

More Guides from the TLC

The Teaching and Learning Center has a collection of guides to assist faculty.

Your Teaching and Learning Center Coordinator

My name is Jessie McKinney. I'm excited to be the Coordinator of your Teaching and Learning Center (TLC). I am a member of the English faculty in the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts. I have been teaching at Vol State since 2018.

Please reach out to me or any of our Advisory Board members if you have any questions or want to get involved with the TLC directly.