Block 2—often the busiest time in the fall semester—is upon us! We at the Crown Center hope that you will take time out of your busy schedules to connect with colleagues at our workshops, gatherings, and events. Block 2 offerings invite us to reflect on teaching practices, plan for future growth, and think through challenges together.

Critical Language Inquiry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Ruha Benjamin
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
Celeste Theatre, Cornerstone Arts Center
Free and open to the public

Dr. Benjamin will give the inaugural presentation in the Generative Futures Lecture Series. Dr. Benjamin is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, founding director of the IDA B. WELLS Just Data Lab, and award-winning author of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, and she recently released her fourth book, Imagination: A Manifesto. Dr. Benjamin is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholar Award, the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton, and in 2024 she was awarded a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship. Copies of Imagination: A Manifesto are available at the CC bookstore and at the event. Sponsored by the Mellon Humanities for All Times grant. Have questions? Connect with the team by emailing us at generativefutures@coloradocollege.edu

Crown Center Faculty and Staff Workshop Series: Reading Strategies

Rebecca Tucker (Art History), Tina Valtierra (Education), and Christopher Monahan (Physics)
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Tutt Library 105
Registration
Develop practical approaches to help students engage with assigned readings.

Book Launch Event

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Cornerstone Arts Center Film Screening Room
Free and open to the public
Help celebrate the publication of Crown Associate Director Jessica Hunter’s novel, A Killing Cold.

Generative Futures Connecting Conversations

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 3:30-5 p.m.
Cossitt Lounge
The Crown Center is hosting a series of semi-structured conversations around the broad themes of the Generative Futures Mellon Grant (Critical Language Inquiry and Critical AI Literacy) throughout the year. Participating in a Connecting Conversation counts toward eligibility for Generative Futures course development grants. Drop in and share your thoughts on a variety of topics. Snacks will be provided!

Crown Center Early Career Faculty Workshop Series: A Year in the Life of CC

Friday, Oct. 2, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Tutt Library 105
Registration
Sustain a successful academic year by planning for the rhythms of teaching, service, scholarship, and campus life. Work through strategies to shape your year in a way that offers a compelling narrative for your third-year review and tenure files.

Sharing Our Teaching Successes: A Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Workshop with Nancy Chick

Friday, Nov. 13, 12:30-5 p.m. (Block Break 3)
Tutt Library Tim Fuller Event Space 
Registration
Learn techniques for writing critically about your teaching goals, strategies, and outcomes, along with tips for publishing your work. 

This event kicks off the Crown Center’s new Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Program, a three-year pilot initiative to support CC faculty in sharing innovative pedagogical practices through publications and conference presentations.

Help the College Understand Students’ Attitudes about AI
CC is participating in a survey with other ACM colleges titled “A Survey of Experience with and Attitudes towards Generative AI Among Undergraduates at SLAC Schools.” This survey will help us better understand how undergraduate students at small liberal arts colleges like ours perceive AI. Please encourage your students to complete the survey between Sept. 28 and Oct. 9.  If you can set aside time in class for students to complete the survey, it will greatly improve our response rate. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and participants can enter a drawing to win a $20 gift card to the CC bookstore.

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903