As winter quarter at Tacoma Community College gets underway, so do this year's Faculty Learning Communities.  This year is seeing quite an expansion of the program...over 50 faculty and staff members of our college are committed to participating in an FLC this year!

TCC has had three FLCs in the past: 2 groups in 2010-11, and one group in 2009-10.  Many members of these previous communities are carrying forward into the current year, and several are taking on facilitation roles of the 5 groups beginning now.   I'm one of those new facilitators, and this prospect is both thrilling and a bit intimidating: much like teaching a new course.

For people coming into the FLC program for the first time, a very warm welcome.  This is likely to be different from any other group you've interacted with at our college before.  Remember, a primary goal of any FLC is fellowship--building true relationships with coworkers from all over campus.  Personally speaking, after sharing dinner chit-chat and swapping silly jokes via Facebook, I know I am MUCH more comfortable approaching some of my colleagues for work-related concerns now than I was when they were simply a name in a directory.

I look forward to hearing the stories that arise out of this year's FLCs, and sharing some of those here.  Cheers!