Want to gain some new strategies for teaching writing? Faculty members can join like-minded colleagues from throughout campus Sept. 1 to 3 for the annual Writing Instruction Workshop-Retreat at the beautiful, relaxing Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes.

All expenses are paid, and just a few seats remain. See the Writing Instruction Support website for more details. To register, e-mail megan.otis@wwu.edu.

All Western Washington University faculty members of any rank who teach officially designated writing courses or any course with a substantial writing component are invited to join colleagues in a two-and-a half day working session to gain practices for enhancing writing instruction and to refine their own instructional materials.

This year's working retreat will be held Sept. 8 to 10 (Wednesday to Friday) at WWU's Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes.

The Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership at Western Washington University has planned a Scholarship of Leadership Faculty Development Workshop for three days in early September, 2010.

The leadership workshop will be a multi-day seminar designed to give interested faculty members the conceptual tools needed to integrate leadership research and theory into their research and creative activities, teaching and in developing their own interests in professional leadership service.

The spring faculty professional leave workshop has been scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 25, in Old Main Room 330C.

The informal discussion at the workshop will include a review of the professional leave policy, preparation of a strong proposal and an opportunity for questions on professional leave related issues.

Faculty members who plan to apply in fall quarter 2010 for professional leaves during the 2011-12 academic year are invited to attend this workshop.

Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University plans to present a half-day, hands-on introduction to the Global Positioning System (GPS) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16. Topics covered include the GPS System and the GPS equipment available at WWU.

The workshop includes a classroom presentation as well as lab and field experience and will take place in Arntzen Hall Room 16 and outdoors. This event will take place rain or shine.

Interested in raising chickens? Instructors at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies plan to hold two how-to workshops on Thursday, Oct. 15. The workshops are slated to take place from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Among the topics to be covered are care and feeding, chicken tractors (movable chicken coops) and fence building. The workshops are free and open to the public and will be held in the Outback Farm Educational Garden at the south end of the Western Washington University campus.