The Faculty Development Committee and the Center for Teaching Excellence are reaching out to faculty, staff and students and encouraging them to participate in Carpe Diem Days.

Carpe Diem Days, taking place Monday, Feb. 29, through Friday, March 4, is a week where faculty open up their classrooms to students, staff and other faculty members.

Anyone in the Mercyhurst Community is welcome to sit in on any class during that week. Faculty that have elected to participate during Carpe Diem Days will either have some or all of their classes open to visitors.

“Faculty members from all disciplines have been recruited to open up their classes,” Joanne Hosey-McGurk, Ph.D. said, assistant professor of English.

The week is meant to serve as a change to inform the community about the teaching excellence that Mercyhurst has to offer. It is also a time for faculty members to share ideas with each other and to find out what students are doing in the classroom according to McGurk.

McGurk, who also helped plan the event, said that the reason Carpe Diem Days is taking place at the end of February and the beginning of March is because it is a slow time of year, and those who wanted to participate would have the time.

Matthew Weaver Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, is one of the faculty members participating in Carpe Diem Days. Both his Learning and Motivation and Research Design and Statistical Analysis classes will be open to the Mercyhurst community.

“I see this week as a time to empower students to get involved in other disciplines as well as foster positivity between faculty and staff,” Weaver said.

Weaver said he opened up both of his classes in case students, staff or other faculty members could not make it to one of them. He encourages students to come to either class, even if they are interested in the other, because he is more than willing to sit down and talk psychology.

“This week is also an opportunity for students to see if they like a class and possibly pick up a minor,” McGurk said.

There was an announcement written in The Morning Buzz for staff and faculty, as well as announcements made at staff and faculty senate meetings. Mercyhurst Student Government has made an announcement as well, and there are flyers up around campus making note of the event.

For any member of the Mercyhurst community that is interested in participating in Carpe Diem Days, more information can be found of the portal at my.mercyhurst.edu. There are links to the times and dates of classes that are open.

“I have talked to plenty of faculty members who will be participating, all of them are really excited and are looking forward to the event,” McGurk said.