07/23/2021
By Julie Nash

The past 17 months has highlighted our faculty's commitment to student success and continuous improvement of learning. We are excited to announce that we are launching an office devoted to teaching excellence.

The mission of our new Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) is to foster innovative, engaging and inclusive learning environments by providing resources and tools to support a community of educators. CELT will bring together faculty from across campus to focus on our shared commitment to our students’ learning and success, collaborating with other campus offices to be responsive to emerging faculty needs and interests.

Over the next year, we will expand the Center's footprint on campus by identifying a faculty director and a steering committee of faculty and teaching-support staff. We are also actively working to identify a physical space on campus for the new Center.

And to that end, we are proud to announce a series of CELT workshops!

As part of its Summer 2021 launch, CELT will be sponsoring a series of faculty-led workshops on the theme of supporting faculty course planning and early-semester teaching strategies. As with our previous PELT workshops, our aim is to provide peer-led, relevant, just-in-time professional development opportunities for UML faculty. The informal, hourlong sessions are developed to address faculty in any discipline, and questions and discussion are encouraged during the session and on the Teaching Excellence listserv after the session. The workshops will be recorded and posted for those who cannot attend live. We want everyone to have a great return to campus, and hope that these CELT offerings will assist! Save the date now, and stay tuned for registration information and more details.

Tuesday, August 3, 10 a.m.
Roundtable: What the pandemic taught me about teaching & what to expect in fall 2021
Host: Julie Nash, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Panelists: Daniel Arroyo-Rodriquez, World Languages and Cultures
Cecil Joseph, Physics and Applied Physics
Serena Rajabiun, Public Health

Thursday, August 5, 2 p.m.
Off to a great start: ideas for the first week of classes
Stephanie Block, Psychology
Erica Yankowskas, Mathematical Sciences

Tuesday, August 10, 2 p.m.
Using principles of universal design for student success
Bridget Marshall, English
Brent Shell, Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences

Tuesday, August 17, 10 a.m.
Early assessments: identifying students’ existing knowledge and needs
Alison Hamilton, Biological Sciences
Matt Hurwitz, English

Date TBD 
Bringing equity into the classroom
Michael Beers, Manning School of Business
Ralph Jordan, Manning School of Business