Early Career Teaching and Learning Program

Continue to enhance your teaching, research, and public engagement by participating in the Early Career Teaching and Learning Program within the first five years you are an instructor or faculty member. Through discussion, practice, and reflection in cross-disciplinary large and small group interactions, you'll work to deepen your understanding of student learning and broaden teaching strategies with your courses in mind. 

Large Group Sessions include pre-work, engagement in an interactive workshop, and aligned teaching activities. Possible topics include: 

  • September -  Planning beginnings: Course aims and the first day
  • October - Context is critical: Course climate and community
  • November - How do we learn, anyway? Teaching for learning
  • February - Assessing learning through activities and assignments
  • March - Course design to prevent panic: Grading, cheating, and other thorny questions
  • April - Looking back and looking ahead: Evaluating your teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Small Group Discussions included a task to be completed and exchange of participant-created materials. Possible topics include:

  • October - Planning your course context
  • December - Applying teaching for learning
  • January - Planning for changes to your teaching
  • March - Syllabus exchange

The core goal of the Early Career Teaching and Learning Program is to support faculty and instructors in developing and enhancing teaching skills as part of establishing a foundation for a lifetime of effective and engaging teaching.

Meeting Details

During 2023–2024, large groups will meet on Wednesdays from 3pm - 4:30pm (Central Time): September 20, October 18, November 15, February 14, March 20, and April 24. All large group sessions meet online via Zoom meetings.

Multidisciplinary small groups meet from 3pm - 4:30pm (Central Time) on October 25 and December 6, with dates and times for two meetings in the spring semester (in January and March or April) to be arranged based on participants' schedules.

Program Completion

To successfully complete the program and receive a formal letter of completion, you will:

  • Complete session pre-work prior to large and small group meetings.
  • Actively participate in 6 large and 4 small group meetings. 
  • Complete goal setting assignment and reflection.

Participants can expect to spend about 20 hours each semester engaging in program activities (preparing for and attending the large and small group sessions).  While some make-up options are available, participants who miss more than one meeting may be asked to complete the program in a future year. 

Participants in the New Faculty Program can earn four of eight credits through Early Career Teaching and Learning Program participation.

Apply for the 2023-2024 cohort

The ECP program has already accepted participants for its current cohort and is not currently open for registration.  The program will begin accepting applications for 2024-2025 in March 2024.  Click here to receive an email when registration for next year opens.

To learn more or ask a question

Contact the program lead, Bill Rozaitis.