Early Career Teaching and Learning Program

Continue to enhance your teaching skills 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. 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 include a task to be completed and exchange of participant-created materials. 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 2024-2025, large groups will meet on Wednesdays from 3pm – 4:30pm (central time): September 18, October 16, November 13, February 19, March 26, and April 30.


Multidisciplinary small groups meet from 3pm – 4:30pm (central time) on October 23 and December 4, 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 2024-2025 Cohort

Spots are filled on a first-come, first served basis, up to a maximum of 32 participants. Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2024.
 

Apply via Google form.

To learn more or ask a question

Contact the program lead, Bill Rozaitis.