Faculty TEACHING CERTIFICATE Program (FTCP)



4 Special Programs to Help Faculty Members

Learn Better Ways of Teaching

This document contains descriptions of educational development programs at four different colleges and universities that offer their respective faculties a new and powerful way of learning about teaching. What is distinctive about these programs is that they have “bundled” multiple kinds of learning experiences together and then present the participants who complete the full set of activities, with some form of institutional acknowledgement for their accomplishment.

The particular set of activities and the forms of acknowledgement vary among these programs; what they have in common is that they motivate college teachers to undertake a substantial effort of professional development that leads to major benefits for their students, their institution’s educational program, and ultimately for society.

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I. Programs for New/Junior Faculty

These two universities both offer year-long programs that enable early-career faculty to learn about – and learn how to use, ideas about college teaching that provide a good foundation for better teaching and further educational development efforts in the future.

A. Minnesota State University – Mankato 2-3

B. University of Virginia 4-5

II. Programs for All Faculty

These two programs involve faculty from all career stages. New Mexico State’s program provides multiple opportunities to learn about various topics on college teaching each year, all leading to membership in an honorary Teaching Academy. The program at Loyola is focused on helping faculty learn specifically how to provide experiential learning activities for students in service learning/civic engagement courses.

A. New Mexico State University 6-7

B. Loyola University Chicago 8-9

I. Programs for New/Junior Faculty

Example A:

Faculty TEACHING CERTIFICATE Program (FTCP)

Minnesota State University – Mankato

Background

Minnesota State University is a comprehensive regional university with approximately 14,000 students and 500 full-time faculty members. The university has a large master’s program and some doctoral programs. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) program was started in 2002 after the administration was pressured to provide some help for faculty on teaching, since that was a major emphasis at the institution and many faculty had little training in their doctoral programs.

The founding director of CETL heard about a similar certificate program at West Point and especially liked the idea of putting faculty members into groups, based on their availability during the week.

Initially, there was not strong financial support for CETL by the administration (although there was later), and some colleagues predicted there would be little participation since “faculty don’t really care about improving their teaching.” That prediction turned out to be quite wrong.

Description of the Faculty Teaching Certificate Program (FTCP)

Participants in the program have to complete several activities.

I. Attend at least 7 of 8 seminars on the fundamentals of college teaching. These are 1.5 hours long and are focused on the following topics:

• Active Learning

• Classroom Assessment Techniques

• Course Design

• Teaching with Technology

• Developing and Using Rubrics

• Diversity in the Classroom

• Critical Thinking and General Education

• Capstone Project Presentations

II. Complete a Classroom Observation.  These are arranged through CETL and conducted by a faculty member trained by CETL.  The 30+ who currently do the observing are all graduates of the FTCP.

III. Complete a Capstone Project. Participants have to do something innovative in one of their courses by applying one or more ideas they learned about in the seminars.  They write a report of the change and its impact.  The report is shared with other participants at the final sessions and major public on the CETL website.

Participants are assigned to a group of 6 to 10 faculty members each, based on the time slots when they are available to attend multiple offerings of each seminar.  This assures groupings that include professors from many different disciplines

At the end of the year, the president of the university presents the Certificates to the participants in an end-of-program luncheon ceremony.  Faculty then present the certificate and their capstone project to their deans as evidence of continuing preparation and study which is a part of the tenure and promotion process at MSU.

Faculty Participation

The first year it was offered (2004) the goal was to register 10; there were 64 participants. In 2008-09, there are 47. By the end of that year, the 5th year of the program, over 50% of all full-time faculty (N=270) had completed the program.

Impact of the Program

This program has had a major positive impact on faculty attitudes toward learning about teaching.

• Nearly half of all faculty (N=220) are participating in or leading one of the activities sponsored by the Center.

• Each year the number of faculty participating in one of the many faculty learning communities (FLCs) increases.

o This year (2009) there will be about 150 participants in one of 12 different FLCs.

o Faculty develop friendships in these FLCs and their relationships often reduce the stereotypes they have of other disciplines and the people in them.

• Graduates of the TCP are telling their beginning colleagues to contact the Center as soon as they arrive, to register for the FTCP.

• In five years the culture of teaching and learning has changed dramatically at the university from innovative teaching practices to improved course design to stronger relationships across the disciplines.

Impact on the Practice of Teaching: Active learning is now becoming common across the campus with lecture being used more selectively and in an intentional way by those who complete the FTCP.  A few faculty members have moved to Team-Based Learning (Chemistry).

Impact on Students: Students report they enjoy and find helpful the IF-AT quizzes[1] being used by many faculty.  Some faculty members have reported that grades are improving on tests and other measures of achievement.

Impact on Faculty: Many participants in the FTCP report this program alone has kept them from leaving Minnesota State Mankato. Others report more interest and excitement in attempting new ideas and strategies in their courses. They also report more friendships developing through meeting faculty they would not otherwise meet except through FTCP seminars.

Contact Person for More Information:

Dr. Stewart Ross, Former Director (now retired)

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Phone: 507-304-1624

Email: stewart.ross@mnsu.edu

Example B:

Ignite Program

University of Virginia

Background:

The University of Virginia (UVa) is a flagship state, research I institution with approximately 15,000 undergraduate students, 6,000 graduate and professional students, and 1,500 instructional faculty. Like many institutions, UVA is facing an unprecedented faculty renewal and anticipates over 500 new faculty hires between 2015-2020.

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) created the Ignite program to capitalize on this renewal and prepare the next generation of UVa faculty for teaching excellence. The Ignite program began in 2015 to provide tenure-track as well as non-tenure track faculty who are new to UVa with the knowledge, skills, and supportive community they need to develop into exceptional teachers. Ignite program director, Dorothe Bach, has over 13 years of experience in educational development with a particular interest in supporting early career faculty.

Description of Ignite

Ignite Scholars are assigned to a learning team of 10 to 14 faculty members. We form cross-disciplinary teams based on schedules. 

Ignite Scholars are expected to complete these 5 activities:

I. Participate in the CTE’s week-long intensive Course Design Institute

II. Participate in a half-day Ignite program retreat

III. Participate in eight learning community meetings spread over the course of the academic year or a semester. During the 90-minute meetings, Ignite Scholars discuss assigned readings and work in groups to fine-tune their plans for implementing a specific evidence-based teaching/learning strategy into their course. Topics include, but are not limited to:

a. nurturing motivation

b. fostering inclusive learning environments

c. engaging students’ prior knowledge

d. providing effective feedback and assessing students’ learning

e. fostering students’ metacognition

f. writing reflective teaching statements for performance reviews

IV. Participate in classroom observation and/or mid-semester student poll. These are conducted by CTE trained faculty, graduate student, or undergraduate student consultants. The feedback is synthesized and then shared with the faculty member in a one-on-one consultation

V. Participate in (a) program assessments including completing pre, midpoint, and post-program surveys, (b) submitting syllabi, (c) a draft of their reflective teaching statement, and d) observation to measure use of active learning practices (optional).

Scholars who satisfy participation requirements are eligible for up to $1,500 in professional development funds.

Faculty Participation: In its first three years (2015-18), Ignite has served over 100 faculty members and continues to thrive.

Impact of the Program: Data from the first three years shows that Ignite leads to increased confidence in learning-focused classroom practices, syllabi that are more learning-centered, higher use us evidence-based teaching practices and greater student success (publication forthcoming). The program also helps faculty develop a greater sense of belonging to the institution.

For More Information:

Dorothe Bach, Associate Director

Center for Teaching Excellence

Email: bach@virignia.edu



II. Programs for ALL Faculty

Example A:

Teaching Academy

New Mexico State University

Background

New Mexico State University is a research intensive, Hispanic serving, land-grant university with approximately 800 full-time faculty members.

A teaching/learning center was established in 1980 but it was re-organized as a “Teaching Academy” in 2003. A membership system was created in response to feedback from faculty members on the task force that they didn’t mind coming to the center to learn about teaching, but they somehow wanted “credit” for doing so. The membership system became popular enough with faculty that they insisted on credit for the workshops offered by the online education program.

Brief Description of the Program

The four-person Teaching Academy and the six-person online education program offer a plethora of one-time and longer workshops throughout the academic year. The Teaching Academy keeps careful records of who participates and how many hours they spend learning about teaching. At the end of the academic year, qualifying participants are rewarded with membership in the Teaching Academy at an annual “Champagne & Chocolate” gala, attended by members and presided over by the president and/or provost.

Faculty members earn one of three levels of membership:

• “Basic” membership if they have 10 hours of participation during the past year,

• “Sustaining” membership if they have 20 hours, and

• “Distinguished” membership if they have 40 or more hours.

Memberships are good for one year.

Faculty Participation

The Teaching Academy and online education have worked to promote a culture in which learning about teaching is widely supported by NMSU educators. More than 900 faculty, staff, and graduate students participate every year. Currently, about 43% of the full-time faculty attend at least one event sponsored by the Academy each year, with a mean attendance of 15 hours. Of these participants, around 250 faculty members earn memberships in the Academy.

Impact

Every several years, the Teaching Academy administers an online impact survey. The most current survey was conducted in 2018 with a response rate of about 30 percent (200 out of 670 members, past or present, responded to the survey).

More than 90% of respondents agreed with the statement, “Based on my experiences with the Teaching Academy, I have enhanced my teaching.” More than 80% agreed with the statement, “Based on my experiences with the Teaching Academy, I have enhanced my students’ learning.”

Comments by professors about improved student learning include:

My developmental math pass rates went from about 70% to over 90%.

I’ve also seen a reduction in D, F, W rates, meaning, a higher percentage of my students are passing my rigorous courses.

Students are more eager to do small group/team-based work. I see this building community within the course and the major. Has helped provide learning resources for students who might otherwise be excluded because of their differences (e.g. gender, ethnicity, age, etc.).

Increased preparation for class. Better grades on national testing.

Thanks, Teaching Academy, for keeping me employed, fresh, and current, with tools to meet each individual’s learning needs.

Let's get the word out about the fact that the only cost is time; if someone wants to "up their game," improve their CV, or move up "in the ranks," they need to go no farther than the Teaching Academy.

In May 2018, the retiring provost made this comment about the Teaching Academy:

“[This is] also an occasion for reflection on the things we do well at NMSU. At the top of the list is the Teaching Academy, a program that was founded in 2003 to help our faculty become better teachers.”

For further information about the program, contact:

Tara Gray, Director

Teaching Academy

New Mexico State University

Email: tgray@nmsu.edu

Phone: 575-646-1013

Example B:

Certificate Program in Experiential Learning

Loyola University Chicago

Overview of Loyola University Chicago:

Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with more than 16,600 students, 11,500 of whom are undergraduates. The University has multiple campuses: three in the greater Chicago area, two elsewhere in Illinois, and two overseas (Italy and Vietnam). The University features 13 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by national organizations like the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Background Information:

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the Center for Experiential Learning at Loyola University Chicago is a curriculum development center on campus that supports faculty through pedagogy and course enhancement in service-learning, academic internships, undergraduate research, and learning portfolios. The founding director of the Center for Experiential Learning worked with the Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI) Center for Teaching and Learning to develop a faculty development certificate program with the explicit goal of enhancing faculty capacity in teaching experiential learning courses.

Description of Loyola’s Faculty Certificate in Experiential Learning Program

Launched in the fall 2017 with a cohort of 15 faculty, the educational development program provided 8 workshops focused on integrated course design, implementing experiential learning, working with community partners, and facilitating critical reflection. Faculty are encouraged to engage in 6 workshops; as a culminating project, faculty share a course syllabus including the experiential learning course elements. The value-added proposition for faculty is:

1) enhancing their course structure related to experiential learning,

2) building capacity and strategies around active teaching and learning practices, and

3) facilitating active learning courses that engage students AND community partners

Participants are required to participate in six (6) workshops, which include the two, required foundational course design workshops and a choice of varied curriculum-related workshops offered throughout the year. Offerings include:

Foundational Workshops (required)

• Integrated Course Design, Part I

• Integrated Course Design, Part II

Elective Workshops (at least 4 to complete the certificate)

1) Introduction to Experiential Learning Pedagogy

2) Collaborating with Community Partners

3) Developing Critical Reflection Assignments

4) Facilitating Critical Reflection in Class

5) Intercultural Competency, Sensitivity, and Inclusion

6) Assessment in Experiential Learning/ Developing Rubrics

The participants conduct a culminating project, in which they create and then share with other participants, a new syllabus of an experiential learning course. A rubric is shared with the faculty participants, featuring components expected in this new syllabus, based upon the workshop series content.

Impact on Faculty

Participants receive feedback on their syllabus from program cohorts and program staff. By completing the program, participants receive a variety of benefits:

• Earn a Faculty Development Certificate in Experiential Learning

• Be named a “Community-Engaged Experiential Learning Scholar”

• Be granted priority in university funding for “Communities in Solidarity for Engaged Learning Communities”

The ultimate goal of the program is to prepare faculty for building and teaching courses with a high degree of experiential learning embedded in them.

Impact on Institution and Student Learning

The first year of the program with the first cohort has proved to be successful in several different ways. This faculty development program has increased the number of experiential learning courses by providing space for faculty to build the courses through the workshop series. For example, an Arabic service-learning course, a Local and Global Feminism service-learning course, and a Museum Internship course are all new courses emerging out of this series. In addition, enhancing course strategies and developing a variety of teaching and learning techniques were a result of this program. Faculty instructors shared how the workshop series improved their experiential course projects and critical reflection strategies. Developing such strategies will ultimately impact student learning.

Contact Person for More Information:

Dr. Patrick M. Green

Director, Center for Experiential Learning

Clinical Instructor of Experiential Learning

Loyola University Chicago

P: (773) 508-3366

Email: pgreen@luc.edu

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[1] The Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT) form is a copyrighted instrument that gives students, or more often small groups, immediate feedback – question by question – on how well they are answering questions on a quiz. For more information:

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