Teaching Orientation
Each summer, the Teaching Center offers a three-part new instructor teaching orientation in collaboration with Faculty Affairs, Office of the Provost. This orientation serves all new instructors of any faculty rank with ongoing teaching responsibilities (i.e., from visiting assistant professor through tenured professor).
These three sessions are designed to be an easy and efficient way for instructors to get ready to teach. The content is designed for in-person courses enrolling multiple students, but most sections are also relevant to those teaching in one-on-one or online contexts.
Parts one and two can be done in one four-hour block or in two two-hour blocks on Zoom. They occur earlier in the summer so that instructors have essential information for designing courses in advance of fall semester.
Part three is a half-day, in-person event in late August. It covers just-in-time information for teaching courses and documenting teaching effectiveness.
Session Overview
Part one: on Zoom, July 31, 2025, 9:00 am - 11:00 am; August 4, 2025, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Introduction to learner-centered teaching
- Syllabus overview and template
- Teaching policies and compliance
- Writing student learning outcomes
Part two: on Zoom, July 31, 2025, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm; August 4, 2025, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm; August 5, 2025, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
- Introduction to backward course design
- Designing effective assessments
- Inclusive feedback and messaging
- Developing engaging learning activities
- Introduction to blackboard and instructional software
Part three: in-person, late August 2025
- Breakfast
- Office of Equity and Inclusion: PEN America
- Setting the Stage for Robust Engagement in the College Classroom
- Teaching Center
- Teaching Effectively on the First Day
- Developing Sustainable Teaching Practices
- Documenting Teaching Effectiveness
- Faculty Panel: Leveraging Teaching Professional Development for Your Career
- Teaching Center
- Teaching Support Resources