Welcome to our September newsletter! As you step up to face the many challenges and opportunities of another pandemic semester, we hope you find time to read and enjoy this month’s newsletter, which includes updates, and multiple ways of staying connected with the Teaching Academy.
This month: We look forward to the Academy’s Fall Retreat on Ableism, Disability and Inclusive Practices, including how practices adopted during remote instruction can enable more inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. We showcase professional development opportunities offered by the new Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring. We welcome new members to the Academy and the Executive Committee. And as always, the Academy Forum is looking to feature your thoughts and your voice!
Questions or comments about the newsletter? Contact Dan Pell, Editor dan.pell@wisc.edu
Trouble viewing this email? Open in Google Docs: Teaching Academy September Newsletter
Upcoming Events | What’s happening in the Academy?
REGISTER NOW! The Teaching Academy 2021 Fall Retreat: Ableism, Disability, and Inclusive Practices will be held on Friday, October 1st from 9:00am to 11:00am. This fully virtual event is free, and registration is unlimited.
All are welcome. Please share!
The retreat will feature a panel discussion, student testimonials, and opportunities to connect and discuss with colleagues from across campus. Amongst other themes, we will explore ways in which adaptations and practices adopted by instructors during the period of emergency remote instruction can enable more inclusive approaches to teaching in the “new normal”. We are looking forward to learning with our panelists:
- Ruben Mota, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, Office of Compliance
- Patty Cisneros Prevo, Student Life Coordinator for Diversity & Inclusion, Wisconsin School of Business
- Britt Marie Ziedler, Founder and Co-Director, Graduate and Professional Students with Disabilities Initiative, PhD Candidate, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
- Undergraduate panelists from the Student Organization: Advocating for Differing Abilities
The Teaching Academy strives to make our events accessible to all. Please direct requests for other accommodations to teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu by Friday, September 24.
Recognizing new members
These individuals have been recently recognized for their outstanding commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. Welcome to the Teaching Academy!
Future Faculty Partners: MaryGrace Erickson (Animal & Dairy Science), Josie Mitchell (Biochemistry), Yunhan Shin (Economics), Vipulya Chari (Communication Arts)
Fellows: Kevin Wyne (SMPH), Wendy Halm (Nursing)
Executive Committee: We welcome Bri Meyer (Anthropology) and Andrew McWard (Political Science) to new roles on the Teaching Academy Executive Committee. Bri joins the committee as an FFP Member, and Andrew joins as the FFP Co-Chair. Congratulations!
The Executive Committee seeks FFP members!
If you are a Future Faculty Partner (FFP), please consider nominating yourself or a peer to join the Executive Committee. We currently have several open positions for FFPs and need your voice as graduate students!
Note: Positions on the Executive Committee are open to all FFPs, including new members. To learn more about the process and expectations email: teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu
Update | Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring
The university’s new Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring was officially established on July 1, 2021 and is dedicated to advancing student learning through the craft of teaching. The center supports faculty and staff, including teaching assistants, of all career stages as they create innovative, engaging and inclusive learning experiences. More specifically, the center offers instructors campus-level professional development, course design, and instructional consulting programs and services.
Read the full campus announcement about the center and visit ctlm.wisc.edu.
FYI | Professional development opportunities
You are invited to join the Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring (CLTM) for professional development opportunities to help you prepare for the fall semester and beyond. CTLM offers a range of professional development programs, from the basics of teaching at UW-Madison to deep-focus explorations of important topics like online course design and teaching, assessment, student engagement, accessibility, and inclusive practices.
Guided opportunities
- TeachOnline@UW (online courses + webinars): Explore and apply research-based online course design and teaching practices. Plan & Design course starts September 27, apply by September 20.
- Fall Course Preparation Sessions (now to September 30 via Zoom): Drop in and meet with CTLM staff members to resolve questions on a range of topics, from teaching approaches and course materials, to communication, assessment, course syllabi, and technology.
- Course Success Series (1.5 hours via Zoom, Wednesdays & Thursdays 8:30-10am): Focus on particular teaching topics and related strategies to make meaningful progress on course design and teaching challenges and opportunities. All sessions posted on the CTLM Events Calendar.
- Teaching and Learning Forums (1 hour via Zoom, Wednesdays 1-2pm): Meet and talk with one another about increasing effective, efficient, and equitable teaching and learning.
Self-directed resources
- Fall 2021 Instructional Resources KnowledgeBase: Find documents that provide a quick introduction and concrete solutions for dealing with specific challenges related to fall instruction.
- Course Success Self-Review: Take this quick, anonymous survey to identify areas to strengthen the design and delivery of your course, and receive targeted feedback and resources.
To learn more about these programs or to register, visit the CTLM’s Professional Development Opportunities. If you’re not sure which of the above opportunities is right for you or you’re looking for a different kind of engagement or instructional support, you can request a consultation.
Learning Community | Clinical Teachers’ Corner
Faculty Orientations
- SMPH – New Faculty Orientation will be held live online on Tuesday, September 21. Contact info@med.wisc.edu with any questions.
- School of Pharmacy – The School of Pharmacy completes faculty orientation on an individualized basis with the Division Chair and other leadership within the school. For clinical instructors the School of Pharmacy has an ongoing online orientation program through the Preceptor Development Center. Please check there for orientation information.
- School of Nursing – Check the SoN LocalNet for more information!
Explore
Resources
Questions? Topics you would like to see? Announcements for the next issue? Email Sara Scott: sfscott@wisc.edu
The Academy Forum | Share ideas with other members
The Academy Forum is a space waiting for YOU to fill it!
This is a place to share ideas and inspiration with Fellows, FFPs, Affiliates & partners across campus! Why not take 5 minutes to share a few thoughts right now?
Contribute to the NEXT Academy Forum: go.wisc.edu/theacademyforum
- How do you assess and manage the workload for students (and instructors) in your courses?
- What tools or approaches can we use to assess the “co-curricular” best practices of teaching excellence – e.g., mentoring, community partner inclusion, alumni contact & networking?
- (Carried over April 2021) What is your take on virtual conferences and events? Share any positive (or negative, or funny) experiences.
Submission Deadline: Please submit your answers by Monday, October 11, 2021
Responses included in the newsletter will typically be less than one paragraph, but in some cases we may include a longer response. Responses may be edited for brevity and to fit the format of the newsletter.
View responses from August 2021 to the Academy Forum
Join us! Honor a colleague! | The Teaching Academy is seeking new applications and nominations
Now is the perfect time to honor a colleague or nominate yourself! Our mission is to promote, recognize and support excellence in teaching and learning among faculty, staff and students across campus and beyond. The Teaching Academy welcomes nominees who work in traditional classrooms, clinical practice, field instruction, or instructional support with learners at any level.
There are three types of membership: Future Faculty Partner (FFP), Fellow, and Affiliate. Read about how to become a Member.
Are you an FFP who has moved on to another position in the University? Contact teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu to discuss changing your status from FFP to Fellow.
Get involved! | Ways to contribute to the Academy’s ongoing activities
- Newsletter & Academy Forum (dan.pell@wisc.edu)— Join the planning committee, contribute to the forum, act as guest editor for the Academy newsletter.
- Fall Retreat | Winter Retreat (dan.pell@wisc.edu) — Join the committee to plan, organize & facilitate campus-wide teaching development events .
- U-Class (jamie.henke@wisc.edu) — Explore teaching and learning from the student perspective by attending our U-CLaSS sessions
- Analytics Committee (teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu) — Help ensure that we are capturing the right information to determine who our programs are reaching, whether participants find them valuable and, most importantly, if there was something they learned through participation.
- Affiliate/Clinical Affiliates (wenker@pt.wics.edu) — Teaching experiential courses, from clinic to fieldwork? Become involved in growing the clinical affiliate or affiliate program .
- Nomination Committee (wenker@pt.wics.edu) — We are seeking Fellows (Faculty & Academic Staff) and FFPs to help review nominations. Honor great campus educators & promote excellence by helping to review nominations to the Teaching Academy.
- Executive Committee (teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu) — The Executive Committee spearheads all major Teaching Academy events and activities throughout the course of the year, providing invaluable insight and experience to the larger Teaching & Learning community.
- Feedback on Teaching (FOT) Committee (teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu) — This joint effort between the Teaching Academy and the Division for Teaching & Learning offers an opportunity for a graduate student to participate in scaling up and implementing a new peer observation program across campus. Email for more information.
- Members-Only Roundtables (MOR) (claire.barrett@wisc.edu) — We are seeking Teaching Academy Fellows who are interested in organizing roundtable discussions among Teaching Academy members on issues surrounding teaching & learning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These discussions take place once per semester.