Made using Wordle with the Faculty Center for Teaching Mission Statement
Opening forum: How can FCT best support faculty in their teaching?
Mission Statement
revised in 2010, following a retreat with current and former FCT Board members
The Faculty Center for Teaching seeks to cultivate on our campus a shared culture of reflection
about teaching that encourages and supports meaningful experimentation. Faculty members at all
career stages are essential to creating this culture as well as partnerships with staff across campus
who are invested in student learning. Because reflecting on our teaching is richest in an
environment that fosters an exchange of perspectives, our programs aim to provide a wide range
of opportunities for collaboration among colleagues both within and across disciplines.
What does FCT do?
To accomplish our mission, we have offered or are considering offering:
- a two-year orientation program for new faculty members, including a day-long session in August
for first-year faculty as well as 4-5 events throughout the year
- a peer partner program that matches new faculty members with current faculty members for a
two-year partnership that could include exchanging teaching ideas, visiting each others’ classes, or
other conversations and collaborations
- workshops, ranging from a 1-1.5 hour sessions to one- or two-day programs, centered on specific
teaching questions or approaches
- informal conversations (face-to face or online) around issues of interest in teaching and learning
- learning communities in which groups of faculty collaborate in investigating a topic of interest in
their teaching
- reading groups in which faculty explore a topic of interest related to teaching & learning,
pedagogy, or higher education
- resources on pedagogy, student learning, etc. (in FCT collection in Trexler Library and on our
website)
- summer grants for faculty to develop new approaches in their teaching or to support
development of new courses
- funds to help support participation in teaching conferences or workshops related to teaching
What can FCT do?
We would like to hear your thoughts on how FCT can support your work and ways in which you
might contribute to the mission of FCT. Thank you to those of you who have already shared
thoughts with Amy over the summer. Please feel free to jot down ideas on this sheet and leave it
with us or contact any member of the FCT Board:
Trish Boyles (Assistant Director), Diane Follet, Moshin Hashim, Amy Hark (Director), Mike Huber,
and Marcia Morgan
Faculty Center for Teaching
September 15, 2011