The CTL offers a wide range of support and career development opportunities for early career faculty, and faculty new to the University. We know the turmoil that starting a new job, teaching new courses, and developing your career bring to your life, but you don’t have to go through it alone! From the time you arrive at the University of Windsor, the Centre provides you with a wide variety of support for your teaching and career development to help you hit the ground running, including:
Getting started: Welcome and Orientation
New Faculty Orientation Teaching Workshops. The Orientation is a 2-day event coordinated by the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention and includes a number of workshops on teaching and learning topics to help you get started quickly as a new faculty member at the University. Topics include Preparing for the First Day of Teaching, Creating Course Outlines, Developing a Teaching Dossier, and Blackboard Learn and Teaching Technologies.
Early Career Faculty Mentoring Program
Are you an early career faculty member? You are invited to a new opportunity to join small group mentoring with experienced faculty, dedicated to supporting you in your teaching as you balance research, and service expectations. Two mentors with different experience and background will meet with a group of 6-8 early career faculty, to enable multiple small mentoring groups. The groups will meet for one academic year, and will work together to shape the meetings on topics and themes relevant to thriving at the University of Windsor in teaching as you balance research, service, work-life balance, and more!
The Summer Series on Teaching and Learning. Each summer, the CTL coordinates a week-long mini-conference in August which is free and open to all staff and students at the University. The Series is themed each year around strategic teaching and learning priorities in the University and usually offers 8-10 interactive workshops over the course of the week.
Ongoing Development and Support for University Teachers
There are a wide range of options available to you to help you develop your career as an excellent teacher at the University of Windsor. Early career faculty are offered preference in a range of limited enrolment events throughout the year. These events are strategically timed to be of maximum benefit to you when you need it the most.
University Teaching Certificate. The UTC is an internationally recognized certification program in university teaching. The UTC Program is designed to help academics develop as scholarly teachers engaged in evidence-based, theoretically-grounded pedagogy, course-design, mentoring and assessment.
One-on-one consultation. The CTL’s experienced and supportive staff are available to consult with faculty on course and syllabus design, assessment/evaluation of student learning, writing learning outcomes, course refinement, and other teaching and learning related activities.
Teaching observation and development. In addition to one-on-one consultation, the CTL offers observation of classroom teaching, facilitation of mid-way feedback on teaching, and design and facilitation of special teaching evaluations.
Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW). The ISW is an intensive 3-day event held once or twice per year for a small group of participants. Each day involves workshops in the morning, followed by micro-teaching sessions in the afternoon. Teaching sessions are recorded and participants receive a DVD of their teaching session each day, plus feedback from their peers and the facilitators. Participants receive a certificate of completion at the end of the event.
Teaching and Learning Series. Throughout the year, the CTL organizes a series of workshops and other professional development events based around teaching and learning themes relevant to teaching and learning priorities at the University. These are free and open to all University staff and students. Check out the CTL website for more details.
Learning Communities. The CTL supports a number of learning communities that are available to early career faculty, including the CLEW, Enhancing the Classroom Learning Environment, and AAS learning communities. These are places for faculty to explore new ideas and approaches in teaching, share their experiences, and support each other to meet the rewarding challenges of university teaching.
Brightspace Learning Management support. Brightspace is the University’s Learning Management System and is supported by many introductory and advanced workshops, and one-on-one consultations with the CTL’s Learning Technology Trainer, Anna Galka.
Teaching-Related Funding
Grants. A number of small grants are available to support early career faculty to develop their scholarly teaching. These include travel grants, supporting faculty to travel to teaching and learning conferences, and the Centred on Learning Innovation Fund (CLIF) Awards, which are small grants aimed at supporting projects that are consistent with the University’s strategic plan, and which foster student engagement, deep learning, and creative and critical thinking.
Support and Preparation for Promotion and Tenure
Teaching Dossier Academy. The CTL facilitates a week-long summer event involving workshops and mentoring to help faculty and graduate students develop their own teaching dossier. At the end of the Academy, participants will all have developed a teaching dossier that represents them as a teacher. Centre staff also provide one-on-one consultation and support throughout the year for faculty and graduate students developing their teaching dossiers.
Other Useful Groups Connections
Peer Collaboration Network. A Network developed and supported by the Teaching Leadership Chairs, to help faculty collaboratively help each other, including exchanging classroom observations.
Office of Open Learning. Online and Distance course and resource development.