Evidence of Teaching Excellence

The evaluation of teaching serves three primary purposes. First, it serves a developmental purpose by providing instructors with information that can be used reflexively to adjust teaching and assessment practices. Second, it provides an opportunity to align programmatic goals and learning outcomes within and across units. Third, the contextual data from teaching evaluations can be used for administrative purposes by informing personnel decisions.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

By bringing a scholarly focus to teaching and learning in higher education, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) uses discovery, reflection, and evidence-based methods to answer questions about student learning. At the core of the SoTL philosophy is an understanding that intentionally studying teaching practices and student learning outcomes is crucial for producing excellence in instruction.

Teaching Enhancement Plans

Teaching Enhancement Plans (TEPs) are the result of a relatively formal consultation process in which faculty members meet with Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning specialists to review and modify their teaching techniques and strategies—from planning the course right through grading student work.

Teaching Philosophy

Why write a teaching philosophy? Writing teaching philosophies has become a common practice among educators, as they can be useful—and are often recommended or required—in job applications for faculty positions and in the promotion and tenure review process.

Teaching Portfolio

What is a portfolio? A teaching portfolio is a “judicious, critical, purposeful analysis of performance, evidence, and goals” (Seldin 2010); it is the result of a process of deliberate and intentional reflection on teaching. It can focus solely on the development of a single course (often called a course portfolio) or on teaching in general.