Services

Answering teaching questions

The CTLE will suggest possible evidence-based solutions to teaching questions you may have, including but not limited to the following: lesson planning, evaluations/assignments, student engagement, or teaching tools.

College/school/department workshops

The CTLE is delighted to collaborate with you to create workshops applicable to faculty to promote a rigorous, enriching learning environment in courses within your college/school/department. For example, Trauma-Informed/Stress-Aware Teaching Workshop.

Available by request to departments, schools, or colleges. Contact us at ctle@syr.edu for more information or to schedule.

Individual consultations

Individual consultations are scheduled with an educational developer in the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) to discuss teaching questions, concerns, and strategies.

Mid-Semester Analysis

An educational developer will meet with the students in your course, gather quantitative individual data, and qualitative small group and whole group data. After coding for themes, the developer will meet with you to deliver the data, a written analysis of themes, and relevant, constructive, research-based suggestions. The Mid-Semester Analysis is designed to support the continuous pursuit of teaching excellence.

Observations and feedback

An educational developer from the CTLE will observe you teach in a classroom setting, and provide constructive, meaningful feedback. The CTLE will support and assist you in implementing changes.

Partnership for Inclusive Education (PIE)

The Partnership for Inclusive Education (PIE) pairs faculty and students for a semester-long exchange of perspectives on teaching and learning in a particular course. Faculty reflect on their teaching goals and strategies in conversation with a student not enrolled in their course.

What past Syracuse University participants have to say.

  • Faculty partners report the value of getting a student perspective through the relationship they develop and of making changes in teaching and approaching students. Faculty partners choose the focus (e.g., student well-being, inclusive pedagogies, assignment design, student-faculty communication). They spend about 10 hours per semester.
  • Student consultants report having their eyes opened to all the work faculty put into teaching and the ways they value students and feedback. They get excited when faculty make changes based on their ideas. They talk about the partnership as a unique professionalizing experience. They spend 6-10 hours weekly.

We welcome new and returning faculty partners and student consultants each semester. The program is coordinated by the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, and co-sponsored by the Shaw Center. We are now recruiting partners for fall 2022.

To learn more

  • Students contact: Carla Ramirez, Advisor for Student Consultants for PIE, Shaw Center, ccramire@syr.edu
  • Faculty contact: Laurel Willingham-McLain, Coordinator for PIE, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, ctle@syr.edu

Pivotal design questions

An educational developer from the CTLE will guide you in redesigning courses, lessons, assignments, and/or assessments to achieve your course objectives in any instructional mode.

Student feedback

Responding to student feedback is an integral part of creating an educational experience for students. The CTLE will assist you in evaluating student feedback and creating a plan to adjust your instruction based on the needs of students.

The CTLE will also provide support as you engage with information gathered through the university mid-course feedback process. To access your mid-course feedback report from EvaluationKIT follow these directions on the Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment website. Additionally, the CTLE is happy to assist you in interpreting and using information related to the Sentiment Score.

Syllabus review

An educational developer from the CTLE will review your draft syllabus and suggest best practices for creating a thorough, organized syllabus to help your students succeed, starting day one.

Writing groups

The CTLE ‘I Write’ faculty groups are synchronous online groups. A CTLE consultant facilitates these by finding a common time and structuring the sessions so each member has time to talk. We meet for up to 45 minutes on zoom every two weeks. See ‘I Write’ details here.

Writing group hours on Teams – Whether or not you join an “I write” group, you are welcome to participate in writing group hours. Our colleague, Timur Hammond in Maxwell, has created within TEAMS morning and afternoon writing groups where you simply log in with cameras and mics off and you use the time for writing however you see fit. The only talking among writers occurs on Fridays at 11:30 ET, and it is completely optional. Logging in to a writing group can help you be on task even though you’re on your own. It’s in your calendar! Let CTLE know if you would like to have your name added to this group.