Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence Current Programming
Each term, the CTLE works with faculty to facilitate peer-to-peer PD focused on topics that you can use in your classroom right away. Please expand the accordions below for this term's schedule. These sessions are aligned with the Teaching Excellence Framework, which was developed by a diverse group of stakeholders - led by the Faculty Development Committee (FDC). If you'd like to host a faculty forum, please complete the survey on the right.
Designing for Belonging Series
In the current climate, we need to focus faculty on student belonging and inclusion. Specifically, I want to help faculty intentionally create conditions for connection, trust, participation, and academic belonging during the opening days of a course.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain why early course experiences influence belonging and engagement.
- Identify common practices that unintentionally create distance or uncertainty.
- Apply strategies that communicate welcome, structure, connection, and confidence.
- Redesign one first-week activity or communication.
Session Info: Oct 13, 2026 @ 12:00 PM CST
Session 2 Info: Jan 12, 2027 @ 12:00 PM CST
Session 3 Info: Apr 13, 2027 @ 12:00 PM CST
AI: Try One New Thing
We’ve hit the “what is AI?” theme really hard the past couple of years. We’ve talked about implementing it in the course as well, but this session will encourage faculty to approach instructional innovation as a small experiment rather than a major course redesign.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify a specific teaching or learning challenge.
- Select an instructional strategy or technology appropriate to that challenge.
- Design a small-scale instructional experiment.
- Determine what evidence will indicate whether the change worked.
Session Info: Dec 8, 2026 @ 12:00 PM CST
Session Info: Feb 9, 2027 @ 12:00 PM CST
Session Info: May 11, 2027 @ 12:00 PM CST
From Course Content to Workforce Competencies
This session will help faculty make clearer connections between what students learn in a course and the competencies they will need in professional settings.
Learning Objectives:
- Distinguish between course content, learning outcomes, and workforce competencies.
- Identify workforce competencies already embedded in an existing course.
- Strengthen the connection between academic learning and professional application.
- Revise one course activity or assignment to make competency development more visible to students.
Session Info: Nov 17, 2026 @ 12:00 PM CST
Session Info: Mar 9, 2027 @ 12:00 PM CST
JumpStart Orientation
We realize that a single orientation session is not enough to support new faculty members. So, we've created a series of orientation sessions, collectively called the JumpStart Orientation, scheduled throughout the term. These sessions will help you get acquainted with your fellow faculty members and NLU’s systems, while also serving as touch-points for you to get your questions answered. See each drop-down below for an outline of each session and a link to register. Please keep in mind that these sessions may change based on the evolving needs of faculty. We’re happy you’re here and we look forward to seeing you during the JumpStart Orientation!
Excellence in Online & Remote Teaching
Excellence in Online and Remote Teaching (EORT), a development opportunity for all faculty at National Louis University, features asynchronous, interactive modules and resources accessed on the CTLE website that address the nuts and bolts of online and remote teaching. This information is designed as hands-on, just-in-time learning experiences that result in tangible, usable strategies that can be immediately implemented into your teaching practice.
Even though the course has a sequential aspect to it, it is also designed for you to consume and interact with information that is most meaningful to you, so feel free to skip around and don’t worry if you do not participate in each module.
Use the EORT link below to explore the web resources to help you teach asynchronously.
Professional Development Info
PD Reflection
Often, you'll want to share progress on your pedagogical experimentation during your Faculty Performance Evaluation, or in other venues - but it can be difficult to remember everything you did throughout the year. Download the form below to reflect on your implementation of practices learned through PD engagement.
PD Budget
If you're seeking growth opportunities outside of what the CTLE or your college is offering, each full-time faculty/staff member has a $1,000/year professional development budget.
Invite the CTLE to Your Meeting!
We're happy to bring the training to you. Please use the form below to invite us to your meeting. We're available to offer guidance on this or any other topic.
Podcast Spotlight
Teaching in Higher Ed: How Artificial Intelligence is Impacting Higher Education
Bonni Stachowiak hosts the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast and speaks about the many uses of ChatGPT with guest Cynthia Alby, Professor of Teacher Education at Georgia College and Lead Developer for the Governor's Teaching Fellows Program in Georgia. The conversation includes a discussion about the ways that instructors are using AI to improve their practice, including writing sample lesson plans and writing copy for upcoming events/initiatives. They note the importance of refining anything that comes from the Chatbot, but highlight its utility as a jumping-off point. Listen to the whole podcast below.
Facilitate Professional Development!
Have some insights or best practices you would like to share with your colleagues?
Enlighten in 11 (E:11)
For information regarding the CTLE Enlighten in 11 series please visit the E:11 page.
