The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates a community of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of Grinnell College by fostering conversation and reflection at the intersection of pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructional design, and academic technologies. We advance practices of teaching and learning that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the best available evidence.
Community Friday, April 25: “Academic Affairs and Student Affairs: A Conversation,” with JC Lopez, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Jerry Seamon, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
HSSC A1231, Noon to 1 p.m.
Please RSVP by April 22 at this link: Community Friday RVSP for April 25
Please join Vice President JC Lopez and Interim Dean Jerry Seaman for a generative conversation around the partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Grinnell College. We will begin with a brief overview of points of connection and collaboration, mutual support, and shared concern. From there, we will engage in table conversations around broad themes to discern and share perspectives on what is going well, what we might be missing, and what we might next do together. This Community Friday is a special opportunity to bring the leaders of these two divisions together and rethink our shared mission.
The CTLA thanks the Dean’s Office for their generous support of this event.
New Definition of Teaching Excellence Approved by Faculty
The Presidential Task Force on Evaluating Teaching Excellence proposed that the faculty endorse a new definition of teaching excellence and recommended that the Dean of the College use this definition in faculty reviews. The following definition was approved in the spring of 2024.
| Expertise | They build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach; |
|---|---|
| Inclusive Teaching | They foster inclusive and engaging learning environments; |
| Learning Goals | They clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes; |
| Pedagogy | They use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context; |
| Feedback to Students | They respond to student work in a substantive, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of information and improving the learning experiences of students; and |
| Reflection | They engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices. |
