Report of Activites 2006-2007
           Committee on Teaching and Learning

                                                                  PSF 3 07/08                                                         

                                                                                                                                           

Committee Members: Lori Allen, Fran Kavenik, Anne Statham, Jonathan Shailor, Pamala Handrow, Chris Zanowski, Mary Louise Edwards, Theresa Castor, James Robinson.

The committee met on the following dates: Aug. 9, Sept. 1, Sept. 9, Sept. 15, Sept. 22, Oct. 27, Nov. 30, Jan. 23, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, March 5, March 21, April 3, April 18, and May 2.

1. Course Evaluations. The committee’s main focus this year has been on course evaluations in order to begin a campus conversation on course evaluations, to explore how course evaluations may be used to understand better student learning and be used to improve teaching. With these goals in mind, the committee conducted interviews with department and program chairs, co-sponsored a presentation by former UW Parkside faculty member, Lana Rakow (Nov. 10), a brown bag on course evaluations featuring various department chairs (March 19), and a mini-conference on course evaluations (April 6). From the mini-conference, the committee solicited suggestions for follow-up activities.

2, Committee Structure Revision. Given the many new initiatives and programs on campus that relate to teaching and learning, the committee added several ex officio positions that included: CBL/CBR Faculty Director, D2L Administrator, General Education Director, and FYE representative.

3. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. A mini-conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning was held on October 13 and featured guest presenters Lisa Kornetsky (OPID Director) and Renee Meyers (UWM, Coordinate of UW Leadership Site for SoTL).

4. Teaching Award. Based on a request from the University Committee, the CoTL revised procedures for the Stella Gray Teaching Award to encourage a greater number of nominations. Changes to current procedures include soliciting nominations during the Fall and Spring semesters, having an online form for submissions, providing criteria on the nomination form, and revising the nomination form to encourage detailed feedback on a nominee.

5. OPID Conference and Grant Activity. The committee assembled a team to attend the OPID Spring conference on the first year experience. This team is working on applying for an OPID Undergraduate Teaching and Learning grant to focus on studying literacy and learning among first year students. The team has submitted a grant proposal (of $1000) to OPID to support conference follow-up activity to disseminate what team members learned from the OPID conference on FYE.

6. New Faculty Survey. The committee administered a survey to ‘new’ (i.e., first and second year) faculty to determine how to serve the needs of this group in relation to teaching and student learning. The committee decided to focus development activities for this group in early Fall and early Spring semesters of next year.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Theresa Castor