| Meeting the NCA Criteria >> Criterion 3 >> Teaching and Learning ...
Undergraduate Education || Graduate and Professional Education
Teaching and learning support Center For Research On Learning And Teaching (http://www.crlt.umich.edu/) The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), supports and advances learning and teaching on the Ann Arbor campus, primarily at the undergraduate level. A secondary function is to promote a University culture that values and rewards teaching, respects and supports individual differences among learners, and encourages learning environments in which diverse students can learn and excel. The center offers a variety of programs and services to accomplish this mission. A partial selection of the services provided follows: Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Training: CRLT provides orientation programs and workshops for graduate student instructors. Consultations: Professional staff consult with faculty members, graduate student instructors, administrators, and academic committees on instructional matters. Services for new faculty: Fall and Winter term orientation sessions introduce new faculty to resources supporting teaching on campus. Special sessions dealing with teaching issues are also offered. At the College of Engineering, CRLT coordinates the biweekly Engineering Fellows Program which meets to focus on specific instructional issues. Midterm feedback: CRLT facilitates midterm feedback sessions for instructors who wish to assess and improve their teaching as the term progresses. Customized programs of services to respond to the special needs of units: CRLT workshops help groups of faculty, graduate student instructors, and/or units address specific learning issues that are unique to the unit. CRLT can design workshops on many methods of teaching and evaluation. As part of their curricular reform efforts, many units are conducting surveys. CRLT staff are available to work with units to discuss methods for collecting information and to provide guidance in survey design and the interpretation of evaluation results. In addition, CRLT maintains a number of important grants competitions that provide support for faculty development and improvement of teaching. These awards, open to departments, programs, and regular instructional faculty, stimulate visible "best practices" models of teaching. Among these incentives, for instance, the Interdisciplinary Faculty Associates Program provides stipends for faculty from different departments who will team-teach an interdisciplinary undergraduate course.
Faculty Exploratory The Faculty Exploratory (http://www.lib.umich.edu/exploratory/), centrally located in the Hatcher Graduate Library, assists University of Michigan faculty members to explore new ways of integrating technology into their teaching, presenting, researching, and publishing. Small group workshops, online tutorials and other resources, and "walk-in" assistance are offered in learning new ways of using technology to collaborate with students and colleagues, and to acquire, manipulate and present information. The Exploratory facility at the Hatcher Library has 17 workstations for instruction as well as other equipment such as printers and a scanner. Exploratory consultants devote considerable time answering questions about computer applications and hardware in addition to helping faculty explore new software. In addition to individual walk-in and by-appointment assistance, the Exploratory offers hands-on workshops on a variety of topics for developing both basic and advanced skills. Assistance is provided in areas such as using basic office software, building Web pages, designing PowerPoint presentations, using the Internet, manipulating graphics, and managing citations. Fourteen workshops are offered in the Winter Term of 2000.
The University has always placed a strong emphasis on the quality of its faculty, and provides numerous awards and recognition to support that commitment to excellence. A sampling of University-wide faculty awards follows: Distinguished University Professorships are awarded to faculty of professorial rank who have attained national and international recognition for originality and for scholarly achievement and have demonstrated teaching skills and breadth of interest as well as depth of achievement in the individual’s field of scholarly interest. Created by the Regents in 1947, this award carries an annual stipend and research support award until retirement. Appointments to these positions are made only when vacancies occur. The name of the professorship is chosen to honor an outstanding individual in the faculty member’s discipline. Currently 30 of our faculty members hold Distinguished University Professorships at the University of Michigan. The prestigious Henry Russel Lectureship is one of the highest honors the University confers on a senior faculty member who holds the rank of Professor. Each year the Henry Russel Lectureship is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements in research and scholarship (including creative endeavors). Former Russel Lecturers and members of the Research Club of the University of Michigan select the recipient of the Lectureship, which carries a stipend. The Thurnau Professorships are named after Arthur F. Thurnau, a student at the University of Michigan from 1902 to 1904. The Professorships recognize and reward faculty for outstanding contributions to undergraduate education. This program is designed to honor those tenured faculty whose commitment to and investment in undergraduate teaching has had a demonstrable impact on the intellectual development and lives of their students. Five or six tenured faculty members are designated annually as Thurnau Professors for a three-year term, and receive a grant to support activities that enhance their teaching. The John H. D'Arms Faculty Awards for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities were created in honor of John H. D’Arms, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School (1985-1995). The award recognizes scholars of extraordinary depth and breadth who have provided their students with the quality of intellectual support that only remarkable learning, coupled with boundless generosity of spirit, can bestow. The Distinguished Faculty Achievement Awards honor extraordinary achievements in the areas of teaching, scholarly research (or creative endeavors), service and other activities which have brought distinction to the University. Up to five awards are bestowed annually to full and associate professors selected for this honor. The Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award was established in 1996 and is named in honor of Dean Emeritus Harold Johnson, former Dean of the School of Social Work. This award recognizes tenured or tenure-track faculty whose service contributes to the development of a more culturally and ethnically diverse campus community. Five awards that include a stipend are made annually. Distinguished Public Service Awards are conferred by the Regents in recognition of public service activities that relate to teaching and research and reflect professional and academic expertise. The Amoco Foundation Faculty Teaching Awards are designed to honor demonstrated excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level. Up to two awards with stipends are made annually. Since 1959, Faculty Recognition Awards have recognized substantive contributions to the University through significant achievements in research and other scholarly/creative activities; excellence as a teacher, advisor and mentor; and distinguished participation in the service activities of the University. Up to five awards with stipends are made annually. The Henry Russel Award, which carries a stipend, is conferred annually to one or more individuals in recognition of distinguished scholarship or authorship (including creativity in the arts) and conspicuous ability as a teacher. Faculty members who consistently place University interests before personal or departmental interests represent a scarce resource that all faculty members treasure. Their concern with the general welfare is reflected by service in the arena of faculty governance. The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs recognizes such accomplishments with an annual Distinguished Faculty Governance Award, which is funded by the Alumni Association. The Sarah Goddard Power Award recognizes the accomplishments of members of the University community who have distinguished themselves through their leadership, scholarship, and sustained service on behalf of women. The Academic Women's Caucus established the award in 1984; it was renamed in 1988 to honor Regent Sarah Goddard Power who was a particularly strong advocate for women within the University community. Eligible candidates for a Power Award include any University of Michigan faculty member (including instructors, lecturers, primary researchers, librarians, and curators) or senior administrative staff member. School/College Professorships. In 1973, the Board of Regents established a program designed to provide an opportunity for a school, college, or campus to honor both active faculty members and prominent former, retired, or deceased faculty members by naming a faculty award in the honor of the senior faculty member. There are more than 90 such professorships, distributed among the schools, colleges, and campuses by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and managed within the academic units. A number of special awards are also made to research scientists and to graduate student instructors. The Distinguished Research Scientist Award recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement, whether taking the form of the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge, the development of innovative technology, or the development of concepts which lead to significant advances in science, education, health, the arts or humanities. It also recognizes exceptional ability to convey the excitement and significance of scholarship and creative activities to the educated public. Each award carries a grant for each of four years. The University Research Scientist Recognition Award, recognizes exceptional scholarly promise, whether taking the form of the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge, the development of innovative technology, or the development of concepts which lead to significant advances in science, education, health, the arts or humanities. A stipend accompanies this award. The Research Scientist Achievement Award also recognizes the outstanding scholarly achievements of an individual holding at least 75% of his or her total University appointment in the Primary Research track. Recipients are awarded a stipend. The Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, which carries a stipend, is given to up to twenty individuals annually who demonstrate exceptional ability and creativity as teachers, promise of professional growth as scholars and teachers, and effective interaction with students outside the classroom as counselors and advisors.
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