Faculty Programs

The Course Design Institute is a collegial, hands-on seminar especially useful for teachers who would like to reflect on and learn to represent their teaching. It is a good first experience for interacting with colleagues about course design. In the Course Design Institute, you will focus on one thing you want to change about one of your courses. You will work in small groups of colleagues from various disciplines, as well as with colleagues who have successfully implemented changes in their teaching. By the end of CDI, you will have a plan in place and will be ready to implement the course change you want to make next year, and you will be ready to document the results of your teaching project.

What will you do at CDI?

You’ll learn more about:

• Designing a course to maximize student learning
• Making the most of class time
• Using out-of-class time to promote learning (e.g. flipping classes)
• Assessing learning efficiently and productively
• Representing your teaching effectiveness

By the end of the seminar, you will have a plan for developing your ideas. And as a CDI participant, you will receive a $1,000 instructional fund you can use for materials, travel, or hourly help for any teaching project.

When is CDI?

The seminar is typically held in May. Participants also attend two follow-up sessions during the following Fall semester. 

When is the application deadline?

Application guidelines and submission portal for CDI are typically available each spring semester.

The Center for Teaching Excellence offers Course Transformation Grants of up to $3000 to faculty to support the implementation of student-centered, evidence-based, and inclusive teaching practices that improve the learning experiences of KU students. Examples include shifting the basic delivery of information to out-of-class time, organizing substantial amounts of in-class time around active or collaborative learning, implementing team-based learning, and creating authentic or realistic learning experiences for students (e.g., problem-solving, discussion, case-study analysis, problem- or project-based learning).

Application calls will go out in the Fall and Spring. The priority deadline for Fall is generally the beginning of September and for Spring is generally the end of January. However, proposals will be considered on a rolling basis if funds are available. 

Deadline for Applications

We are now accepting proposals for Spring 2023: Priority Deadline Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.

To meet the priority deadline for Spring 2023, the proposal should be submitted by 5 pm on Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023. We anticipate notifying applicants of funding decisions by Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, and funds will be available to successful applicants shortly thereafter. Proposals may be submitted after this time but consideration will depend on the availability of additional funds.

Proposal Guidelines and Application Submission

See the Course Transformation Grant page for more specifics about eligibility and expectations, proposal development and guidelines, selection criteria, and access to the application submission survey.

KU faculty are invited to apply for CTE’s Inclusive Teaching Faculty Seminar, to support the adoption of teaching methods, strategies, and course materials that enhance inclusivity and respect for diversity. The seminar builds on three years of the Diversity Scholars Program in helping foster a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable KU learning environment.

What is Faculty Seminar?

CTE’s Faculty Seminar is a semester-long learning-community in which a small group of faculty members meet regularly to reflect on their teaching and learn how various teaching strategies (typically organized around a particular theme) can result in better learning. Between meetings, participants read relevant teaching/learning literature and work on applying the lessons to one or more courses. Participants receive a stipend (most recently, $1,500) for professional expenses, assess the impact of course changes on student learning, and share their projects and results in posters at the Celebration of Teaching.

Deadline for Applications

Usually in early December

CTE’s January Jumpstart is a course design institute that gives new faculty members an opportunity to work on course plans. Participants can make best use of their planning time by discussing effective teaching practices and workshopping ideas in a collegial setting. In the spring, participants also meet for two follow-up sessions, to reflect on progress and discuss implementation and assessment.

January Jumpstart is not being offered at this time. We suggest that instructors look into our Course Design Institute instead.

Since 1997, faculty and instructional staff have gathered at the beginning of each academic year to learn about and share best practices for teaching at KU’s Teaching Summit. The Summit typically includes a plenary session with a nationally prominent speaker and breakout sessions offered by KU faculty and staff. Past speakers have included Ashley Finley, the Association of American Colleges and Universities; Ann Austin, Michigan State; Randy Bass, Georgetown; Robin Wright, University of Minnesota and the National Science Foundation. The Summit has become an integral part of the new academic year and usually draws 350 to 400 faculty and staff members from the Lawrence and Edwards campuses, and the University of Kansas Medical Center. 

The Student Learning Symposium, which began in 2015, provides a yearly occasion for faculty, staff and administrators to reflect on the university's work in assessing student learning. Participants hear from colleagues about ways to improve assessment, and engage in discussion about the best ways to use assessment data for educational improvement, and to increase faculty investment and ownership of assessment. This half-day event for about 100 faculty and staff consists of a plenary discussion and smaller workshops to highlight, share and reflect on examples, best practices, and results in degree-level and general education assessment.

Launched in 2015, the Celebration of Teaching is an occasion to share and honor faculty work on educational improvement and innovation. All participants who receive funding through CTE's programs generate a poster, with support from a CTE Graduate Fellow. The poster holds faculty accountable for making planned changes and looking at the impact on student learning, and the event fosters intellectual exchange about teaching strategies and results. Making faculty work on teaching visible can influence social norms by illustrating for faculty and administrators the breadth of teaching innovation on campus. The event has a festive nature, and university administrators usually join in discussions with instructors. The Celebration of Teaching usually has 50 to 60 posters and draws more than 200 attendees.