Faculty Programs

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) offers Course Transformation Grants of up to $3,000 to faculty to support the implementation of student-centered, evidence-based, and inclusive teaching practices that enhance the learning experiences of KU students. Examples include shifting the delivery of content to out-of-class time, organizing in-class time around active or collaborative learning, implementing team-based learning, and creating authentic or realistic learning experiences (e.g., problem-solving, discussion, case-study analysis, problem- or project-based learning).

Deadline for Applications We are now accepting proposals for Fall 2024: Priority Deadline Monday, Sept. 16, 2024.

To meet the priority deadline for Fall 2024, proposals should be submitted by 5 pm on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, and funds will be available to successful applicants shortly thereafter. Proposals may be submitted after this date, but consideration will depend on the availability of additional funds.

Money awarded must be spent in FY25. Awarded funds that are not spent by early June FY25 will be forfeited.

Proposal Guidelines and Application Submission For more specifics about eligibility and expectations, proposal development and guidelines, selection criteria, and access to the application submission survey, please visit the Course Transformation Grant page.

Read the full RFP for this program.

KU faculty are invited to apply for CTE’s Fall 2024 Faculty Seminar on Course Internationalization. This faculty seminar represents a collaboration between CTE and KU’s Office of International Affairs, and links to a broader university initiative to transform KU into a comprehensive international university and integrate international more thoroughly and seamlessly into every aspect of institutional life. To this end, the seminar aims to help faculty internationalize courses across the curriculum. Your course does not have to focus on international content, the goal here is to develop more courses that intentionally engage with the international in whatever ways make sense within the context of your discipline. This seminar will support KU faculty in incorporating meaningful international engagement into their course. The goal is to increase the number of students in all disciplines who experience meaningful international engagement while at the University of Kansas.

“Internationalization” of a course may involve transforming a course unit by adding international content, examples, or activities (e.g., use international case studies as course illustrations, or develop a collaborative project to try to find solutions to a specific global or international problem). Alternatively, internationalization could involve adding a Virtual Exchange project with an international partner or a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) project with a faculty member overseas, linking your two classes for a joint project (e.g., a project dealing with the different ways that printers manufactured in the E.U. and in the U.S. are wired). It could even mean building a study abroad component into your course.

What is Faculty Seminar?

CTE’s Faculty Seminar gives faculty members an opportunity to develop teaching innovations and new models of teaching practice in a collegial setting that offers peer review and support. In Fall 2025, participants will attend four 90-minute meetings to explore ideas for internationalizing their classes. Through readings, discussion, and workshopping of ideas, participants will develop plans for a substantial change to acourse and plans to assess the impact on their students’ learning. In Spring 2025, participants will meet for two follow-up sessions, to reflect on progress and discuss implementation and assessment.

Deadline and how to you apply

Submit an application by September 13 through this this link: https://forms.office.com/r/mxYQZyac33. The application should be 1-2 pages and should address the following:

1. What course(s) do you propose to focus on, and why?
2. What are your goals for participating in this program? For your students and their learning?
3. Describe an example of something you have done in your teaching to improve your students’ learning.
4. Confirm your availability for Fall 2024 meetings scheduled for September 18, October 9, October 30, and December 11.  All meetings will be at CTE in 135 Budig from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m..
5. If you believe your project would be improved by your own international travel to meet with potential collaborators, further investigate a specific topic, or for some other reason, add a paragraph that indicates the location and purpose of your proposed travel.

Questions?

Contact Judy Eddy at jeddy@ku.edu or Megan Greene at mgreene@ku.edu.

The Center for Teaching Excellence will offer grants of $500 to support student-centered, equity-oriented integration of generative artificial intelligence tools and assignments into Spring 2025 courses.

Eligibility and expectations

Faculty (including teaching professors, teaching specialists, and lecturers with ongoing teaching roles in their department) from any department or program at the KU Lawrence or Edwards campuses are eligible. Postdoctoral fellows and students are welcome to be part of faculty-led teams.

Grant awardees are expected to share the results of their work, including a summary of student learning and other outcomes, at CTE's annual Celebration of Teaching on May 9, 2025. A CTE Graduate Student Fellow will assist you in developing your poster for this event. Projects that emerge from the grants may also be used, with credit, in CTE course materials related to generative AI.

Deadline

Proposals should be submitted by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23. We anticipate notifying applicants of funding decisions by Monday, Sept. 30, and funds will be available to successful applicants shortly thereafter.

More information and a link to apply can be found on the AI-related courses grants webpage.

Next call is in Spring 2025

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 institute, 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.

CTE’s Inclusive Teaching Faculty Seminar is a semester-long learning-community in which a small group (7 to 15) of faculty members meet regularly to reflect on their teaching and learn how to incorporate more inclusive teaching practices to foster a more diverse, inclusive and equitable KU learning environment. The seminar will have 5-6 meetings in the semester, plus a follow-up/check-in/reunion session the following semester. Between meetings, participants read relevant teaching/learning literature and work on applying the lessons to one or more courses. Participants receive a $1500 stipend and produce a poster for the Celebration of Teaching after completing their work.

Details about the Spring 2025 faculty seminar will be posted in mid-fall 2024. 

This Faculty Seminar planned for Spring 2025 will be structured much like our other faculty seminars will will invite multidisciplinary partners (or even trios) to apply to participate as a pair/group, with reading, discussion and planning centered on the design of inter- multi- or trans-disciplinary learning experiences (at the course level) for students.

Details about the Spring 2025 faculty seminar will be posted in mid-fall 2024.  

This is a faculty learning community/discussion group organized around non-traditional approaches to grading, such as competency-based grading, mastery grading, contract grading, and ungrading. Participants will each receive the book Ungrading and as they work their way through the book they will meet regularly to discuss what they are reading and how to apply it to their own practice. Led by Mark Mort (CTE/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), Nisha Fernando (Architecture and Design/CTE fellow) and Drew Vartia (CTE).

Meets 10-11 am, in-person in Budig 135, monthly on the following Fridays during Fall 2024:

• September 6
• October 11
• November 8
• December 13

Use our sign-up form to register for this working group.

This working group will focus on strategies that instructors can use to create effective, inclusive and meaningful learning experiences that engage large numbers of students, while alleviating the stress associated with teaching hundreds of students. Led by Mark Mort (CTE/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) and Sara Wilson (Mechanical Engineering/CTE Faculty Fellow).

Meets 1-2 pm, in-person in Budig 135, monthly on the following Mondays during Fall 2024:

• September 23
• October 21
• November 18

Use our sign-up form to register for this working group.

This working group will focus on the challenges and opportunities in higher education presented by generative artificial intelligence. Led by Doug Ward (CTE associate director/Journalism), Sara Wilson (Faculty Fellow/Mechanical Engineering) and Benjamin Rosenthal (Faculty Fellow/Visual Art).  This working group will meet online.

Meets 2-3 pm online on the following dates during Fall 2024:

• September 6
• October 4
• November 1
• December 6

Use our sign-up form to register for this working group.

This working group meets monthly to discuss strategies for effective, inclusive and engaging online teaching. Facilitated by Doug Ward (CTE/Journalism) and Susan Marshall (Psychology).

Meets 12-1pm online on the following dates during Fall 2024: 

• September 9
• October 7
• November 4
• December 2 

Use our sign-up form to register for this working group.

In Fall 2024 and again in Spring 2025 we will offer a New Faculty Book Club Teaching Community for faculty in their first year at KU (including those who started in Spring 2024) to get together regularly with colleagues and discuss teaching. Each meeting will center on a particular topic (e.g., what do we know about KU students, how to prepare for tenure) and will be held in different locations in order to engage with the greater Lawrence community. The Fall book club will be led by Sarah Ngoh (English and CTE Fellow) and Brad Osborn (Music and CTE Fellow). Stay tuned for the schedule and book announcement. 

Preparing Teaching Materials for Annual Review (and Beyond)

Mondy, December 16, 10:30 am - Noon

The session will be offered in person at CTE (Budig 135). 

Registration deadline: Thursday, December 12

Getting ready for review can seem like a daunting task. In this session, we will explore ways of making that preparation less onerous by organizing your teaching materials, reflecting on student learning and feedback, and making a case for the intellectual work of your teaching.

 Register today!

POWER WORKSHOP: Laying the Groundwork for Student Engagement and Creating Inclusive, AI-Ready Courses

Tuesday, January 14, 10 am – 1 pm (lunch provided)

In person at CTE (135 Budig Hall) and at Edwards Campus (250 Regnier Hall)

Registration deadline: January 8

Get ready for the Spring semester in this CTE power workshop, which will focus on some of the most-requested teaching-related topics of the past year. Participants will explore how to: 

• Structure courses to build engagement and community among students 
• Design assignments with AI in mind 
• Support respectful discussions of controversial or difficult course topics 
• Develop equitable course policies and effective approaches to class attendance  

In addition to engaging in discussions with colleagues, you will have time to reflect on the ideas and revise your course plans. Bring a laptop. The workshop will be led by CTE staff and Faculty Fellows. Lunch will be offered; if you would like a boxed lunch, please indicate your preference. 

The session will be offered in person at both the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. 

Register today!

Creating Better Feedback to Help Students

Tuesday, January 14, 1:30 – 3:00 pm

In person at CTE (135 Budig Hall)

Registration deadline: January 8

In this workshop, participants will hone their feedback skills in a collaborative and data-informed way. Given its centrality in improvement, developing good feedback practice is one of the most powerful ways we can help students learn.

Register today!

Energy Bites is a monthly lunch “non-workshop” series to provide a regular occasion for faculty to find energy and social support and discuss top-of-mind issues. 

Meets 12-1 pm, in-person in Budig 135, monthly on the following Mondays during Fall 2024:

• September 30
• October 28
• November 25

Use our sign-up form to register for the dates above.

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.