Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE)

In order to foster shared ownership of student success and advance the college’s initiatives related to assessment, curriculum, pedagogy, and professional development, the CTE offers the following services:

• Adjunct Faculty mentoring and support
• Blackboard Learn, Smart Board and other instructional technologies for support and training
• Faculty Book Clubs
• Communities of Practice
• Guest Lectures
• Newsletters
• Individual and group consultations
• Teaching assistance
• Teaching and Learning conversations
• Tenure Track program
• Traditional and online seminars
• Webinars
• Workshops

To support both scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning, the CTE has an in-house collection of books, periodicals and webinars on assessment, curricula, instructional technologies, pedagogy and professional development. The library also features manuals and policy handbooks developed by the college’s faculty and committees, as well as books and pamphlets authored by Triton College faculty.

Additionally, the CTE provides free use of its computer lab, Smart Boards, wireless Internet access, meeting spaces, power sources and quiet work space for all Triton College faculty.

360° Peer-to-Peer observation and feedback program provides an alternative way for faculty to discuss each other’s teaching through class observations. Feedback from the Peer-to-Peer program is constructive and used to enhance teaching practices and professional performance. Faculty are paired with colleagues from different disciplines and together they motivate, communicate, and learn from each other. Participants receive a predetermined remuneration upon satisfactory completion of all program deliverables.

ATLAS (Adjunct Teaching, Learning And Success) is a comprehensive professional development program designed for Triton's adjunct faculty. Faculty enhance their teaching talents, by attending various workshops and seminars covering teaching and learning topics as well as special topics important to college’s strategic goals. Faculty are selected into the cohort according to certain criterion and receive a predetermined remuneration upon satisfactory completion of program objectives

Communities of Practice is a group of six faculty members who come together with the goal of sharing and gaining knowledge on a certain topic. The idea is based on research that shows that it is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that members learn from each other and develop personally and professionally.

Faculty Book Clubs are ongoing, informal gatherings of faculty who meet to discuss a particular book each semester on issues related to teaching and learning.

Teaching and Learning Conversations are informal gatherings of faculty once a month where they discuss educational issues that impact our students and our teaching effectiveness, while taking a break from their day, enjoying refreshments and connecting with their coworkers.

Tenure Track Forums address a variety of topics to support the work of tenure-track faculty members that include information about campus initiatives and resources, the scholarship of teaching and learning, professional development opportunities, and innovative teaching methods and technologies.

Webinars are lectures or demonstrations that are delivered by higher education experts via the internet. Sometimes they are digitally recorded and can be electronically accessed and replayed in the CTE. Webinars typically last 60 to 90 minutes, including time for discussion.

Workshops are formal presentations delivered by full or part-time faculty, instructional staff, administrators or guest speakers. These presentations can occur within 60 to 180 minutes, including time for discussion.

All full and part-time faculty and instructional staff are encouraged to participate in these gatherings by attending or presenting their own ideas in an event or by suggesting a topic.

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All Triton faculty have access to the Center for Teaching Excellence course in Blackboard.

To find the CTE course, login to Blackboard, and click on My Blackboard or My Courses and scroll down to the Center for Teaching Excellence course.

CTE has added a number of teaching and learning resources there for faculty including our past recorded CTE workshops.

If you don't see the Center for Teaching Excellence course shell in your Blackboard account, please email cte@sdtlsw.com.