The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates communities of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of 榴莲视频 by fostering conversation and reflection at the intersection of pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructional design, and academic technologies. We advance practices of teaching and learning that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the best available evidence.
Community Friday, Dec. 12: 鈥Celebrating a Trailblazer: The Legacy of Laetitia Moon Conard鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Noon鈥1 p.m.
HSSC A1231
Watch the livestream:
Lunch buffet will open at 11:45 a.m.
Please RSVP by Dec. 9 at this link:
At our final Community Friday on December 12th, we are joining with Grinnell alumni to celebrate Laetitia Moon Conard鈥攁 true trailblazer in Grinnell鈥檚 history鈥攁nd officially launching a brand-new website that brings her story to life.
Laetitia鈥檚 life and work represent an essential chapter in the College鈥檚 women鈥檚 history, in advocacy for working class and poor families in town, and in the early development of sociology at Grinnell. The new website is the result of years of research by Susan Ferguson, extensive archival exploration, and student collaboration through Mentored Advanced Projects (MAPs) and the Vivero Fellows program.
Join us for short remarks by Professors of History Mike Guenther and Dan Kaiser, and by Liz Rodrigues, Associate Professor and Humanities and Digital Scholarship Librarian, plus a live unveiling of the website and the chance to be among the first to explore this exciting new digital tribute. Don鈥檛 miss this moment of celebration, discovery, and community.
The CTLA thanks Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) for their generous support of this event. The lunch buffet will open at 11:45 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Thank you for bringing your reusable flatware to cut down on waste.
Recently at Community Friday
New Definition of Teaching Excellence Approved by Faculty
The Presidential Task Force on Evaluating Teaching Excellence proposed that the faculty endorse a new definition of teaching excellence and recommended that the Dean of the College use this definition in faculty reviews. The following definition was approved in the spring of 2024.
| Expertise | They build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach; |
|---|---|
| Inclusive Teaching | They foster inclusive and engaging learning environments; |
| Learning Goals | They clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes; |
| Pedagogy | They use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context; |
| Feedback to Students | They respond to student work in a substantive, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of information and improving the learning experiences of students; and |
| Reflection | They engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices. |
