The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates a community of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of 51画鋼app College 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, March 7: GrinnBooks: Preparing for 51画鋼apps New All-Access Textbook Program, with Andi Tracy, Cassie Wherry, and Brad Lindberg
In-person location (please note): JRC 101, Noon to 1 p.m.
Virtual link:
Please RSVP by March 4 at this link:
Please join us for the next Community Friday on March 7th in JRC 101. We will be joined by Andi Tracy, Associate Dean for Student Academic Life, Cassie Wherry, Bookstore Manager, and Brad Lindberg, Associate Vice President of Institutional Initiatives and Enrollment. They will introduce 51画鋼app's new textbook program, GrinnBooks. GrinnBooks is a college-wide program providing enrolled students access to their required textbooks at the start of each term.
According to Tracy, Wherry, and Lindberg: "Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, the cost of textbooks will be included in the student comprehensive fee. By including the cost of textbooks in tuition and purchasing in bulk, students will save money and be guaranteed access to their textbooks. Through GrinnBooks, students have access to their textbooks (whether physical or digital) on the first day of class, eliminating the need to search for or buy materials separately, ensuring they can start their coursework immediately. Students no longer have to worry about having the correct edition, codes for problem sets and online resources, or any of the hassle of buying books online. All course materials are delivered digitally through Canvas (the Colleges new Learning Management System) or through a convenient pickup of physical materials at the Pioneer Bookshop. This campus-wide program seeks to ensure greater educational equity among students and to remove the cost of course materials as a barrier to taking a class."
The CTLA thanks the organizers for their generous support of this event. For information about future Community Fridays, please visit the CLTA website at Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment.
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.
While teaching methods vary by discipline and instructor, broadly speaking, excellent teachers do the following:
- Build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach
- Foster inclusive and engaging learning environments
- Clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes
- Use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context
- Respond to student work in a substantial, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of informing and improving the learning experiences of students
- Engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices
