Faculty Learning Communities

Overview

Join our faculty learning communities to gain practical skills, innovative strategies, and valuable insights that will elevate your teaching practice and enrich your students' learning experiences. 

Call for Applications – Fall 2025 Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs)

The Platform for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL) invites faculty to apply for two Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) launching in Fall 2025. These semester-long communities offer opportunities for faculty to collaboratively explore, design, and implement innovative teaching practices in a supportive, cross-disciplinary environment. Selected participants will receive a $3,000 stipend to support their course development work.

Experiential Inquiry & Story-Centered Teaching

How can we help students think more deeply, stay engaged, and remember what they learn? This FLC explores how story-driven, scenario-based design can turn course content into meaningful, inquiry-rich experiences. Faculty will revisit the foundations of inquiry-based teaching and explore practical strategies to use narrative and real-world scenarios to structure learning. Participants will develop a lesson or unit to use in their own course that brings these strategies to life—whether in STEM, humanities, or professional fields. No prior experience with inquiry or storytelling methods is required.

Flipped Learning

This FLC provides a structured, collaborative space for faculty to explore and refine the flipped classroom model. Participants will focus on how to make the most of in-class time through active learning strategies while using pre-class materials (readings, videos, tutorials) to prepare students for deeper engagement. Whether you are new to flipped learning or looking to enhance your current approach, this group offers practical tools, peer feedback, and implementation support.

Faculty selected for either group will meet seven times over the course of the Fall 2025 semester.

In this application, you will be asked to provide:

  • Personal/contact information. 
  • Your preferred discussion-based teaching format (Experiential Inquiry & Story-Centered Teaching, or Flipped Learning).
  • Short responses regarding your interest in teaching and innovation. 
  • The current syllabus of the course you are interested in teaching in a discussion-based format (will be uploaded).
  • Your current CV (will be uploaded).
  • Completed Academic Leadership Acknowledgement Form signed by your department chairperson (will be uploaded).

Please have the documents ready prior to starting the application.

Apply by May 8, 2025

 

Faculty Learning Communities

Flipped Classroom 

Discover the benefits of the flipped classroom model, where traditional lecture and homework elements are reversed. In this workshop, you'll learn how to create engaging pre-class content and design in-class activities that promote active learning and deeper understanding. 

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) 

Engage your students with Problem-Based Learning, an instructional method that challenges students to "learn by doing." This workshop will guide you through creating real-world problems that enhance critical thinking and collaborative skills, making learning more relevant and impactful. 

Harkness Method 

Enhance classroom discussion and student engagement through the Harkness Method. This workshop focuses on fostering a student-centered learning environment where dialogue and collaboration take precedence. Learn how to facilitate meaningful discussions that encourage student voice and agency. 

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) 

Expand your classroom beyond borders with COIL workshops. This innovative approach connects students and faculty from different countries for shared learning experiences. Learn how to design and implement COIL projects that promote intercultural competence and global collaboration. 

Artificial Intelligence in Education 

Explore the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence in education. This workshop covers the basics of AI and its applications in teaching and learning, helping you integrate AI tools into your curriculum to enhance student engagement and personalize learning experiences. 

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