Center for Teaching and Learning

What's Coming Up at the CTL and Elsewhere?

Miami University Middletown has recognized outstanding teachers for many years in connection with the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities (GCCCU).

In 2005, the CTL began to sponsor the MUM Excellence in Teaching Award, whose recipients also represent the campus at annual celebrations of teaching sponsored by GCCCU, the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE), and the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges (OATYC). In 2006, the CTL began to make two annual awards, one to full-time faculty and one to part-time faculty.

Award winners are nominated by their colleagues and students and then submit dossiers documenting their teaching achievements. The winners are chosen by a panel that includes award recipients from the past two years plus one member of the CTL Leadership Collaborative.

For more information on the Excellence in Teaching Award, click here . The nomination form can be downloaded by clicking here.

The deadline for nominations for the 2012 award is February 10, 2012.

Why U?: The Relevance of the University Today

The beginning of the 2011 academic year invites the continuing conversation about the purpose of a university education for citizens of the twenty-first century. Every year, more and more students enroll in our classes and programs, hoping a college education will bring them financial success. Traditionally, a college education does translate into greater earning power, it’s true; but what other reasons are there for students and teachers alike to become part of a university community?

This year, the Center for Teaching & Learning examines the relevance of the university for today’s students and teachers, and considers what skill sets complement the curriculum of a university education to meet the needs of twenty-first century learners. Our focus is two-fold: on the one hand, a college-educated citizen must be competent in using twenty-first century tools to communicate, collaborate and create. During 2011-12, the CTL will focus on supporting faculty and students in experimenting with new technologies and digital-media production, both in and out of the classroom, so that we become more competent communicators and researchers in today’s fast-paced, media-saturated world. On the other hand, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of our humanity. Twenty-first century learning and teaching includes how the learner contextualizes himself or herself within the cacophony of modern life. CTL Conversations this year will address how students and faculty can develop inner resources to more fully engage with one another and the learning process.