Local Programs

Evidence-based Teaching Workshop

Sign up for the next Evidence-based Teaching Workshop. Three workshops are conducted each year: early January, late May, and early August. The workshop is designed for future faculty with no experience with teaching as research however graduate students, post docs, faculty, and staff are welcome. Workshop topics include how people learn, challenge-based learning, course design, assessment, classroom management, classroom technology, and scholarly resources. Attendees will achieve the Associate level as an outcome of this workshop. The workshop is offered at no cost and food and beverages are provided. Lodging at the Scarritt Bennett Center located next to Vanderbilt is provided at no cost to out-of-town participants.

The next workshop is August 14 and 15, 2017.

Teaching as Research (TAR) Program

Teaching-as-Research involves the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of students and teachers. The TAR program was conducted at the Center for Teaching from 2008-2012 and became the Scholarship for Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Program from 2012-2015.

The goals of the TAR program are:

To provide faculty with resources for designing and assessing curricular innovations,
To provide graduate students and other future faculty members with training and development in the design and assessment of teaching and learning activities, and
To benefit the learning of undergraduate students through the development and assessment of curricular innovations.

As of 2015, the revised TAR Program allows future faculty (graduate students and postdocs) to perform activities designed to improve their teaching skills and expose them to evidence-based teaching and learning.

The program is designed with the following learning outcomes:

Associates can describe and recognize the value of teaching as research
Practitioners perform teaching as research
Scholars advance and disseminate teaching as research knowledge

Future faculty with no experience with teaching as research will attend a workshop designed to bring them to the Associate level. Future faculty with experience in other programs such as BOLD Fellows, Teaching Certificate, and Tiered Mentoring Program may qualify as Associates and be able to start pursuing the Practitioner level immediately. TAR Fellows pursuing the Practitioner level will receive a $500 stipend. TAR Fellows pursuing the Scholar level will receive a $500 stipend plus funds to cover presentation and publishing of their research at a conference or in a journal.

Apply to be a TAR Fellow (download the application form).

Tiered Mentoring Program (TMP)

The Tiered Mentoring Program (TMP) allows for the development of learning communities and learning-through-diversity. TMP specifically aims to enhance the development of women and minority future faculty, but welcomes anyone interested in participating. TMP creates cohorts comprised of senior faculty members, junior faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students from a variety of STEM programs across Vanderbilt. Cohorts meet monthly to discuss topics such as self-presentation in the classroom, documenting teaching effectiveness, establishing relationships with undergraduate and graduate student mentees, time management, and self-advocacy. Additionally, participants will meet with their peer group across all cohorts.

In addition, graduate students and post doc are encouraged to participate in the Teaching as Research program (TAR) (the third CIRTL pillar). TAR involves the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of students and teachers. Planning for the TAR project takes place in Fall Semester and implementation takes place in Spring Semester. TAR projects can be accomplished through activities such as classroom teaching or the development of learning communities. Completed TAR projects are presented during a university wide presentation in May. Additionally, completed TAR projects could be presented and published for a conference or published in academic journal.

Apply to be a TMP Fellow (download the application form).

Future faculty Academic Classroom Experience (FACE)

The Future faculty Academic Classroom Experience (FACE) program is designed to give future faculty experience in the classroom while also providing current faculty lecture support during travel or other classroom absences. Graduate students, post docs, and current faculty, fill out the questionnaire indicating your interest in this program.

List of graduate students and post docs interested in teaching

List of faculty teaching courses in the areas of interest stated by the current list of graduate students and post docs

Click here to add or remove your name from these lists.

Blended & Online Learning Design (BOLD) Program

CIRTL and Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching share a mission to enhance excellence in undergraduate teaching. The CFT and CIRTL, along with the Vanderbilt Institute for Digital Learning (VIDL) are partnering to offer the BOLD Fellows program which is designed to help graduate student and faculty teams build expertise in developing online instructional modules grounded in good course design principles and our understanding of how people learn. STEM faculty members partner with graduate students or postdocs to design and develop online modules for integration into a course, either as a tool to promote flipping the classroom, a module for a blended course, or a unit within a MOOC. The teams investigate the use of these modules, collecting data about the effectiveness of the module for promoting student learning. Learn more and apply to be a BOLD Fellow.

For more information about CIRTL and the CIRTL Network, please visit the main CIRTL site.

Subscribe to the VU-CIRTL newsletter to receive periodic updates on VU-CIRTL activities and programs.