The primary purpose of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is to improve student learning on the campus of The University of Mississippi by continually improving teaching. The Center serves all teaching faculty including tenure-track faculty, visiting faculty, adjunct faculty, and graduate teaching assistants and instructors.
The Center provides services and performs functions in three areas: support services, program coordination, and interdisciplinary facilitation. To request services please email us at cetl@olemiss.edu.
Support Services
Non-evaluation support to faculty and graduate instructors are provided on a voluntary, confidential basis.
- Portfolio Support – guidance and resources to faculty and graduate instructors interested in assembling and maintaining teaching portfolios;
- Individual, Confidential Consultations – advice from the Center’s director and staff regarding course plans, classroom management, presentation style and content, and the effective use of technology in the classroom;
- Classroom Observations – observations for teacher self-evaluation and improvement;
- Analysis of Student Evaluations – analysis and synthesis of student evaluations of courses geared towards improving student learning;
- Assessment of Student Learning– assistance with the construction of tests and rubrics that measure targeted learning objectives; and
- Assistance to Departments – support for classroom applications of technology, course redesigns, pedagogical policy and philosophy statements, assessment strategies, and strategic planning initiatives related to teaching.
Program Coordination
Expansion and regularization of programming at the University of Mississippi.
- Orientation and Support Programs for Faculty and Graduate Instructors –programs and resources that address needs of teaching assistants, graduate instructors, and faculty members
- Conferences, Workshops, Panels, and Lecture Programs – sponsorship and arrangement of various programs designed to inform and refresh the instructional methods of faculty and graduate instructors;
- Coordination and Management of Peer Mentoring – organized, non-evaluative peer-mentoring program for teaching assistants, graduate instructors, and faculty.
Partnering and Resource Sharing
Creative encouragement of connectivity between departments and pedagogical support across disciplines.
- Facilitation of Faculty Working Groups – discuss pedagogical issues, conduct microteaching sessions, or discuss peer-to-peer classroom visits;
- Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching – help for faculty to translate research into viable and effective course proposals or lesson plans;
- Linking Campus Initiatives – coordinate existing instructional support units and activities across campus