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Teaching and learning at Augustana College

A brief history

The Teaching Resources Advisory Committee, (TRAC, 1994-2003)

In 1994, Ellen Hay started the Teaching Resources Advisory Committee (TRAC) as “an ad hoc group of faculty…[who] planned a series of brown bag discussions and Friday afternoon programs.”  TRAC moved to Academic Affairs when Hay became an Associate Dean and Hay secured institutional funding to develop a Teaching Partners Program and offer sessions throughout the academic year on teaching and learning.1

Important early contributors included: Ellen Hay and Jeff Abernathy

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1 Faculty Development at Augustana: Creating a Center for Faculty Enrichment, “Report from the Faculty Development Working Group,” 2012-13, Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS), Olin 303, Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill, cited hereafter as “CELTS.”


The Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning (CSTL, 2003-2005)

In May 2003, Augustana College created the Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning (CSTL) to serve as a “faculty-led organization promoting [the] improvement of teaching and learning” that particularly sought to help faculty create opportunities for teaching consultations outside of the tenure and review process.2 In 2005, Dara Wegman-Geedey served as the first director of the CSTL. The new center hosted an annual one day summer workshop, new faculty teaching circles, individual consultations with faculty, an annual awards program to recognize  outstanding teaching efforts, and brown bag discussions throughout the year. The CSTL first developed the Faculty Resource Center in the library to share and highlight scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). The center included a director, who oversaw the work of the center with the help of a faculty advisory board. The original mission stated:

The Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning (CSTL) provides a campus forum for the study of the activities that define us as a college community. The Center promotes greater understanding of learning, supports the implementation of best practices of teaching, and encourages faculty to think of the College as an ideal laboratory for pedagogical innovation and reform. 3

Important CSTL contributors included: Dara Wegman-Geedey, Mark Vincent, Jon Clauss, Lendol Calder, and Dan Corts

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2 Email correspondence of “CSTL@Augustana.edu” to “Allfaculty@Augustana.edu, 28 May 2003, CELTS.
3 CSTL Mission Statement, 2004-2005, CELTS.


The Augustana Center for Teaching and Learning (ACTL, 2005-2013) 

Associate Dean Mike Green became the next director and the center moved to Founders Hall and became the Augustana Center for Teaching and Learning (ACTL). ACTL further developed the New Faculty Orientation program begun under the CSTL, and added additional programming including Teaching Circle sessions, teaching observation groups (TOGs), and faculty mentoring, as well as provided support for an ePortfolio initiative and hosted meetings throughout the year for the ACTL reading group. Targeted support for college-wide work also included helping the institution adopt, use, and interpret the IDEA Student Rating of Instruction forms and reports in 2011-2012.4

Important ACTL contributors included: Dara Wegman-Geedey, Mike Green, and John Clauss

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4 Jon Clauss, “Report of ACTL Activities,” 9 March 2012, CELTS.


The Center for Faculty Enrichment (CFE, 2013-2025)

Coming out of faculty conversations at the 2012 Faculty Retreat, the Faculty Development Working Group formed with the mission of recommending a future direction for ACTL and related faculty development work on campus.  Members of the working group (Margaret Farrar, Katie Hanson, Mindi Mull, John Pfautz, Eric Stewart, Bob Tallitsch, and Paul Weissburg) recommended that the college shift focus by creating the Center for Faculty Enrichment (CFE) to “provide more intentional and more consistent faculty development opportunities across multiple facets of faculty careers.”  They sought to encourage more of a digital presence for the center, as well as a focus on midcareer faculty members, adjuncts, and part-time faculty, in addition to new faculty.  The turn here was specifically to support faculty as they faced increasing pressures related to service and shared governance on campus, and off-campus “a tremendous amount of public scrutiny” of higher education generally.  In order to support faculty success and help them “navigate new and more complex leadership roles,” ACTL needed to become a center focused more narrowly on faculty development.5

The CFE focused on supporting faculty scholarship (in writing retreats and circles), intentional inclusion of faculty across positions and career span, the creation of Moodle site to archive resources and provide greater accessibility, and professional development on the holistic advising model. The CFE also played critical roles in supporting faculty development during two key events in the college's history: the semester transition and the COVID pandemic. Through the semester transition, the CFE strategically focused on providing training and support to faculty for curricular redesign and helping envision exciting J-term offerings. As the college navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic, the CFE again provided training and support for faculty to flexibly and compassionately adapt courses as the restrictions and guidance evolved, while remaining grounded in strong pedagogical practices. For many faculty, this was their first time teaching online, so the need for programming and support was strong.

Important CFE contributors included: Eric Stewart, Jessica Schultz, Sharon Varallo, Kimberly Murphy, Brian Katz, Mike Egan, and J. Austin Williamson 

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5 Faculty Development at Augustana: Creating a Center for Faculty Enrichment, “Report from the Faculty Development Working Group,” 2012-13, CELTS.


The Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS, 2025-present)

With the adoption of the Augustana Bold & Boundless strategic plan in 2024, the CFE focus on faculty development came into question.  With goals to prioritize engaged/active learning and community-engaged learning and partnerships, the Provost began to reconsider the mission of the CFE and sought to turn the center back to a focus on student success, teaching, and learning.  The Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS) was the result.  The CELTS mission seeks to foster practices that promote transformational learning experiences, specifically high impact practices, community-engaged learning, and active/engaged learning that further the college’s mission and strategic goals.  


Conclusion

Over the course of three decades, Augustana faculty and staff have prioritized a liberal arts ethos of teaching and learning and sought ways to improve teaching practices across campus.  Thank you to all those who have worked, and those who continue to work, to create a more inclusive, supportive, and reflective teaching community at Augustana.