Establishment and Faculty Directorship of the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Assessment (CITA)

Date: March 7, 2022

Rationale:

Teaching and learning are St. Lawrence’s core purposes and supporting the creativity and development of our faculty of outstanding teacher-scholars is our most vital commitment.  To advance this purpose, one of the recommendations of the Academic Planning Committee [APC] for restructuring in Academic Affairs in the May 2021 Report was to establish a Center for Innovation in Teaching and Assessment with a faculty director. The Center will provide a site for campus wide conversations about teaching and learning, as well as further interdisciplinary collaboration including and beyond the Academic Communities.

The CITA will be an incubator for pedagogical innovation, course and program development, and grant-seeking. The Director will work with the Faculty Development Committee, ADFA, Academic Programs and Communities, and other offices, to develop on-campus programming, mentoring networks, professional development workshops, and May College programming. The Director also will work with the ADFA and the Director of Institutional Research as a member of the Assessment Committee on departmental and University assessment activities, in particular supporting academic departments and programs in ensuring their assessment work is effective in positively impacting student learning in the ways that faculty seek. The CITA director’s attention to assessment, especially at the department/program level is crucial to generating insights into student learning to frame curricular and pedagogical innovation.

Terms:

This is a 10-month position—late July through late May

The initial term for the Director will be 2 years

The CITA Director reports to the ADFA and is a member of Dean’s Staff.

Nominations, including self-nominations should be made to the Dean of Academic Affairs, acadean@stlawu.edu

Applications for the position should include a brief statement of interest (max. 500 words) and a current CV due April 1, 2022 to acadean@stlawu.edu

Job Duties:

• Facilitate conversation, collaboration, assessment, feedback, and innovation in pedagogy and curriculum.

• Plan, promote, and implement faculty development programming on teaching, learning, and scholarship—collaborate with ADFA and Faculty Development Committee

• Work with the ADFA, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Faculty Diversity Committee, and others to foster supportive inclusivity in the academic experiences of all students, faculty, and staff

• Work with ADFA to plan and carry out New Faculty Orientation

• Work with ADFA to mentor faculty at all stages of career

• Serve on the Assessment Committee and work with the committee and departments as they develop a coherent, multi-year plans for the assessment of student learning in majors and minors, and in general education courses

• Work with the ADFA to collaborate with, guide, and support departments and programs in carrying out manageable assessment projects that the program faculty determine will be useful to them in enhancing student learning, and to  inform their curriculum planning. Administrative responsibility for assessment, determining and communicating requirements to departments, and meeting standards of accreditation compliance, will continue to rest with the Dean’s office

• Work with ADFA and Director of Corporations and Foundations Office to encourage grant-seeking by faculty and staff to pursue pedagogical and curricular innovation

• Foster interdisciplinary conversations as sites of collaboration across departments/programs and Academic Communities—e.g. periodic conversations with the ADFA and the ADDI

• Teach 2.0 units per academic year or 2.5 if teaching FYP or FYS

• Co-supervise clerical support staff person with the Director of Community-Based Learning

Committee Assignments:

Faculty Development Committee

Assessment Committee

Dean’s Staff