The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates communities of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of 91大神 by fostering conversation and reflection at the intersection of pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructional design, and academic technologies. We advance practices of teaching and learning that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the best available evidence.
Community Friday, Dec. 5: 鈥Black Sacred Arts Pedagogy Workshop,鈥 with guest Iyelli Ichile, Lecturer of African American History, Bowie State University
Noon鈥1 p.m.
HSSC A1231
Lunch buffet will open at 11:45 a.m.
Please RSVP by Dec. 2 at this link:
You are cordially invited to a special Community Friday workshop on Dec. 5 when we welcome guest Iyelli Ichile. Dr. Ichile is a lecturer of African American history at Bowie State University. She has a PhD in African diaspora history from Howard University and a master鈥檚 in African American studies from Columbia University.
In this immersive workshop, Ichile guides faculty in transforming the classroom into a site of intellectual and spiritual engagement through the integration of artistic and metaphysical dimensions. Participants will learn to employ artifacts, visual art, and ritual practices to connect students with the rich, transhistorical lineage of the African diaspora.
Ichile frames teaching Africana history as 鈥渁ncestor work,鈥 demonstrating how to invoke ancestors as active collaborators in knowledge transmission. The session will also explore strategies for navigating the ontological tensions between secular academic environments and the creation of sacred learning spaces. By treating the classroom as a dynamic arena for dialogue with the past and future, faculty will acquire the pedagogical tools to help students actively remember, reclaim, and reshape their heritage.
The CTLA thanks the Department of Music for their generous support of this event.
The lunch buffet will open at 11:45 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Thank you for bringing your reusable flatware to cut down on plastic waste. If you do not have a set, extras are available at this event.
Recently at Community Friday
New Definition of Teaching Excellence Approved by Faculty
The Presidential Task Force on Evaluating Teaching Excellence proposed that the faculty endorse a new definition of teaching excellence and recommended that the Dean of the College use this definition in faculty reviews. The following definition was approved in the spring of 2024.
| Expertise | They build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach; |
|---|---|
| Inclusive Teaching | They foster inclusive and engaging learning environments; |
| Learning Goals | They clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes; |
| Pedagogy | They use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context; |
| Feedback to Students | They respond to student work in a substantive, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of information and improving the learning experiences of students; and |
| Reflection | They engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices. |
