UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 17, Page 3
January 18, 1996
In recognition; UD center compiles 'impressive record of service'

     The University's long-standing commitment to excellence in
teaching has been recognized nationally by the Professional and
Organizational Development Network in Higher Education.
     At its October meeting, the organization cited the University and
the Center for Teaching Effectiveness (CTE) for an "impressive record
of 31 years of service to professional and organizational development
and for the impact this program has had on teaching and learning at
the University." Only the University of Michigan's center is older at
33 years.
     Center director Judy Greene, Harold White, chemistry and
biochemistry, and Paul Sammelwitz, animal science and agricultural
biochemistry, accepted the award.
     The center's roots go back to the 1950s, according to Greene. A
University Council on the Improvement of Teaching encouraged the
exchange of ideas about teaching among faculty and the use of
audiovisual aids and communication. Alumni association gifts and the
Lindback Foundation provided funding for awards for excellence in
teaching. These initial efforts were followed by instructional
improvement grants to enhace teaching of individual courses or at the
department or college level.
     A Teachers Resource Center was founded, followed by the
Instructional Resources Center, with growing emphasis on the use of
modern technology in teaching.
     In 1975, the center was formally  established under Jay L. Halio,
who was then serving as associate provost for instruction, and the
name was changed to the Center for Teaching Effectiveness.
     Among those who contributed to the early foundations of CTE were
Halio; Edward Rosenberry, professor emeritus of English; L. Leon
Campbell, Hugh M. Morris Research Professor of Molecular Biosciences;
and Frank Dilley, professor of philosophy.
     Faculty were involved as directors for several years, and under
the current structure, the center continues to have a faculty advisory
board, currently chaired by White. There is a separate staff
consisting of Greene, plus Barbara Duch and Dore Butler, teaching
consultants; Virginia Greene, staff assistant; and Jennifer Johnson,
research assistant.
     Funded by the Office of the Provost, the center offers a variety
of programs to enhance teaching, and approximately one third of the
faculty use the center's services during the year, Greene said.
     CTE offers workshops, which may range from brown-bag sessions at
noon meetings to a Winter Institute on teaching, learning and
technology and a Summer Institute, this year scheduled from June 3-7.
The center also offers training for graduate teaching assistants
(TAs), including a fall conference that is open to other members of
the campus.
     Several years ago, CTE sent five faculty to the midwest to attend
a Wakonse conference on teaching. The impact of Wakonse-a Lakota Sioux
word meaning "to teach or to inspire"-resulted in the center's
sponsorship of the Wakonse-East Faculty Teaching Retreat, a three-day
event held at the Sandy Hill Conference Center in nearby Maryland. The
fourth annual 1996 Wakonse-East conference will be held May 29-31.
     The response from past retreat participants has been positive and
enthusiastic, Greene said. The event, in which the participants are
the presenters, gives faculty an opportunity to explore different
approaches to teaching and learning, discuss common problems, exchange
ideas about teaching and get to know each other in a relaxed setting
and network with each other.
     Faculty also may request individual consultations, which are
entirely confidential. Classroom observation is another tool to assist
faculty in reaching their goals. Instructional grants to encourage
innovative teaching are available, and the center is the contact for
faculty for the National Faculty Exchange.
     In addition to a newsletter, About Teaching, the center publishes
the TA Handbook and Teaching Excellence, a monthly subscription
newsletter.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure