Vol. 16, No. 39	Aug. 21, 1997

University hosts national institute for college faculty

University and college teachers frequently do not have formal training in teaching, and institutions across the country are increasingly realizing the importance of helping faculty members develop their teaching skills.

The National Institute for New Faculty Developers, sponsored by the UD Center for Teaching Effectiveness and the Professional and Organizational Development Network (POD) in Higher Education, was established by CTE director Judy Greene in 1991. A $6,000 grant from POD provided seed money for this year's revised institute program.

Individuals who are responsible for enhancing the quality of undergraduate education at campuses across the country came to Delaware for a training institute at the Goodstay Center in Wilmington from July 27-31.

The institute, seeking to set up teaching centers or other faculty development programs, was successful and attracted 43 participants from California to Florida, Canada and the Virgin Islands. It is targeted to those who are new in the field of faculty development, and participants learn how to design, implement and evaluate faculty development activities that appropriately meet the needs of their home institutions. With emerging instructional technologies, faculty developers also play an important role in encouraging faculty to incorporate these technologies in their teaching.

The institute coordinator, Gabriele Bauer, a teaching consultant at CTE, has worked with faculty, graduate and international teaching assistants from various disciplines on issues of instructional improvement and student feedback.

Greene served as a member of the institute faculty. In addition to institute faculty from the other schools, several UD faculty and staff participated. UD presenters were Paul Hyde, Users Services, who spoke on "Getting Started in the PRESENT"; Elizabeth Lieux, nutrition and dietetics, who gave an introduction to problem-based learning; Dick Wilkins, mechanical engineering, and John Courtwright, communication, who demonstrated ways to use technology in teaching; Sandra Millard, Library Public Services, who presented electronic resources for higher education; and Carol Hoffecker, Richards Professor of History, who was the invited speaker at a luncheon session.