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Faculty Orientation/Professional Development

New Faculty Orientation (NFO) is an annual (1-2 day) event, typically held in August, that welcomes faculty to Liberty and introduces them to various campus departments and support services. In addition, NFO provides essential training to new faculty on topics of Pedagogy, Faith Learning Integration, and Essential Technologies. Those completing NFO receive CEUs.

All-Faculty Orientation (AFO) is for new and returning faculty. Held before the start of the Fall Semester (usually August), AFO is a (1-3 day) event that offers spiritual encouragement, provides faculty with necessary information and administrative updates from key university stakeholders, and features presentations from authorities in areas of teaching and learning, spiritual life, and academic leadership. Orientation is a blend of live and asynchronous sessions. CEUs are awarded to attendees.

Early Career Program is a three-year training curriculum designed to assimilate new faculty (or faculty new to Liberty). Each year of the program, participants receive in-depth instruction in areas of Pedagogy, Faith Learning Integration, and Teaching Technologies. Faculty completing each year of training receive a certificate and CEUs.

Conference on Teaching Excellence (CTE) is an annual (1-2 day) faculty development event held each January. The conference is comprised of keynote sessions led by recognized leaders in their respective areas of expertise and application is made to the discipline of teaching. Break-out sessions, led by Liberty faculty encourages peer-to-peer instruction. Poster sessions showcase the research efforts of faculty. CEUs are awarded to attendees.

Teaching Analysis Polls (TAPs)

TAPs are a way for faculty to receive student feedback mid-semester before End-of-Course Surveys.
How TAPs work:
During the last 30 minutes of class, the teacher introduces the Teaching Consultant and leaves. The Teaching Consultant breaks the students up into groups, queries the groups, and builds consensus on the following questions:
1. What most helps you learn in this class?
2. What hinders your learning in this class? (And, if
something hinders, what suggestions can be offered for improvement?)
After class, the teacher meets with the Teaching Consultant to debrief.
TAPs are a confidential service provided to Liberty University faculty by the Center for Teaching Excellence. Interested faculty should schedule their TAP by completing the form linked here.

Online Teaching Analysis Polls (O-TAPs)

Would you like to gather feedback from your students about your online courses before the End-of-Course Surveys? Center for Teaching Excellence’s (CTE) Online Teaching Analysis Polls (O-TAPs) are designed to provide online faculty with valuable student feedback.

How Do I Request an O-TAP?
Complete an O-TAP Request Form for each course (regardless of number of sections) you would like polled. Click here to submit your request(s). Upon receiving your request, CTE will post an announcement about the O-TAP in Week 3 of an 8-week course (Week 7 in a 16-week course) and a reminder announcement in Week 4 of an 8-week course (Week 8 in a 16-week course). In the announcement, students are provided a link that directs them to an O-TAP form/poll.

What Questions Will Students Be Asked?
Students are asked to share their insights on certain aspects of the course and how these aspects help or hinder learning. Students will also share ideas of how hindrances might be addressed. Questions are open-ended and based on assignment feedback, written communications, discussion facilitation, and support and engagement.

How Will Professors Receive Their Results?
After the poll closes, one of CTE’s Teaching Consultants or Faculty Trainers will conduct a debrief session with the faculty member who requested the O-TAP. Note: As a confidential office, CTE does not discuss the results of the poll with anyone other than the faculty requestor.

Workshops

Instructional Strategies
Implementing Technology
Teaching Large Classes
Teaching Online
Assessing Learning
Student Engagement
Integrating Faith with Learning
Early Career Requirements
Residential Canvas
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
Webinar Series (CEUs and Digital Badges available)

Inclusive Access Drop-In Support

Center for Academic Development is now offering drop-in support to assist faculty who are involved with the inclusive access initiative. Preferred vendors (Cengage and McGraw-Hill) now have a physical presence within the Teaching Excellence office, DeMoss Hall 3066. VitalSource has a support webpage. Additional drop-in support includes in-office Educational Technologists who can help implement approved technologies, and Teaching Consultants who can help plan professional development and/or improved pedagogical approaches. Some services include:

Course Analysis and Review
Course Materials Examination and Planning
Meet with In-Office Preferred Vendors (Cengage and McGraw-Hill)
Textbook Selection
Supplemental Materials Selection
Course and Assessment Design
SME Training
Planning Adjunct Instructor Professional Development and Training

Faculty Showcase Week: “Excellence in Education”

The Center for Teaching Excellence facilitates Faculty Showcase Week. During this time, faculty are invited to observe award-winning faculty in the classroom.

Residential Faculty Learning Management System Assistance

Teaching with Technology (TWT) Boot Camp

Teaching Consultations

Teaching Tips
Adding Relevance
Active Learning
Teaching Large Classrooms
Teaching Military Students
Student Motivation
Assessment of Learning
Teaching Well with Technology

Faith Learning Integration

Faith Across the Disciplines
Workshops/Webinars
Consultations
Resources

Minimal Technical Competency Assistance

Interdisciplinary Conversations & Roundtable Discussions

Communities of Practice

Book Discussion Groups (CEUs available)
Writing Group

Faculty Resources

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
List of Teaching Conferences
Lending Library
Teaching Awards
Grants for Teaching
Teaching Resources
Faith Learning Integration Gallery

President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Undergraduate and Graduate

ILLUMINATE Grants for the Improvement of Teaching

Teaching with Technology Training/Consultations

Graduate Student Assistants

GSA Teaching/Training Workshops
Residential Canvas Assistance
Certificate of University Teaching

Publishers’ Week

Facilities Available for Professional Development Activities

Training Classroom
Small-Group Forum

Teaching Observations Available

The Center for Teaching Excellence provides confidential teaching observations at the faculty member’s request. A teaching observation provides feedback from an objective, experienced observer with the overall goal of improved teaching practice. Observations typically constitute a pre-observation conference, an informal observation, and a post-observation debriefing. General observations examine:

Preparation, structure, and organization
Faith learning integration
Clarity, understandability, and relevance
Presentation skills, enthusiasm, and presence
Discussion and questioning techniques
Integration of technology
Student engagement
Classroom command and control
Assessment of learning
Documentation of teaching excellence for teaching awards external to Liberty University

Results
The Center for Teaching Excellence shares the results confidentially with the faculty member only; it does not share its findings, comments, or suggestions with any outside entities (e.g. chairs, deans, committees). It provides the participating faculty member with a brief written summary of its observation, as well as suggestions for pedagogical improvement.

Schedule
To schedule an instructional consultation or teaching observation, please email us at cte@liberty.edu.

Confidentiality Statement

The Center for Teaching Excellence promotes teacher reflection, interdisciplinary conversations, the integration of technology and innovative pedagogies, and the advancement of excellence in classroom instruction. The center’s purpose is to assist, rather than to assess, in the continued pursuit of perfecting the craft of teaching and learning. All practices follow the ethical guidelines established by the Professional and Organization Development Network in Higher Education. The center is a confidential resource for the faculty. To this goal:

The Center for Teaching Excellence does not participate in “formal” evaluations, nor does it share information about faculty to anyone who evaluates them.
The Center for Teaching Excellence does not share the names or other information about who it observes or consults.
The Center for Teaching Excellence does not share the results of its observations, consultations, findings, or suggestions.
The Center for Teaching Excellence protects the confidentiality of conversations that occur with faculty and staff.