About the T+LC

Vision

The University of Lynchburg Teaching and Learning Center provides leadership, support, guidance for College faculty as they discover, explore, implement, and evaluate practices that lead to excellence in teaching and learning.

Mission

The Center’s mission is to provide a range of resources and support to faculty members who wish to gain knowledge and skills related to innovative, evidence-based pedagogy, leading to more effective learning environments for University of Lynchburg students. Led by Faculty Fellows, the Center offers leadership and expertise to all teaching faculty. Activities include professional development opportunities, pedagogical research, and recognition of teaching excellence.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Create opportunities for the development and exchange of ideas about teaching and learning.

Objective 1: Develop a regular program of lunches and workshops for introducing, demonstrating, and discussing issues in teaching and learning.

Objective 2: Organize faculty reading groups and/or professional learning communities for extended explorations of issues in teaching and learning.

Objective 3: Encourage research efforts in teaching and learning.

Objective 4: Foster discussion and implementation of inclusive pedagogies across the curriculum.

Objective 5: Collaborate with staff from academic support services to identify common student-learning needs at LC and ways of meeting them.

Goal 2: Provide training and consultation in pedagogy, instructional technologies, and teaching-related practices.

Objective 1: Make faculty aware of opportunities to use innovative methods and technologies for improving instruction and learning.

Objective 2: Support discipline-specific workshops to address needs and interests of members within a department or school.

Objective 3: Offer individual consultations for faculty interested in developing new skills and abilities.

Objective 4: Work with instructional technology personnel to provide training sessions in the use of available technologies.

Goal 3: Provide resources and support for faculty seeking to improve or innovate.

Objective 1: Develop web-based resources that address the range of pedagogical challenges faced by most college instructors.

Objective 2: Inform faculty of newly available technologies and applications they can use in their courses.

Objective 3: Review the College’s evolving instructional needs.

Objective 4: Make available information about developments, discussions, and issues regarding teaching and learning.

Objective 5: Recognize individual faculty for excellence in teaching.

What we offer

Book Discussion Groups

Each semester, members of the T+LC Faculty Fellows lead book discussion groups focused on topics surrounding teaching and learning. The selected books range from classics in the world of pedagogy to new publications by up and coming leaders and influencers in higher education. At the beginning of every semester, information will be sent to faculty and staff detailing the options for that term and a registration form. For more information on our current selections, or to register for an upcoming discussion group, please visit the Book Discussion Groups webpage.

Innovative Teaching Grants

The Teaching and Learning Center offers grants for faculty research studies related to teaching, and for faculty innovation projects leading to innovative teaching strategies. These focused studies are intended to advance scholarship related to teaching and learning and the adoption of innovative pedagogies in the classroom. Each spring a call for proposals is sent to faculty members with necessary information and dates for the current year. Please see the Innovative Teaching Grants Program description for more information.

Teaching + Learning @ Lynchburg

In an effort to develop our community of student-centered teaching, the T+LC invites experts in the field of teaching and learning to visit campus and share with our faculty and staff. Past guest speakers include Ken Bain, Saundra McGuire, Terry Doyle, and Todd Zakrasjek. For more information about recent or upcoming guests, visit the Teaching + Learning @ Lynchburg guest speakers page.