UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Penn State’s University-wide teaching center, offers programs and services to support teaching and learning and build community among instructors. A complete list of upcoming programs is available at site.psu.edu.
Meet with a consultant
Meetings with Schreyer Institute faculty consultants are free, confidential and can occur in person or virtually. Instructors can set up a one-to-one meeting to discuss any aspect of teaching by reaching out to a consultant or sending an email to site@psu.edu. Schreyer Institute consultants work with anyone who teaches Penn State students.
A consultation is a conversation initiated by instructors with a Schreyer Institute faculty consultant who has extensive teaching experience, as well as experience working with instructors on the design and delivery of courses, syllabi, lesson plans, class activities — basically any teaching topic. Consultants have experience in a variety of academic disciplines and are comfortable crossing between fields.
Instructors work with a consultant whenever the instructor decides they need input. Consultations are driven by instructor need, and the instructor ultimately decides how they will act upon the information they uncover through consultation. In other words, consultants do not tell instructors what to do. Instead, they serve in a coaching and sounding board role.
Teaching communities
Teaching communities are faculty-led groups that meet regularly to discuss teaching and learning. Discussions might include sharing experiences or expertise, exchanging strategies and ideas, or exploring solutions to teaching or learning challenges. Existing teaching communities range in topics from Advancing Innovation in Tech-Free Teaching and Assessment Strategies, to teaching Digital Learning Cooperative (DLC) courses, to the AI Teaching and Learning Community.
Instructors interested in joining an existing community should reach out to the contact listed in the Teaching Communities directory. Those interested in starting a new teaching community can contact Logan Harvey (ljh5825@psu.edu) to discuss the idea. The Schreyer Institute provides modest funding, and applications for new communities are now open and will close on Sept. 18.
Teaching and Learning Scholarship
The Schreyer Institute offers a range of support services to make it as easy as possible for Penn State instructors to do research on their teaching and learning practice. The Institute also offers opportunities to collaborate with other Penn State instructors on topics of shared interest. The Teaching and Learning Scholarship (TLS) conference grant program provides Penn State instructors the opportunity to share their scholarship related to teaching and learning in Penn State courses at selected conferences. To determine appropriate services, instructors should contact Laura Cruz at lxc601@psu.edu.
Workshops, events and resources on current issues
This fall, the Schreyer Institute will offer a range of workshops on:
- artificial intelligence,
- accessibility,
- assessment,
- low-tech engagement,
- teaching and learning scholarship
- and other current topics.
See the Institute's events page for all upcoming events. Academic units or small groups of instructors can also request custom workshops.
The Schreyer Institute offers multiple Provost Endorsements
The Provost Endorsement on Universal Design for Learning is entirely asynchronous and is a partnership between the Schreyer Institute and World Campus Online Faculty Development. Participants explore the rationale and research that supports designing learning experiences with UDL, engage in discussions with peers and create a UDL-inspired instructional activity.
The endorsement on Teaching and Learning Scholarship is offered in a hybrid format. Participants in this Provost Endorsement Program will gain the skills, knowledge and experience needed to develop and implement a research project related to their teaching practice. The Inclusive and Equitable Teaching endorsement is offered in a hybrid format. Participants will reflect on student feedback and redesign an activity or syllabus.
Inclusive and Ethical Pedagogy series
This semester’s session on "The Human Work of Teaching: Understanding the Dimensions of Faculty Labor" explores the often-unseen, relational labor of teaching that underpins meaningful learning. Teaching involves constant, complex decision-making and significant invisible work that is emotional, intellectual and relational. Three panelists will discuss strategies for building authentic learning communities and explore how relational labor can be better recognized, protected and sustained in higher education. Register here for "The Human Work of Teaching."
Talking about Teaching series
As part of the Talking about Teaching series, the Schreyer Institute hosts conversations with Penn State experts about teaching topics that are top-of-mind for instructors. All events will be held via Zoom and will not be recorded in order to invite open conversation. This fall, the series will host sessions focused on tech-free teaching, ethics and AI use, and the state of Teaching and Learning Scholarship at Penn State. Check the Schreyer Institute events page for dates.
Resources for teaching during elections
The Schreyer Institute has developed resources to support planning for instruction during elections, and these resources and additional information on supporting student voting are now available on the PSU Votes website. The Institute also offers a Canvas repository with resources on alternative grading.
New faculty
This fall semester, the T3 (Targeted Teaching Transformation) Program is open to anyone new to teaching at Penn State. Instructors get matched with a consultant and receive personalized support as they transition to teaching at Penn State. Instructors can work with a Schreyer Institute faculty consultant to build on their strengths, refine their teaching skills and address questions that arise during their first semester.
Teaching assistants and graduate students
TAs, graduate students and post docs who are teaching may face a unique set of challenges, and the Schreyer Institute offers programs to those who serve as instructor of record or support instruction. Please see the full list of events of special interest to graduate students and postdocs. For those without any prior teaching experience, the Schreyer Institute offers the Instructional Foundation Series. Penn State is also continuing its membership in the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, (CIRTL). For questions about CIRTL programs or CIRTL teaching certificate, reach out to Chas Brua at cirtl@psu.edu or crb129@psu.edu.
The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.