Since 1998, Connecticut College’s Teaching Seminar for Incoming Faculty has been supporting faculty in their roles as teachers, scholars, and community members. Our monthly seminars address and model particular aspects of effective teaching and learning, as well as create a space where participants can share both their teaching challenges and successes. We also have a variety of informal meetings and discussions throughout the academic year, all aimed at supporting faculty and helping them become thriving members of the college community. Our “Peer Mentoring” model, which has been adopted by a variety of liberal arts institutions, utilizes second- and third-year faculty who serve as both the organizers of the seminar and mentors for first-year faculty. At least one tenured member of the faculty, the CTL Faculty Fellow, serves as an experienced and trusted voice and a more senior mentor to the participants.

Topics are chosen by the participants themselves, allowing the seminar to adapt easily to faculty needs. The Teaching Seminar also models effective teaching strategies for new faculty, and provides a supportive cohort for early-career faculty that crosses disciplinary and departmental boundaries.

One idea behind the Teaching Seminar is that teaching is “community property” (Shulman)—making it clear from the beginning of a faculty member's career that teaching is something not only valued, but also shared, discussed, practiced intentionally, and can be continually refined and improved. Strategically, the Seminar also fosters a mindset about teaching that creates a user base for our other programming. In addition, the faculty connections as a result of the seminar have also led to interdisciplinary collaborations in research and teaching. To date over 75% of our current tenure-track/tenured faculty have participated in one or more years of the seminar.

Sample Topics for the Class of ’57 Teaching Seminar for Incoming Faculty

Fall Semester

  1. August—Teaching at Connecticut College (local cultures & expectations); Syllabus Workshop; Equitable Course Design; Ideas for 1st Day of Class.
  2. September— What Do We Know about Student Learning at Connecticut College? Strategies for Engaging, Challenging, and Supporting Our Students.
  3. October—Mid-semester Check-In and Evaluation (grading, student evaluations, mid-term evaluations, peer evaluations); Pressures on New Faculty.
  4. November— Teaching Different Types of Classes Effectively.
  5. December— Grades, Grading, & Beyond: Effective Practices and Alternatives.

Spring Semester

  1. January—Optional Course Feedback Form Reading Party. Optional Syllabus Workshop.
  2. February— Using Writing as a Tool for Learning.
  3. March—Creating an Equitable Classroom & Teaching a Diverse Student Body.
  4. April— Student Learning & Cultures (with students as guests).
  5. May— “Balancing” Teaching, Research, Service, and Life; Planning Your Summer.

Other recent topics include: Designing Your Course for Higher-Level Learning; Civility in the Classroom; Using Technology Effectively; Structuring Formal Writing Assignments; Passive to Active Classrooms (discussion, small groups, etc.); End-of-Semester Syllabus Review & Revision; End-of-Semester Student Evaluation Reading.

For more information about this faculty seminar and its role in creating a culture of reflective teaching & learning, see:

Reder, M. & Gallagher, E. V. (2007). Transforming a teaching culture through peer mentoring: Connecticut College’s Johnson Teaching Seminar for incoming faculty and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In D. R. Robertson & L.B. Nilson (Eds.), To Improve the Academy: Vol. 25. Resources for faculty, instructional, and organizational development (pp. 327-344). Bolton, MA: Anker.