E10.0 University Administration's Commitment to Effective Teaching Development

Scope: Faculty

I. Rationale

The administration of the university recognizes teaching as the foremost activity of the RIT faculty that is deeply rooted in the university's traditions. In cooperation with faculty and units throughout campus, the administration shall foster and support quality teaching through a variety of offerings designed to encourage and facilitate faculty growth and continued professional development as teachers throughout their careers. Members of the faculty are encouraged to seek ways to improve teaching effectiveness and participate in professional development offerings.

II. Instructional Accessibility

RIT is committed to providing equal access to programs, services, and physical facilities. This equal access has led RIT to a long tradition of providing accessible content to a diverse student body.  Building on its long tradition, RIT seeks to be a leader in instructional accessibility by providing all reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities and guaranteeing accessible content for all.

The Center for Teaching and Learning will work with faculty and provide support to ensure all instructional content meets and/or exceeds the current standards for accessibility. Towards that end, the Center for Teaching and Learning will develop guidelines requiring, among other things, that all media be captioned and that all media be accessible to screen readers.

III. Center for Teaching and Learning Advisory Council

The Provost’s office will maintain the CTL Advisory Council as a forum in which the faculty and the university academic administration can work together to foster quality teaching at the university. The responsibility of this Council is to provide guidance on the development and operational needs of faculty as they relate to teaching and learning at the university. This Council shall work closely with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), which has the responsibility of providing teaching professional development for RIT as well as educational technologies.

  1. Council Membership

    1. The council shall be composed of one provost delegate, one academic dean appointed by the provost, one faculty member per college, and one Faculty Senate designate.  The current Student Government president and vice president are ex-officio members.  Additional members may be added to the council, in consultation with the Senate, as needed to accomplish its work.

    2. The term of council members shall be two years on a rotating basis at the end of spring semester.

    3. The council shall be co-chaired by the executive director of the CTL and a faculty member selected annually from council members.

  2. Responsibilities of Council Members

    1. Council members will attend meetings, represent their constituents, promote awareness of CTL-related activities, and assist in the guidance of CTL programs and services to meet the needs of the university.

  3. Council Report

    1. The council shall provide a report no later than 30 April each year to the faculty and administration. This report shall include an evaluation of the current university efforts in promoting effective teaching and a projection of needs forward for two years.

IV. University Grants

  1. Provost's Learning Innovation Grants (PLIG) (former E10.0-Projects Relating to Teaching Productivity)

    1. Emphasis

      These grants emphasize improving, through innovation, the quality of our educational efforts, and to explore new technologies and methods to enhance student learning. Recommendations for funding will be made to the provost by a university-wide committee.

    2. PLIG Committee Membership

      The provost or designee will establish a university-wide committee of members of the faculty, with no undue weighting from a particular college. Terms of the committee members shall be for two years, with the terms staggered so that approximately one-third shall expire each year.

    3. Duties of the PLIG Committee

      The PLIG Committee shall include: soliciting, receiving, and evaluating proposals from individuals and faculty groups to improve the quality of teaching at RIT. The committee shall forward all evaluations and funding recommendations to the provost for the final decision.

    4. PLIG Criteria and Process

      Detailed information is available through the chair of the Provost's Learning Innovation Grants Committee or through the academic administrator appointed by the provost. For more complete information, refer to the PLIG website.

IV. Faculty Education and Development Grants (FEAD)

(former E15.0-Faculty Education and Development; see also E7.0)

All faculty are encouraged to develop professional/career development plans in conjunction with their deans and/or department heads. Tenure-track faculty, lecturers with multiple year contracts, senior lecturers, and principal lecturers, whose approved plan of work identifies areas of development which address the university's educational goals, or department, college or university strategic plans shall be eligible to apply for professional development assistance from the university. For information on the FEAD grants, see E7.0 Annual Review and Development of Faculty, section III.

Responsible Party:
Faculty Senate and Office of the Provost

Faculty Senate
fsenate@rit.edu

Office of the Provost
academicaffairs@rit.edu

Approved May 1, 2014 (Policy renamed and rewritten to include Policy E10.0 - Projects Relating to Teaching Productivity, Policy E11.0 Policy on Effective Teaching Committee and Policy E15.0 - Faculty Education and Development.)

Effective Date:
May 1, 2014

Policy Histories:

E10. 0 - Projects Related to Teaching Productivity (original policy) - Approved prior to 1980
Policy History:
Edited July 2001
Edited September 2010
Title changed and policy rewritten to include E11.0 and E15.0 - May 1, 2014
May 7, 2020 - Section II added; Section III modified

February 27, 2024 - Mentions of Innovative Learning Institute (ILI) updated throughout policy to current name of Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

 

E.11.0 - Policy on Effective Teaching Committee - Approved December 11, 1974
Policy History:
Last revised March 29, 2001
Edited September 2010
Edited August 22, 2012 - calendar conversion language; formatting
Combined with E10.0 and E15.0 - May 1, 2014

E15.0 - Faculty Education and Development - Approved January 13, 1982
Policy History:
Edited September 2010
Combined with E10.0 and E11.0 - May 1, 2014