News + Updates

Congrats to CTL’s Classroom Tech Support Team!

Congratulations to our fantastic Classroom Support Team—Ian Webber, Joseph Serio, John Schrenker, Matthew Nicosia, and Tyler Brant—who are this year's recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence.

The team has significantly improved campus learning environments by upgrading technology in over 60 classrooms between 2022–2024, including key spaces in the SHED and Library. Beyond technical upgrades, they've enhanced accessibility, formalized room management processes, shared best practices, and provided exceptional support—all of which helps enable students and faculty to maximize their learning experience at RIT. Well done team—we are all very proud of your efforts and this significant recognition!

Make the Last Class Count

The last day of a class is often taken up with housekeeping, prep for the final, and course evaluations. But the final session presents an opportunity for you and your students to reflect on what you learned, consider its future applications, and recognize your achievements. Below are some suggestions for how to make the last class impactful and memorable:

• Recap major course concepts and stories and have students create mind maps highlighting key connections
• Ask students, either in individual writing, small group discussion, or a class conversation, to identify their main takeaways from the course
• Discuss how course content relates to future academic or real-world applications
• Hold an “all questions answered” period in which students can ask any question, from material in the course to any other topic
• Take a moment to acknowledge student accomplishments, both individual and collective

The CTL team is here to meet with you one-on-one to explore additional ideas for ending your courses and anything related to designing and facilitating them.

Enhance Your Course Content with Studio-Quality Video

The newly available CTL Studio is now open and ready to help you create high-quality video content for your summer and fall courses. Whether recording a welcome message, lecture, or using the lightboard to explain key concepts, the studio offers a quiet, professional space with expert support.

The CTL Studio is open over the summer and available for faculty use during course development!

2025 Summer Institute - Registration is open!

The Center for Teaching and Learning is excited to announce that registration is open for the 2025 Summer Institute for Teaching and Learning, taking place May 14-16.

Fueled by the theme of Creativity and Innovation, this year’s Summer Institute will showcase three days of inspiring sessions from RIT faculty on engaging learning experiences, teaching with technology, advancing faculty success, AI in practice, and research partnerships.

We are proud to welcome three outstanding keynote speakers to this year’s conference:

• Melissa McCarron, Assistant Teaching Professor of Spanish at University of Buffalo,
• Marina Smitherman, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Chair of the Department of Life Sciences, and Professor of Biology at Dalton State College, and
• Andrew White, Co-Founder & Head of Science of FutureHouse.

Whether you're looking to enhance your teaching, explore new tools, or connect with colleagues, there’s something for everyone.

Faculty, staff, and teaching assistants are all welcome to attend.

Space is limited for select sessions, so early registration is encouraged. We look forward to learning with you this May!

Upcoming Events

Summer Institute for Teaching and Learning
May 14-16 | This annual symposium is a celebration of teaching and learning at RIT, and a time for faculty to come together to discuss and inspire each other on a variety of teaching and learning topics. With the theme of Creativity and Innovation, session tracks will include Teaching with Technology, Engaging Learning Experiences, Advancing Faculty Success, and Exploring AI In Practice.

Looking for Customized Support?

Tools for Teaching

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) supports faculty in using a variety of academic technologies. These four tools can be used in courses, as well as for general RIT purposes. Learn more on our website.