Director

Jennifer Jefferson is the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. She comes to this role after being a Visiting Assistant Professor in University Studies at St. Edward's University. Previously, she taught at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University. Her educational background is in American Studies and Cultural Studies in Education.

She is committed to providing programming and support that is responsive to the St. Edward's community, and she collaborates across campus to address the complex needs of faculty at a liberal arts university. Some of her areas of interest include inclusive course development, reflective practice, and peer learning communities.
 

Administrative Coordinator

Juanita Servín

Advisory Board

Alex Barron, Associate Professor of University Studies

Arcelia Hernandez, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Learning, and Culture

Stephen King, Professor of Communication

Kate Lopez, Assistant Professor of Accounting

Mity Myhr, Professor of History

Paul Walter, Associate Professor of Mathematics
 

The Center for Teaching Excellence offers a variety of programs to improve teaching at the university, including:

• Consultations
• Books & Coffee Reading and Discussion Group
• Faculty Learning Communities
• New Faculty Support
• Innovation Fellowships and Institute
• Teaching Symposium
• Workshops, seminars, and discussion groups
• Resources, including a library of print books and numerous digital teaching guides and articles
• Programs for departments and schools are also available upon request.

Please visit our blog for more information: http://sites.stedwards.edu/cte/

I Wasn't Trained for This: Supporting Faculty Through the Many Components of College Teaching
A new series offered by the Center for Teaching Excellence
Our first session
Understanding the Accommodations Process and Supporting Students, a session with Candice Vasquez, Associate Director of Student Disability Services
Tuesday, March 3,  3:30-4:30
OR
Friday, March 6, 1:00-2:00
Holy Cross Hall 105
RSVP
Being a college teacher is a complex task. Many of us, who were trained to be content experts, received little support in graduate school to think through the multiple threads of teaching--from selecting content to developing assignments, from addressing the students in the room to maintaining appropriate boundaries, from public speaking to developing in-class activities (just to name a few). This series will take one topic at a time, invite a campus colleague to lead a session, and offer both information on the topic and time for discussion.

Our first session in the series will feature Candice Vasquez, Associate Director of  Student Disability Services. She will discuss the accommodations process and the St. Edward's context, and then provide examples of how to offer support throughout the semester.

* Please note that there are two sessions for this first installment to accommodate more schedules.

Universal Design for Learning: A Hands-On Workshop
Friday, February 28th, 12:30-1:30
Holy Cross Hall 101
RSVP
Interested in reconsidering your content?  Want to craft assignments for different modalities? Curious about intentional community building? Join us for this workshop on Universal Design for Learning where we’ll discuss general principles of the framework and then have time for you to apply the principles to your own courses. The goal with this lunch session is to provide you with resources to implement changes, both immediately and long-term, into your courses.

Please watch this video in advance of the session:
UDL at a Glance 

And if​ you'd like mroe information, here are some other resources:
Podcast on Universal Design

The UDL Guidelines
 

Questioning Our Assumptions about Learning: A Session with Peter Brown, one of the authros of Make It Stick
Thursday, February 27th,  2:00-3:15 pm
Holy Cross Hall 105
RSVP
Join us for a discussion led by Peter Brown, one of the authors of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, which is a groundbreaking book in learning sciences and a past Books and Coffee pick. He will provide us with an overview of the main arguments of the book, share some of the fascinating research that didn't find its way into the book, and help us work through our assumptions about learning, which may or may not be accurate. Lots to discuss--we'd love to have you join us!

The CTE has several copies of the text, should you want to read in advance of the session--just let me know!

*Note: our session will be in 105, so we have limited capacity for attendance. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP early.

Inclusive Teaching: Thinking about Grading Practices
Friday, February 7 at noon
Holy Cross Hall 105
RSVP for lunch
This panel discussion, which features Michelle Richter from Criminology (BSS), kris sloan from Teaching, Learning, and Culture (HDE), and Santiago Toledo from Chemistry (NSCI), will highlight different approaches to grading, which might help address those nagging questions in the back of our heads. We'll explore collaboratively developing part of the grading scale, individual assignment grading practices, and reframing the entire approach to grading.  We'll have time for discussion and questions as we think through our grading practices and share different approaches to grading.

The Great Rubric Swap
Tuesday, February 18 at 12:30
Holy Cross Hall 105
RSVP
Join us on February 18th for lunch and discussion. Bring an assignment guideline and a rubric for that assignment, and we'll pair up to get feedback. This session is designed to be a working session where you'll have time to talk with colleagues and revise your rubric.

Making Time for Writing
Holy Cross Hall 105
RSVP
Let the CTE help carve out time for your writing and provide you with a dedicated space and snacks. 
To accommodate schedules, there will be one one-and-a-half-hour block reserved in Holy Cross Hall 105 every week. The first 15 minutes of the block is set aside for checking in with one another, sharing progress, and helping each other set goals. The remaining time is for making progress on your own writing projects.

Here are the days and times for the spring:
Mondays at 3:00             
February 3             
February 17           
March 2                 
March 30             
April 13               
April 27                                         
Thursdays at 9:00
January 30
February 13
February 27
March 12
March 26
April 9
April 23

Course Prep Extravaganza!
Friday, January 10 between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm
Holy Cross Hall First Floor
Join the CTE and Instructional Technology for a course prep work day. Stop by to work in a new place; get feedback on course design, assignments, or technology integration; and have a cup of coffee and some delicious snacks. This come-and-go all-day event is offered to help everyone transition into the spring semester--we'd love to see you, even if it is just to say hi!

Incorporating The St. John's Bible: Sharing Strategies and Discussing Possibilities
Thursday, January 9 at 10 am
Munday Library, Archives Room
Join us as we discuss possible ways to integrate The St. John's Bible into your spring 2020 courses. Faculty from different disciplines will share both how they used The Saint John's Bible in classes in Fall 2019 and/or their plans for incorporation into classes in the spring. Our goal with this session is to help expand the incorporation of The St. John's Bible into as many courses across campus as possible--we are honored to have it at St. Edward's for the entire year!

Books & Coffee (Wednesday) Reading Group
RSVP
Connected Teaching: Relationship, Power, and Mattering in Higher Education by Harriet L. Schwartz
Wednesdays: January 29, February 26, March 25, and April 29
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in Holy Cross Hall 105

Books & Coffee (Thursday) Reading Group
RSVP
Connected Teaching: Relationship, Power, and Mattering in Higher Education by Harriet L. Schwartz
Thursdays: January 30, February 27, March 26, and April 23
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. in Holy Cross Hall 105

New Faculty Orientation
(Contracted and Adjunct)
Monday, January 6, 2020
9 a.m. - 1 p.m, Fleck 305
Breakfast and lunch will be served.  Please RSVP.
New Faculty Orientation Agenda 

New Faculty Orientation
(Contracted and Adjunct)
Monday, August 19, 2019
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m, Fleck 305
Breakfast and lunch will be served. Please RSVP.
New Faculty Orientation Agenda

Teaching Symposium
Thursday, August 22, 2019
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m, Fleck Hall, 3rd floor
Breakfast and lunch served.  Please RSVP
Schedule and Full Program

Books & Coffee (Wednesday) Reading Group
Creating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World by Paul Hanstedt
Wednesdays: September  4, October 2, November 6, and December 4
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in Holy Cross Hall 105

Books & Coffee (Thursday) Reading Group
Creating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World by Paul Hanstedt
Thursdays: September 5, October 3, November 7, and December 5
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. in Holy Cross Hall 105

Read. Try. Chat.
33 Simple Strategies for Faculty: A Week-by-Week Resource for Teaching First-Year and First-Generation Students
Fridays: September 13, October 11, November 8, and December 13
11:00 a.m to Noon in Holy Cross Hall 105

Read. Try. Chat. (FSEM Group)
33 Simple Strategies for Faculty: A Week-by-Week Resource for Teaching First-Year and First-Generation Students
Wednesdays: September 11, October 9, November 13, and December 11
1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in Holy Cross Hall 105.

Working Toward Low-Cost Textbooks: Cross-Sector Faculty Collaboration for an OER Initiative Across 123 Campuses
Co-sponsored by the Office of Information Technology, Munday Library, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and the School of Natural Sciences (St. Edward's Calendar link)
Wednesday, September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Fleck 314

The Range of Rubrics
Thursday, September 26 at 12:30 p.m.
Holy Cross Hall 105
Range of Rubrics Lunch RSVP

Updates from the Field:  Innovation Fellows Discuss Their Initial Forays into the new General Education
A panel discussion with Selin Guner, BSS; Laura Hernandez-Ehrisman, AHUM; Liz Johnson, HDE; Bill AQuinn NSCI; Paul Walter, NSCI
Symposium Throughout the Year
Friday, October 4 at noon
Innovation Fellows: Lunch RSVP

Previous CTE Program Schedules:
2018-2019

Teaching Awards

Given annually, teaching excellence awards at St. Edward's University honor faculty for their exceptional talents and dedication to promoting learning in meaningful, engaging and innovative ways. The selection process is rigorous, evaluating candidates' course offerings, curricular designs, instructional methods, classroom performances, and interactions with students.

Four awards are given annually:

• The Sister Donna Jurick Distinguished Career Award is given to one faculty member who has taught at St. Edward's for at least 15 years.
• The Distinguished Teaching Award is given to two contract faculty.
• The Outstanding Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty is given to one adjunct faculty member.
• The Delayne Hudspeth Award for Innovative Instruction honors a faculty member who has designed an innovative course project or teaching method.

2018-2019 Teaching Winners

Innovation Fellows

Innovation fellowships support faculty who need time, resources and expertise to include pedagogical experimentation in their courses by providing a stipend, participation in the Innovation Institute, and a community of faculty fellows focused on pedagogical innovation.

Learn about our Innovation Fellows and their projects. 

Read about past fellows.

Delayne Hudspeth, retired professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Instructional Technology at the University of Texas, was a mentor to several St. Edward's faculty members and scores of other master's and doctoral students. Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, Dr. Hudspeth's contributions to innovation in higher education are honored by this award. 

This award recognizes St. Edward's teachers who create innovative learning environments. One award, in the amount of $500, may be given each year. The winning project is chosen by the Hudspeth Award Committee, a committee of faculty members from at least four of the St. Edward's schools.

All applications for the 2019-2020 Hudspeth Award process are due by the end of the day on January 31, 2020. Applications must be submitted online.

Eligible Course Projects

Who can self nominate? Faculty (full-time, part-time, and staff who teach) of all disciplines and ranks are encouraged to apply. Recipients of the award must wait five years before reapplying.

What course projects are eligible? Self nominations should highlight a specific project, assignment, exercise, teaching method or a new use of technology. They may also focus on the entire course, if the course design itself is novel. 

Instructors may apply for the award based on an innovation planned and implemented in any of the three years previous to the application deadline. This year, projects implemented in any of the following semesters will be eligible:  

• Academic year 2016-2017, including Fall 2016, Spring 2017, and Summer 2017,
• Academic year 2017-2018, including Fall 2017, Spring 2018, and Summer 2018,
• Academic year 2018-2019, including Fall 2018, Spring 2019, and Summer 2019

A focus on innovation: Since this award celebrates innovation, preference will be given to projects that demonstrate the greatest levels of innovation and that clearly present the value of that innovation for student learning.

How to Apply

 

• Read the guidelines and submit your application
• Read previous winning applications

Note: There is a 2000-word limit on your application's total length, though no single question has a word limit.  Please run a word count on your completed application before submitting it through the online form.

The submission form is designed to allow you to edit your responses even after submitting them. 

Selection Process

The winner(s) of the award will be decided upon by the faculty members of the Innovations in Teaching Committee. The CTE director does not influence or participate in the discussion or the voting.  

The committee follows an established review practice:

• Applications are masked to enable blind review.  This process removes the applicant's name and any obviously identifying information from the application document.
• Masked copies of the applications are circulated to all members of the committee for review. Committee members read each application, complete an evaluation rubric, and rank them, adhering to the application categories and questions.
• The committee then meets and holds an in-depth discussion of the projects, leading to a final consensus decision based on both the scoring and the discussion.
• Currently, only one project can win the Hudspeth Award each year.