History
Faculty Development began at Canisius College in the fall of 1992 under the umbrella of a three year Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant for revising the core curriculum. Mick Cochrane, PhD of the English Department was selected as coordinator of a section of the grant that included resources for establishing faculty development at the college. Subsequent to the expiration of the grant in 1995, Dr. Cochrane was formally named Director of Faculty Development by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and served in this capacity until the spring of 1997 when he was named Professor of Creative Writing and Writer in Residence at the college. Under his tutelage, CANTEACH an electronic discussion forum for faculty, and The Teaching Quarterly, a publication devoted to teaching and learning issues were created, and many workshops on topics such as critical thinking, writing across the curriculum, collaborative learning, portfolio assessment, etc. were conducted to enhance teaching effectiveness.
In the fall of 1997, Raymond Clough, PhD of the Department of Modern Languages was chosen to succeed Dr. Cochrane as Director of Faculty Development. The following fall, the program took an important step forward thanks to increased institutional support and a successful application for a five year Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant which included Faculty Development as an independent activity with substantial funding. The significant commitment of college resources to the program allowed Faculty Development to move from a file cabinet in a cramped faculty office into its own quarters in the main classroom building of the college (Old Main 03). Renamed The Center for Teaching Excellence, the program has grown to include a library of print and media resources, space for consultations, discussions, and meetings, and a small storage room for "loaner" hardware including laptop computers, LCD projectors, digital cameras, camcorders. This equipment is primarily for the use of faculty in classrooms that have not yet converted to “smart classroom” status.
An ancillary state-of-the art facility, known as the CTE Multimedia Lab, has also been created in the basement of the Churchill Academic Tower (CT 002) for the specific purpose of enhancing faculty computer skills and developing technology-based courses and materials. This lab is equipped with the latest software applications and state-of-the-art workstations, including Mac’s and PC’s, with mini-cams, printers, scanners, digital editing equipment, etc. Institutional and grant funding also allowed the CTE to provide yearly awards of laptop computers and financial incentives for faculty for materials acquisition and innovative teaching and learning projects. In the summer of 2000, as work began on a two year renovation project to update the Old Main Classroom Building, The Center for Teaching Excellence was relocated permanently in the basement of the Churchill Academic Tower (CT 004), where it continues to operate.
In 2005 Dr. Clough retired, and Patricia Coward, PhD was brought in to direct the Center for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Coward came from a long teaching career that includes fifteen years as a professor of English at a state university in Maryland where she was the inaugural director of a Center for Teaching Excellence. She continues many of the programs initiated by both her predecessors, including sponsorship of social events, speakers from off campus, and workshops on a range of teaching topics of interest to faculty, as well as individual consolations. In addition, Dr. Coward has brought expertise in program assessment to the faculty, offering workshops and working closely with program directors and chairs to assist them with their efforts to enhance student learning through authentic assessment.
Future plans are to move the Center to a more central and visible part of campus, near the library entrance. In addition, as it has continued to work closely with the ITS Faculty Technology Support Center (FacTS Center), the two offices will share space and some support resources to better serve faculty as their teaching with technology needs evolve. This space will house the current Multi-media Center, dedicated training space for individuals, teams, and larger groups, and it will continue to support teaching excellence at Canisius College.
Mission
As a Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning,
The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), as the primary instrument of the college for faculty development, espouses this spirit and seeks to infuse it into all faculty endeavors in the classroom, on campus, in the community, or in the world beyond.
The CTE views its mission as a holistic enterprise encompassing three areas of faculty activity: first, and primary, the academic sphere of teaching, learning, and professional practice; second, the personal sphere of physical, mental and moral "wellness;" and third, the interactive sphere of positive role modeling and service to others.
In the academic realm, the CTE seeks to foster an educational environment where teaching and learning are highly valued and highly effective. To accomplish this the Center maintains a libraryof print and media resources related to all aspects of teaching and learning. In addition, the CTE conducts or co-sponsors a wide range of development activities and servicessuch as workshops, symposia, mentoring, discussion groups, classroom observations, confidential consultations, etc. to enhance excellence in teaching and learning. Through its state-of-the-art multimedia training lab, the CTE also provides faculty with the hardware, software, and technical training needed to bring the full potential of new media to bear on teaching and learning.
In the personal realm, the CTE promotes the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis whereby faculty members are encouraged to pursue personal physical, moral, and spiritual "wellness" through eventsconducted or co-sponsored by the Center. This is deemed important because the energy, stamina, will power, and values needed to achieve true excellence in teaching begin with self-respect.
In the interpersonal realm, the CTE sponsors social and educational group activities to stimulate active minds and to enhance friendships and morale among faculty, administrators, staff, students, families, and friends. The Center also promotes outreach activities where, in the Jesuit tradition of being "a person for others," a faculty member seeking to go beyond professional excellence can volunteer time, expertise, and skills to the betterment of the community and those in need.
In conclusion, the Center for Teaching Excellence seeks to assist all members of the faculty in attaining the gratifications of high professional achievement, and the fullness of life and sense of personal worth to be derived from combining academic pursuits with love and respect for one's self and for others.