Faculty Development Center: Services

Faculty Development Center

Consultations

Consultation on teaching/learning issues is offered to all faculty & lecturers (individuals, small groups, departments and colleges) on a completely voluntary and confidential basis. Sessions are arranged by appointment only. Consultations may include:

* Discussion of classroom-related concerns and course evaluations

* Course, program or curriculum review and redesign

* Review of course materials (syllabi, assignments, exams, feedback from students)

* Observation and feedback on class instruction

* Developing leadership and/or professional development plans

* Review of teaching portfolios or other faculty evaluation instruments

Consultation may be provided in several ways:

You invite a consultant from the Faculty Development Center to observe your class. You discuss, in advance, any particular teaching skills that you wish for the consultant to observe. The consultant takes notes during the class. At the end of the class, you plan a feedback session with the consultant. At this session, the consultant provides you with the only copy of the notes, and discusses what was observed. A plan can then be devised to build upon your strengths.

Or:

You invite a consultant from the Faculty Development Center to videotape your class. At the end of the class, you may a) take the video tape, review it yourself first, and then meet with the consultant, or b) review the videotape together with the consultant, or c) review the videotape by yourself. In all cases, the videotape is yours to keep.

Or:

You request a colleague or staff person to videotape your class. You may then review the tape with a consultant at the Faculty Development Center, either alone or together with the person who has done the taping. (This works well when you have two faculty who are beset with the same challenges-e.g., the same group of students in two different courses, or two sections of the same course.)

Or:

You invite a consultant to attend a meeting where the aims of the proposed consultation are discussed. You develop a plan for how to proceed with the consultant. The Faculty Development Center has access to resources both within and outside the university which may be used to provide you with the best solutions to your challenges.