Documenting Improvement and Preparing for Promotion

A page within Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning (CATL)

Documenting Improvement and Preparing for Promotion: Workshop Series

Who? Any instructor going up for any part in the promotion process in the coming years; IAS and faculty are both encouraged to participate; ideal participants in their 2nd to 5th year at UWL
What? A year-long series of workshops, information sessions, and supported work time to explore the promotion process as well as plan for and reflect on assessments as part of documenting improvement 
When?
Throughout the academic year

This series is offered in collaboration between the Provost Office and CATL. 

Assessment: Revealing Opportunities for Student and Teacher Growth

Date and Time: Wednesday, September 27 from 12:00-1:00pm OR Thursday, September 28 from 3:45-4:45pm
Location: 3110 Union
Description: In this session, we’ll discuss how to design assessments that are useful and meaningful, not just required. Differences between direct and indirect assessment methods will be explained, and we’ll examine various direct assessment methods appropriate for addressing a variety of learning outcomes.  Participants will have the opportunity to brainstorm and develop techniques for implementing direct assessments in their courses. 
Presenter: Tesia Marshik, CATL Specialist - Documenting & Assessing Student Learning

Register or express interest.

Assessment Commons: LENS 

Date and Time: Wednesday, January 17 from 9:00am - 12:00pm 
Location:  
Description: Join us at Assessment Commons to get important university updates about LENS. Sessions will address how to use the feedback received on the LENS reports to reflect on and improve your teaching, ways to set manageable teaching improvement goals based on the feedback, as well as ways to consider the feedback to document improvement for your promotion and retention efforts.
Presenters: Various

More information and REGISTER.

Faculty and IAS Advice and Information from Promotion Committees

Date and Time: Thursday, April 4 from 3:45-4:45 pm OR Friday, April 5 from 2:15-3:15pm
Location: 3310 Union
Description: This session is intended specifically for IAS and tenure track faculty in years 2-5; however, new department chairs and members of department promotion committees are also welcome and encouraged to attend. Discussion items include the promotion process, as well as necessary artifacts and resources for their development. We will also discuss the promotion process and the required documents including narrative and digital measures report.  We will review the composition of the promotion narrative, effective communication to a broad audience, and documenting data-informed (closed-loop) assessment in teaching. 

Presenters: Ronda Leahy, Ryan Friesen, members of JPC and IAS-PC

Register or express interest.

Assessment Showcase: Effectively Integrating Assessments into Teaching Narratives

Date and Time: Wednesday, May 15 from 9:15-10:15am
Location: 3310 Union
Description
In this session, we’ll discuss tips and strategies for integrating and organizing teaching and learning assessments into retention, merit, or promotion narratives. We’ll focus on three key themes: storytelling, progression, and versatility. Participants will be encouraged to make a plan/outline of how they will organize their assessments into meaningful constellations. 
Presenter: Tesia Marshik, CATL Fellow: Assessing & Documenting Student Learning

Assessment Hunker

Date and Time: Wednesday, May 15 from 10:30-2:30pm
Location: 3310 Union
Description: Use this devoted work time to complete assessment work. Here are some ideas:

  • Reflect and write-up an assessment you already implemented in one of your classes, or plan for the next iteration.
  • Work on integrating assessments into your teaching narrative, as explored in the workshop immediately before the hunker.
  • Chairs and academic affairs equity liaisons can work collaboratively to write their inclusive excellence/equity report that is due end of June.

Opportunities for discussion and brainstorming, as well as consultations will be available.

Lunch provided with registration.

Consultants Available: Tesia Marshik, CATL Fellow: Assessing & Documenting Student Learning; Ronda Leahy, Faculty Assistant to the Provost; Ryan Friesen, IAS Liaison to the Provost; Ashley Edwards, CATL Inclusive Teaching Specialist

IAS Promotion Process: Information Session

Date and Time: Thursday, September 21, 2023 OR October 5, 2023 from 3:00-4:30pm  
Location: TBD or via Zoom
Description: This session is provided to receive advice on planning and creating materials for promotion, provided by experienced IAS who have been through the promotion process themselves, some of whom have served on the IAS Promotion Committee. These sessions are completely optional, but attendance at either of them is recommended. 
Presenter: Past and Current Members of the IAS Promotion Committee

For questions, contact Ryan Friesen, IAS Liaison to the Provost.