Fall 2024

The USC Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET) announces the Faculty Teaching Institute, a faculty development program open to all faculty, though the program is designed for junior faculty interested in establishing a strong foundation in teaching excellence.

The semester-long Faculty Teaching Institute is comprised of a series of eight modules, each with a workshop-style Zoom session. 

The Faculty Teaching Institute will provide faculty an opportunity to connect with colleagues to foster collaboration and community building within and across disciplines.

The workshops are designed to provide faculty:

• A foundation in course design and teaching practices in higher education.
• Strategies for developing an inclusive learning environment.
• Practical, evidence-based techniques to enhance student learning.
• Opportunities to develop strategies for navigating teaching challenges.

Dates for Live Zoom Sessions in Fall 2023

Zoom sessions are Fridays from 10:30 a.m. – noon Pacific time

• August 25
• September 8
• September 22
• October 6
• October 20
• November 3
• November 17
• December 1

Participants who complete the eight modules and two work products will receive a digital badge and certificate of completion. 

Note that credit for module completion requires either attendance at the live Zoom session or submission of the alternative assignment.

For questions about the CET Faculty Teaching Institute, contact usccet@usc.edu.

Anecdotes from faculty participants

“It has really helped me to increase my effectiveness as an educator in tangible ways. Like many of the attendees, I didn’t ‘major’ in adult pedagogy or teaching but rather in my area of expertise and felt initially lost when I entered the classroom a few years ago. However, the workshops and learning activities have made me feel more confident in my ability to organize and deliver the content in the classroom.”

“This was an extremely helpful institute, and it really helped me think about serving my students better and really defining objectives, assignments, and grading. It’s made designing my courses easier and helped me think about specific things to make things like grading easier.”

“It’s a great resource for anyone who is new to teaching, or just not sure if they’re on the right track. This helped me confirm a lot of things I was doing were on the right track, and helped me improve my materials a lot!”

“I would encourage any instructor to attend the CET institute. It was helpful to learn about best practices along with other faculty members from various departments. I would advise future participants to be prepared for active learning and review the modules before coming to the institute each week.”

“Have an open mind – some things we learn at the institute are completely different from what we have done in the past. To be better teachers, we must always be open to trying new things in the classroom.”