The Center for Academic Development – Teaching Excellence serves as a central location for professional development and the collection and dissemination of information relevant to the promotion of excellence in teaching and learning at Liberty University. We offer a robust number of services for online and residential faculty.
Here’s What’s Happening:
Teaching Analysis Polls (TAPs) – October 1 – 31
Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is now booking mid-semester Teaching Analysis Polls (TAPs), which are a great way for faculty to receive student feedback mid-semester, before End-of-Course Evaluations. TAPs are one of the most beneficial services from CTE!
Note: TAPs are conducted residentially in on-campus classes only.
During your scheduled TAP, a CTE staff member will arrive for the last 30 minutes of your class to divide students into groups and build consensus to the following: (1) What most helps you learn in this class? (2) What impedes your learning in this class? After class, CTE will meet with you to debrief. TAP results are confidential.
To schedule CTE to visit your class(es) during October 1-31, CLICK HERE or email cte@liberty.edu asap.
Save the Date: Conference on Teaching Excellence – Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024
This academic year’s January professional development event will take place on January 10, 2024. The theme will be “Live Grateful.” Details on the conference’s “Call for Proposals” will be released soon.
Center for Teaching Excellence Newsletter
We are excited to release the latest edition of the Center for Teaching Excellence newsletter. Click here to read NEWSLETTER. It is packed with valuable information, as well as teaching and technology tips. We hope that you take a few minutes to review. Please reach out with questions, or if we can be of assistance.
Optional residential faculty professional development brought to you by the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). Register via the Course Registration tool in myLU (Subject Code: PDCT). Email cte@liberty.edu with questions. For workshops/webinars held via Microsoft Teams, links will be sent to registered participants in advance.
- Building Interactive Presentations with Adobe Express Page; Friday, Sept. 1
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 and MS Teams - Creating Practice Quizzes with Top Hat; Monday, Sept. 4
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 - In-Person Book Study: Practicing Thankfulness (Meeting 1 of 3); Tuesday, Sept. 5
10–11 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 - Providing Assignment Feedback; Wednesday, Sept. 6
Noon–12:45 p.m.; MS Teams - Tips for Grading Efficiently Using Canvas Features; Friday, Sept. 8
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 and MS Teams - Creating Tests and Quizzes in Canvas; Monday, Sept. 11
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 and MS Teams - Building Community Through Video; Wednesday, Sept. 13
Noon–12:45 p.m.; MS Teams - Faith Across the Disciplines with Scotty Curlee (School of Communication & the Arts); Thursday, Sept. 14
8:15–9:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 - Creating High-Impact Visuals with Canva; Friday, Sept. 15
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 - Setting Up Group Assignments in Canvas; Monday, Sept. 18
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 and MS Teams - Class/Group Meetings with Microsoft Teams; Wednesday, Sept. 20
Noon–12:45 p.m.; MS Teams - Updating Your RESDEV and the Course Copy Process; Friday, Sept. 22
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 - Interpreting New Analytics in Canvas; Monday, Sept. 25
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066 and MS Teams - Services Spotlight: Meet IT Services; Wednesday, Sept. 27
Noon–12:45 p.m.; MS Teams - Online Book Study: Thrive Online (Meeting 2 of 4); Thursday, Sept. 28
Noon–1 p.m.; MS Teams - Ensuring Your Courses Align with Liberty’s Canvas Template; Friday, Sept. 29
10:30–11:15 a.m.; DeMoss Hall, Room 3066
Congratulations to the 2022-2023 President’s Award Winners!
The purpose of the award is to recognize teachers who have promoted significant student learning- evidenced by creative and innovative approaches to teaching, the effective use of instructional technology, and exceptional pedagogical skill. Additionally, their impact on student faith, thought, and character fully realizes Dr. Falwell’s vision of training leaders in all discipline areas. The award process involves a formal peer nomination, dean support, faculty input, and student contribution. Winners are determined by the Selection Committee and affirmed by the Provost. Faculty, Instructional Mentors, and other peers who have direct knowledge of a nominee’s qualifications and experience in demonstrating excellence in teaching may nominate a deserving full-time faculty member in the following categories: Undergraduate and Graduate.
Liberty University Undergraduate
- Crystal Passburg, School of Health Sciences
- David Schweitzer, College of Arts and Sciences
Liberty University Graduate
- Andrew Walker, College of Arts and Sciences
- James Zabloski, School of Divinity
- Melissa Stewart, Helms School of Government
CTE Director’s Award for Excellence in New Faculty Mentoring
This award recognizes seasoned faculty mentors’ extraordinary dedication to supporting new colleagues in the Koinonia Mentoring Program. Mentors meet monthly with their mentees, offering advice, support, and encouragement to new faculty members. Award recipients are selected based on mentee nominations and determined by a scoring committee.
Congratulations to the recipient of the 2022-2023 Director’s Award for Excellence in New Faculty Mentoring, Dr. Gary Isaacs.
Congratulations to the 2023-24 ILLUMINATE Grant Recipients!
The ILLUMINATE Grants for the Improvement of Teaching are designed to encourage faculty to enhance instruction through the introduction of new pedagogical and active learning techniques, activities, and/or learner-centered experiences. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Confidential scoring committees evaluate applicants on the grant’s purpose, student engagement, higher-order thinking, and potential to impact student learning.
- A Tour of Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Homes (Lisa Campbell and Kevin Layell; College of Arts and Sciences)
- Augmenting Fashion Design (Kim Cashman and Samantha Pearce; College of Arts and Sciences)
- Can You Understand Me Now? Interpreting Transmission Equipment for Future Interpreters (Andrew Milacci; College of Arts and Sciences)
- North American Christians in Social Work Service-Learning Opportunity (Cheryl Nitz; School of Behavioral Sciences)
- Enhancing Practical Applications for Assurance and Attestation Learning for Accounting Students (Charlene Geisler; School of Business)
- Excellence in Human Performance: Conversing With One of the World’s Best Sports Performance Scholars and Practitioners (Andy Bosak, Jim Schoffstall, and Tate Fonville; School of Health Sciences and School of Engineering)
- Exploring the Intersection of Public Health Policy (Jonathan Giles and Kahlib Fischer; School of Health Sciences and School of Government)
- Floral Design Workshop (Chelsea Milks; College of Arts and Sciences)
- History Through Experience: Historic Jamestown and Yorktown (Samuel Smith, Donna Donald, and Christopher Jones; College of Arts and Sciences)
- Holocaust Education: Exposing Students to the Holocaust (David Snead; College of Arts and Sciences)
- Intentional Engagement: Using Manipulatives and Cooperative Learning Tools in the Foreign Language Classroom (Alisha Castañeda and Stephanie Blankenship; College of Arts and Sciences)
- Kingdom Advisors (Stacie Rhodes and Kurt Cornfield; School of Business)
- LEARN 2 LEAD Through LUNCH & LEARN (Roger Mackey; College of Applied Studies and Academic Success)
- Liberty University Apiary Project (Morgan Roth, Kyle Harris, and J. Thomas McClintock; School of Health Sciences)
- Multidisciplinary Engineering Design: A Hands-on Robot Design (Howie Fang; School of Engineering)
- Preparing for Excellence: A SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge Model Exploration (Tammy Brown; School of Business)
- Social Welfare Policy: Social Work Field Trip to Richmond: Legislative Process and Cultural Education (Elke Cox and Aaron Wright; School of Behavioral Sciences)
- UR LUved (Cindy Goodrich and Dana Woody; School of Nursing)
CTE Faculty Fellow Program
As part of its commitment to best practices, the Center for Teaching Excellence seeks Faculty Fellows to draw upon their talents. The CTE Faculty Fellow role is an exclusive opportunity for past President Award for Excellence in Teaching winners to become featured speakers at CTE’s January Conference and during semester workshops. Additionally, Faculty Fellows are recognized at various events throughout the academic year. This program involves a competitive application process.
Meet our 2023-24 Faculty Fellow:
Dr. David Schweitzer
Professor, Mathematics
College of Arts & Sciences
David Schweitzer was a 2023 recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and a 2020 recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research Mentorship. Holding a Master’s in Mathematics from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University, he serves as a Professor of Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences and as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Engineering. Schweitzer is invested in the integration of math and technology, developing software tools to aid mathematical expression in various learning environments. He is the Program Director for Liberty’s Applied Mathematics and Statistics Degree, where he develops curriculum and serves as an advisor to the Actuarial Club, actively contributing to and managing the club’s resources. We are honored to have Dr. Schweitzer as our 2023-24 CTE Faculty Fellow.
Center for Academic Development News
Visit the Faculty Workshops page for:
- Workshop Calendar
- Faith Integration Workshops
- Faculty Book Studies
Helpful Links
How Can We Help?
Have questions about who we are or the services we provide? Contact us at cte@liberty.edu.