Our Services

CETL offers services for enhancing teaching on both the individual and departmental levels.

A UM instructor works with students

Supporting exemplary teaching

The primary purpose of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is to improve student learning at The University of Mississippi by promoting and supporting exemplary teaching. The Center serves all members of the teaching community including tenure-track faculty, non-tenure-track faculty, instructional faculty, adjunct faculty, visiting faculty, and graduate teaching assistants and instructors. We also consult with departments and other campus units on initiatives to enhance teaching and learning.

To learn more about other CETL offerings, please visit our Programs and Events pages.

 

For Individuals

CETL consultants are available to work with individual members of the UM teaching community on a voluntary basis to help them develop and refine their teaching practices. In accordance with the best practices for educational development set forth by the Professional and Organizational Development Network, CETL maintains confidentiality for all of these services.

A consultation with CETL can address a range of topics, from syllabus and course design to student participation and engagement to the creation of assessments and assignments. We can also help you review your teaching evaluations or document your teaching in a philosophy statement or portfolio. 

Request a teaching consultation

You can request a consultant to observe you teach and then meet with you to help you consider your strengths as a teacher and identify opportunities for improvement. 

Request a classroom observation

Consultants can meet with your students during class for 15 or 20 minutes to gather feedback on what aspects of instruction are helpful to their learning and what might be changed to help them learn more effectively, then share that feedback with you during a consultation.

Request a student feedback session

For Departments and Schools

Department and school leadership are encouraged to utilize the pedagogical expertise and facilitation skills of CETL staff for any number of teaching and learning initiatives. 

CETL consultants can help departments and other units by:

  • Advising on best practices for the evaluation of teaching, including peer evaluation,
  • Facilitating course and curriculum (re)design processes, 
  • Offering tailored workshops for faculty and graduate instructors on teaching and learning topics of interest,
  • Gathering feedback from students in a program to guide in program revision, and
  • Consulting with academic leaders on challenging issues in teaching and learning.

To request any of these services, please email us at cetl@olemiss.edu or contact your liaison below. 

Workshops We Can Offer

This non-exhaustive list shares workshops any CETL consultant could provide for departments. We welcome opportunities to work with department chairs and others to customize workshops to meet the needs of UM instructors.

  • Facilitating active learning
  • Facilitating effective classroom discussion

  • Grades, learning, and student motivation
  • Getting started with alternative grading
  • Alternative grading strategies

  • Backward design
  • How to write an inviting syllabus

  • Reaching and teaching every student
  • Inclusive and equitable teaching practices
  • Trauma-aware teaching
  • Working with neurodivergent students
  • Who are our students?

Find Your Liaison

Each department or school has a designated CETL liaison. Find the liaison for your unit below.
Emily Donahoe speaking into a mic at a CETL event with attendees in the foreground

Emily is the liaison for the Departments of Classics, English, Higher Education, History, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy & Religion, Theatre & Film, and Writing & Rhetoric, as well as all departments within the School of Business Administration. She also supports graduate student TAs and instructors.

Josh Eyler smiling at a CETL workshop

Josh is the liaison for the Departments of Aerospace Studies, Art & Art History, Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mathematics, Military Science, Naval Science, Physics & Astronomy, and Teacher Education, as well as all departments within the School of Engineering.

Liz Norell gesturing while speaking at a CETL workshop, with attendees in the foreground

Liz is the liaison for the Departments of Economics, Leadership & Counselor Education, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy Leadership, and Sociology & Anthropology, as well as all departments within the Schools of Accountancy, Applied Sciences, Journalism & New Media, Law, and Pharmacy.

Learn more

Read about instructors' experiences with consultations, observations, and more on our blog.

Visit the blog