Dear Colleagues,
As I mentioned in my remarks at a recent faculty meeting, in consultation with colleagues across the provost/dean of the faculty division, I have been reviewing the structures and processes involved in many of the academic-adjacent areas of the division. This email serves mainly to offer a comprehensive overview of some recent changes to the Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research, with some notes on other developments in the PDOF division toward the end.
Updates from the Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research (CLTR)
Colgate’s Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research (CLTR) has a dual focus: it provides services and resources to directly support student learning and research and offers programming and resources to support faculty members in the development of knowledge and practice in teaching.
Last spring, as Eddie Watkins was completing his highly successful term as faculty director of the CLTR, I met regularly with him, staff, and faculty connected with the center to think about the next iteration of the Center. In order to recognize the excellent work of colleagues in the CLTR and to maintain consistency of programming, we have moved to a new leadership model.
I am pleased to announce that Karyn Belanger and Jeff Nugent have been promoted as co-directors of the CLTR. In her capacity as co-director, Karyn focuses on students — developing, implementing, and sustaining programs that support students at various stages in their academic program. She oversees tutoring and peer learning initiatives and directs the undergraduate research program. As co-director, Jeff provides leadership to advance teaching and learning through enhanced support for faculty. He works on educational development initiatives, including the design and facilitation of learning communities, support for course design and teaching, exploration of learning space design, and understanding factors that shape faculty adoption of digital technologies to support their teaching practices. While in this new role, Jeff will maintain his position as Director of Learning and Applied Innovation in ITS. Rounding out the CLTR team are Erin Engelhardt (Director of Student-Athlete Academic Enhancement) and Renée Chapin (Center Coordinator serving both the CLTR and OSDS).
Some of you will note that this is a smaller team than last year. After considerable consultation with relevant constituents, those aspects of the CLTR that had been focused on student accommodations and learning adjustments have been moved to the Office of Equity and Diversity. Familiar CLTR faces Evelyn Lester, Molly Mendolia, and Carrie Becher now make up the OED’s new Student Disability Services Team.
With the move away from a faculty director of CLTR, I have sought to ensure that there are close connections between the CLTR and the academic faculty. Doug Johnson, Dean of Academic and Curricular Affairs (and former director of the CLTR), has been working closely with Karyn and Jeff, ensuring that CLTR has a line into the PDOF office and out to the teaching faculty.
The CLTR also has a revived Advisory Board that consists of faculty members from across the divisions. Currently serving through this and the next academic year are Dionne Bailey, Josh Finnell, Margaret Maurer, Jenna Reinbold, Joel Sommers, and Ashley Taylor.
In addition, we are developing a model of faculty fellows affiliated with the CLTR. We are creating three forms of fellowship as we pilot this idea:
The Balmuth Faculty Fellow
Going forward, the winner of the Balmuth Award for Teaching will be made a fellow of the CLTR. The Balmuth Award recognizes teaching that is “distinctively successful and transformative.” In the year following their being honored with the award (or the subsequent year, if they are on leave) the awardee will offer two teaching tables through the center that explore the ideas of successful and transformative teaching.
CLTR Faculty Fellow
As part of our effort to build a cohort of Colgate faculty members engaged deeply in pedagogical development, we are introducing year-long faculty fellowships that provide the opportunity to explore, develop, and disseminate ideas that further support a culture of teaching and learning. Working in partnership with the CLTR, each Faculty Fellow will work to develop and implement a project that could focus on pedagogical growth, enhancing faculty and student programs in the CLTR, or advancing academic goals within existing institutional initiatives.
Sio Chair
Established in 2004 by John K. Runnette ’54, and created in honor of Arnold A. Sio, professor of sociology and anthropology emeritus, the Sio Chair was developed to assist Colgate’s efforts to support and recognize outstanding scholars who, through research, teaching, and service activities, demonstrate a sustained commitment to the principles of diversity embraced by the institution. This has been a two-year chairship appointed by the provost and dean of the faculty, with the chairholder being expected to provide creative and strategic leadership on issues of diversity through substantive contributions to the community in the form of on–campus programming and other related activities.
The charge of the next Sio chair will be to build upon work already begun by colleagues across the campus (e.g. Danny Barreto as Mellon Academic Leadership Fellow and Ani Maitra as Associate Provost of Equity and Diversity; the Natural Sciences and Mathematics DEI working group) regarding DEI in the curriculum. The next Sio Chair will work with CLTR to connect their work with colleagues across the academic divisions.
We have recently sent out invitations for nominations and self-nominations for the Balmuth Award; the same will soon follow for CLTR faculty fellows and the 2024–26 Sio Chair.
Lastly, I would like to highlight two other dimensions to our strengthening connections between the CLTR and offices focused on faculty support. Jenn Lutman, newly appointed Director of University Writing (see below and a formal announcement to follow) has been working closely with the CLTR as we bring writing to the curricular fore. I will be asking Jeff and Josh Finnell, who was recently named Director of Research and Scholarly Initiatives in the University Libraries, to bring together relevant campus partners to explore and deepen how we support research at Colgate.
In sum, these updates indicate ways that we have sought to strengthen the CLTR as a hub for student and faculty support. Please let Karyn, Jeff, Doug, or me know if you have thoughts about other ways that CLTR can help your work.
Other Updates from the PDOF Division
As I indicated in fall faculty meetings, the Office of Undergraduate Scholars (OUS) underwent an external review last fall and this year we are undertaking a self-study of our off-campus study programs in advance of an external review next year. This summer, we piloted a reorganization of the University Libraries faculty and staff structure to create better flows of communication, stronger collaboration within the libraries and beyond, and movement toward a libraries strategic plan that aligns with the larger goals of the Third-Century Plan.
We are currently assessing that structure to determine whether it needs further modification or whether the changes should be solidified. We have instituted Director of University Writing as part of the new Liberal Arts Core Curriculum which has meant changes to the Writing and Speaking Center, including a search for a new director. I will provide updates on the first three areas when we have had a chance to digest what we have learned through the external review, self-study, and reorganization respectively. You will receive an update about campus writing and the Writing and Speaking Center once the director is hired.
Memos Archive
I have referred here to a number of upcoming announcements. To help you track these and other messages, please note that all memos and updates from my office are now being archived on the PDOF website. We’ve included a keyword search function in the archive to make it easy for you to look for information we’ve sent out.
My best,
Lesleigh
Lesleigh Cushing
Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Murray W. and Mildred K. Finard Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion