The TLC’s Maintaining Instructional Continuity page has newly-added resources for supporting instructor wellbeing during this unprecedented and uncertain time.

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March Update

Image of students sitting at tables outside Kerckhoff Hall

March is an exciting month at the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC). We’re thrilled to welcome Kem Saichaie as the TLC’s inaugural executive director. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, Saichaie will advance our mission to elevate teaching, offer pedagogical resources, and promote student success.

Get to Know Kem

We have also launched applications for the Collegium of University Teaching Fellows and our second cohort of the Dialogue across Difference Faculty Fellows program. Keep reading to learn more about these opportunities, upcoming information sessions, application deadlines, and other events from the TLC.

Collegium of University of Teaching Fellows Nominations Due April 30

The Collegium of University Teaching Fellows (CUTF) program prepares advanced graduate students for careers in academia by offering opportunities to propose, design, and teach an undergraduate course inspired by their research or creative work with support from the TLC. Doctoral students in any discipline who will advance to candidacy prior to September 15 of the upcoming academic year are eligible to apply to their departments for consideration. Departments may then nominate a single candidate by 5 p.m. on April 30.

Fellows receive two units of course credit for the program’s pedagogy seminar in Fall 2025 and one quarter of TA funding at 50% time at the level of Teaching Fellow when they teach their seminar in Winter or Spring 2026.

Visit the program website for more information or join the Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Scholar Engagement team at one of our online information sessions:

4–5 p.m., March 10
Noon–1 p.m., March 18

Info Session Details

Learn More about CUTF

Designing Your Online Course Workshop Series

Six live Zoom sessions from April 14 through May 23 
Applications due March 21

The TLC’s Instructional Design and Media Production team will host a multi-session workshop exploring effective online instructional practices and course design strategies. The goal of the workshop is to design a course that is grounded in best practices for online instruction, is accessible to all learners, and incorporates principles of equity and inclusion.

The workshop runs from April 14 through May 23, with weekly Zoom meetings on Fridays at 10-11am. The workshop includes weekly asynchronous activities (~1.5 hours per week). Module deadlines can accommodate travel and research commitments. Each participant will also be assigned an instructional designer to work closely with during and after the workshop to develop and launch the course.

Please email Kate Schaller at kschaller@teaching.ucla.edu for more information.

Apply for the Course Design Workshop

Upcoming Deadlines

March 21 — Application deadline for TLC Course Design Workshop 

March 21 — Application deadline for Tier 2 Educational Innovation Grants

March 31 — Application deadline for Tier 1 Educational Innovation Grants

April 1 — Application deadline for 2025-2026 Dialogue across Difference Faculty Fellows Cohort

April 4 — Deadline for Tier 3 Catalyst Grant proposals

April 4 — Deadline for Teaching Assistant and Non-Senate Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award nominations

April 30 — Departmental nomination deadline for 2025-2026 Collegium of University Teaching Fellows Cohort

May 2 — Deadline for Senate Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award nominations

Events

Dialogue Across Difference Faculty Fellows Program Info Sessions

Learn more about the Dialogue across Difference Faculty Fellows program and the 2025-2026 application at one of our online information sessions. The content of both sessions will be the same (though Q&A may differ).

3–4 p.m, March 5
10–11 a.m., March 18

Instructional Design Showcase
AI in Higher Ed: What’s Changing & What No One Is Talking About

11 a.m.–noon, March 6 |  Young Research Library, Room 21570

AI is everywhere in education, but what’s really working, and in what disciplines? What’s just hype? And what’s missing from the conversation? This session peels back the curtain on how AI is transforming teaching, where it’s helping, and where it’s failing.

Learn More about the Showcase

TA / Postdoc Drop-in Hours
2–4 p.m., March 13 | Powell 186

This workshop session is open to TAs and postdoc instructors only

Join the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Engagement team for our final drop-in hours of the quarter. Come for coffee, snacks, and grading support during this social working session. 

Learn more

Setting the Stage:
First Week Experiences to Cultivate Student Belonging

Noon–1 p.m., April 1 | Young Research Library, Room 21570

This workshop equips instructors with practical strategies to build community and establish rapport with their classes, whether on the first day of class, the first week, or beyond. Instructors will learn activities to communicate classroom goals, establish course policies, and foster a supportive classroom culture. 

Register by Tuesday, March 25 to attend. Lunch will be served.

Register Here

Equity Learning Communities:
Using Data to Enhance Instructional Change

2:30–3:30 p.m., April 2 | Powell 320

Daniel Reinholz, a professor of Mathematics and Statistics at San Diego State University, will examine how data can support equitable teaching and introduce participants to the equity learning communities model. He will then share practical strategies that college instructors and instructional developers can use to promote an equitable and engaging classroom environment.

Register Here

Instructor Wellbeing:
Tools for Navigating Mental Health in the Classroom

9:00 a.m–12:30 p.m., April 11 | Luskin Center Enlightenment Room

Ross Szabo, Geffen Academy Wellness Director, will lead a training session to help instructors practically address common mental health challenges that might show up in class and during office hours. Instructors will learn how to utilize personal storytelling as a powerful tool to normalize conversations about mental health and reinforce student learning in any discipline.

Register Here

Resources

Assessment Guide
Using Student Experiences of Teaching to Inform Teaching Practice

Our latest Assessment Guide is designed to help instructors review and reflect on student feedback. The guide offers suggestions for encouraging constructive student engagement and participation, making sense of the feedback, and incorporating the information into your continuous improvement practice. The guide and additional information can be found on the TLC SET webpage.

From Our Campus Partners

Fostering Academic Wellness
Hosted by the Center for Education Innovation & Learning in the Sciences

Noon–1:15 p.m., March 3 & 24 | Hershey Hall Salon 158

Register Here

Pedagogy Essentials Workshops
Hosted by the Center for Education Innovation & Learning in the Sciences

12:30–1:30 p.m., March 6, 13, & 20 | Terasaki Life Sciences 5100

Register Here

UndocuAlly Training Sessions
Hosted by the Undocumented Student Program

March 20, 21, & 22 | SAC Conference Room & Zoom

Register Here

Speaking Across Conflict Workshop for Staff and Faculty
Hosted by the Dialogue across Difference Initiative

Noon–2:30 p.m., March  20 | Location shared upon RSVP

Register Here

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