| Center for Teaching Newsletter: Summer 2025 | Supporting excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa
Welcome to the summer edition of the Center for Teaching newsletter!
This issue includes information about our August events, services to help instructors prepare for fall, resources for early career faculty and new teaching assistants, and a recap of our latest Course Design Institute.
As we look forward to the upcoming academic year, we're preparing to host a set of workshops with the Writing Center on August 11 that combine national expertise with campus-based support to enhance your teaching with writing and assignment design.
- Writing Across the Curriculum in the Age of AI
Monday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m. - noon in 2520D University Capitol Centre
Dan Melzer (UC Davis), author of Engaging Ideas, will discuss writing across the curriculum and how writing assignments can promote student learning in the age of AI.
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Transparent Assignment Design Retreat
Monday, Aug. 11, 1 - 3 p.m. in 2520D University Capitol Centre
Center for Teaching staff will provide an overview of evidence-based strategies to make assignments more engaging, meaningful, and equitable. Participants will have dedicated time to apply the Transparent Assignment Design framework to develop or revise their own assignments. Additionally, optional support will be available for instructors interested in conducting research on the effectiveness of their assignments.
Register for one or both sessions. A boxed lunch will be provided at noon for those who register for both sessions.
| | | Get Ready for the Semester with a Teaching Consultation | As you prepare for the new semester, the Center for Teaching is here to support your teaching goals! Whether you’re refining your syllabus, planning classroom activities, or revising an assignment, our expert staff can brainstorm with you about making your teaching life more effective and rewarding. Some popular consultation topics include:
- Course Design and Syllabus Review
- Engagement and Assessment Strategies
- Preparing to Lead Discussions about Hot Topics
- Mid-semester Check-ins with your Students
- Teaching in a TILE classroom
Consultations are free, voluntary, and confidential. Learn more on our website.
| | | Resources for New Faculty | As we prepare for the start of a new academic year, we want to remind you of all the support the Center for Teaching offers for new and early career faculty as they begin their teaching journey at Iowa. From the Handbook for Teaching Excellence to personalized teaching consultations, we offer several tools and resources designed to help new faculty thrive. If you have new early career faculty members joining your department, please share these resources or encourage them to get in touch with us at teaching@uiowa.edu.
| | | New TA Orientation is Thursday, Aug. 21 | The Center for Teaching will host New TA Orientation (NTAO) 2025 from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Aug. 21. This virtual event is designed to help graduate students feel more confident and prepared for their first teaching assignment. Participants will find out about teaching resources at Iowa, learn strategies for getting started in the classroom, discuss common teaching concerns, and engage in workshops led by experienced TAs from across the university. Anyone who registers will also gain access to an ICON site with useful information and resources for new TAs.
| | | Celebrating the 2025 Course Design Institute | What do you want students to remember five years from now? That’s just one of the big questions explored by the eighteen instructors from across campus who gathered in May for the Center for Teaching’s Course Design Institute. Over five days, participants redesigned courses, connected across disciplines, and gained clarity, confidence, and momentum for the year ahead.
Our next newsletter is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 20. If you have suggestions for the newsletter or would like to provide us with feedback, email teaching@uiowa.edu.
Help us reach more people who support excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa! Please consider sharing our newsletter sign-up form with a friend or colleague. | | | |
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