Getting ready for the fall semester, upcoming events, course design, and new faculty programs!
Students walking during the first day of classes

Center for Teaching Newsletter: August 2025

Supporting excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa  

Welcome to the August edition of the Center for Teaching newsletter! We hope you had a great summer. This month's issue is designed to help you prepare for the semester with information about upcoming events and workshops, tools for new instructors, a new Faculty Learning Community, information about our fall Teaching Book Club, and our final Staff Spotlight feature. 

We're also excited to share that you can now experience this newsletter in an audio format. All UI students, faculty, and staff have free access to Read&Write, which includes a built-in text-to-speech tool as well as note-taking and other features. Instructions for using Read&Write are available on the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology website.

Register for Fall Events

Registration is now open for all of our fall events! We encourage you to sign up online and add them to your calendar:

Aug. 25: Sip and Share at the Center for Teaching: First Day Teaching Lounge (9:30 - 11:30 a.m., UCC 2090 (behind CoWork Commons))

Sept. 9: AI Social (2:30 - 4 p.m., UCC 2520D)
Co-sponsored by the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Sept. 19: Alt Grading on ICON (noon - 1 p.m., via Zoom)
Co-sponsored by the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Sept. 26: Designing Your SoTL Study (1 - 3 p.m., VAN 350)

Oct. 10: Scaffolding to Set Students Up for Success (noon - 1 p.m., via Zoom)

Oct. 17: TILE Your Teaching (2 - 3:30 p.m., SH 40)
Co-sponsored by the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Oct. 28 - Nov 13: CIRTL Teaching as Research Series (Tues./Thurs., noon - 1 p.m., via Zoom)
Co-sponsored by the Graduate College

Nov. 12: Prioritizing Process in "Writing to Learn" Assignment Design (noon - 1 p.m., UCC 2070E)

Dec. 4: Designing Aligned Assessments in Experiential Education (1 - 3 p.m., UCC 20270E)

Jan. 15: Rocklin Teaching and Learning Speaker Series: Sarah Silverman (9 - 11 a.m., via Zoom)

All instructors regardless of appointment or experience level are invited to participate in Center for Teaching events.

Download our digital poster featuring a complete list of fall 2025 events and descriptions to learn more about all of our events, workshops, services, and support.

New Faculty Roadmap for Teaching Success

Teaching at Iowa for the first time or looking for some structure to help you invigorate your teaching life? The Center for Teaching has created a year-long roadmap of bite-sized activities to help you implement effective teaching strategies and set practical goals during the next two semesters. Use this guide to ease into your teaching role, invest in yourself, and set yourself up for long-term success.

Sip and Share: First Day Teaching Lounge

We are delighted to invite all instructors to kick off the semester with coffee, tea, or juice and conversation on Monday, Aug. 25 at the Center for Teaching! Connect with colleagues, chat about teaching, join a pre-scheduled TILE-enabling consultation, or get quick advice from our expert staff. This come-and-go event runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the center (UCC 2090 behind the CoWork Commons). Advanced registration is encouraged. 

New Faculty Learning Community: Elevate Your Teaching with High-Impact Practices

Join colleagues from across disciplines to explore, implement, and reflect on evidence-based strategies that enhance student engagement and learning. This Faculty Learning Community (FLC) provides a collaborative space where educators come together to explore, implement, and reflect on evidence-based strategies that enhance student engagement and learning experience. Anna Jensen, assistant professor of instruction in Sport and Recreation Management, will be the faculty lead for the FLC. 

Register to be a founding member of this new FLC or read about our other Faculty Learning Communities on our website.  

Fall 2025 Teaching Book Club

This interdisciplinary group will read Gayle Greene's Immeasurable Outcomes: Teaching Shakespeare in the Age of the Algorithm, which explores the crucial role of liberal arts education. The book club is a space for members to share insights, experiences, and innovative teaching strategies, while fostering a community across disciplines. Join us to contribute to a vibrant discussion on making instruction and course design more effective.

The group will meet Fridays from 2-3 p.m., with the kickoff meeting in-person on Sept. 12. Subsequent meetings will take place Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Oct. 24, and Nov. 7 via Zoom. Register by Aug. 29.

Center for Teaching Staff Spotlight – Allie Brandriet

Our final Staff Spotlight feature introduces you to our newest staff member, Allie Brandriet. Since joining our team this spring as an assistant director, Allie has taken the lead on work related to the TILE program and also focuses on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Teaching as Research (TAR), and the use of AI in teaching and learning. Learn more about her and how she is settling in to the Iowa City area. 
The University of Iowa

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the Center for Teaching in advance at 319-335-6048.