Supporting Teaching and Learning at Duke

Image

This message was sent to all Duke University faculty and staff.

Dear Duke faculty and staff, 

As part of our continued commitment to providing a world-class educational experience for all Duke students, we are implementing several organizational changes to strengthen how we support excellence and innovation in teaching and learning across the university. 

As a key step in this effort, we will launch a new Center for Teaching and Learning at Duke. This center will serve as a central hub for advancing pedagogical innovation by bringing together several functions currently housed within the Office of Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education (LILE). This includes teaching and learning programming and support for faculty, as well as the Digital Product and Strategy team, which partners with our nine schools and Trinity College to develop online, hybrid, and Coursera programs. We plan to initiate a search for a faculty director for the center who will report to Joe Salem, the Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs, through to the Provost. 

The Center for Teaching and Learning will also continue to engage with faculty on the classroom use of tools such as Canvas, ensuring the integration of pedagogical support and technology. LILE staff who support the design and maintenance of Duke’s educational technologies and back-end systems will transition to our Office of Information Technology and Student Information Services and Systems.  

We will also restructure several current LILE offerings to ensure better mission alignment. Programs such as Summer Session will shift to the schools and the college, while others, such as pre-college courses, will be reimagined over time to strengthen faculty and academic unit engagement. We will continue to support the lifelong learning programs offered through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). 

This new structure reflects our strategic effort to align our people and resources with our mission. Refocusing these important teaching and learning support services will enable stronger coordination and collaboration and enhance our ability to meet the evolving needs of our students and faculty. 

We recognize that transitions like these are never easy, particularly when they affect colleagues and long-standing teams. These decisions have been made with great care and thoughtful input from faculty and administrators across the university. While this change marks the end of LILE as a unit, our commitment to supporting innovative teaching and learning at Duke remains steadfast.  

The Center for Teaching and Learning will officially launch in the spring after additional planning and consultation with faculty and academic leaders. If you need support or have questions about where to direct requests during this transition, please email DukeCTL@duke.edu. 

I am confident that the new Center for Teaching and Learning will foster even stronger partnerships with faculty and the schools and the college—advancing our shared mission to deliver exceptional educational experiences and prepare Duke students to lead and serve in a complex world. 

Sincerely,  

Alec D. Gallimore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Chief Academic Officer 
Alfred J. Hooks E '68 Distinguished Professor