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The 2030 Teaching Excellence & Innovation Initiative is a series of three interconnected university-wide committees that have been charged by the provost with exploring issues related to teaching excellence and innovation in 2024-2025. These ad hoc committees have been charged with developing implementation plans to realize the ambitious goals that have been put forth by prior working groups including the 2030 Education Working Group, the 2018 Tenure Standards Committee, the 2021 Academic Council report on regular rank faculty, and most recently the Trinity Curriculum Development Committee.
Specifically, these committees will address three major topics which require collective action across the university:
- The Teaching and Mentoring Excellence committee is charged with creating an evidence-based rubric to define and evaluate teaching/mentoring excellence; creating a culture that supports and values teaching excellence; revising appointment, promotion and tenure standards to clarify teaching expectations; and creating defined career pathways and consistent titles for regular rank non-tenure track faculty.
- The Cross-School Teaching Opportunities committee will explore policies and practices that lower the threshold for faculty to teach across schools, including professional school faculty teaching and mentoring undergraduates as well as teaching exchanges between professional schools.
- The Adaptable Academic Structures committee will develop ideas for introducing, experimenting with, and assessing options for increased modularity and enhanced modalities in educational delivery.
These committees began working in September 2024 and have been charged with issuing recommendations at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Recommendations will be reviewed by faculty governance, as needed, in Fall 2025, with implementation to follow.
Teaching & Mentoring Excellence Committee
- Jerry Reiter, Statistical Science, Trinity (Co-chair)
- Bridgette Hard, Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity (Co-chair)
- Aria Chernik, Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education
- Scott Dyreng, Fuqua School of Business
- Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, School of Nursing
- Tim Johnson, Earth & Climate Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment
- Esther Kim Lee, Theatre Studies, Trinity
- Heather Mechler, Institutional Research
- Kavin Rowe, Divinity School
- Ann Saterbak, Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
- David Schanzer, Sanford School of Public Policy
- Beth Sullivan, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine
- Ying Xiong, Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education
Ex Officio & Committee Staff
- Abbas Benmamoun, Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement
- Mohamed Noor, Executive Vice Provost
- Laura Howes, Interdisciplinary Studies
Adaptable Academic Structures Committee
- Jeffrey Glass, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering (Co-chair)
- Emma Rasiel, Economics, Trinity (Co-chair)
- Frank Blalark, University Registrar
- Dean Bruno, Trinity
- Jennie DeGagne, School of Nursing
- Didem Havlioglu, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Trinity
- David Johnston, Marine Science & Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment
- John Klingensmith, The Graduate School
- Sarah Komisarow, Sanford School of Public Policy
- Russ Morgan, Fuqua School of Business
- Daniel Scolnic, Physics, Trinity
- Patrick Smith, Divinity School
- Len White, Neurology, School of Medicine
Ex Officio & Committee Staff
- Yakut Gazi, Vice Provost for Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education
- Noah Pickus, Associate Provost
- Shana Lassiter, Faculty Advancement
Cross-School Teaching Committee
- David McAdams, Fuqua School of Business (Chair)
- Mark Borsuk, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
- Kate Bundorf, Sanford School of Public Policy
- Katelyn Cai, Undergraduate Student Representative
- James Chappel, History, Trinity
- Megan Huchko, Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
- Jacqui McMillian-Bohler, School of Nursing
- Hector Monterroso, Graduate Student Representative
- Chelsea Nielsen, Professional Student Representative
- Charlie Nunn, Evolutionary Anthropology, Trinity
- William Pan, Environmental Natural Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment
Ex Officio & Committee Staff
- Ed Balleisen, Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies
- Meghan O’Neil, Interdisciplinary Studies