About the Center

Background Information

In 1990, Samford University undertook an intensive "Learning for Life" review of its major programming and services. Twelve separate and distinct committees delved into a particular program or service, performed a baseline assessment, and integrated concepts from relevant literature. One of the committee's efforts revolved around methods of enhancing student learning and faculty teaching while maintaining a strong link to the institution's mission. The means by which to accomplish these tasks was to develop a teaching and learning center.

The realization of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CTLS) came after several initiatives, including, for example, the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Transformational Learning Abilities (TLA), which reemphasized the need to have an informative, teaching center to facilitate these activities and to promote the scholarship of teaching. In the summer of 2003, the Center for Problem-Based Learning, created in 1998 because of the PBL Initiative, formally evolved into the CTLS.

After an extensive review of other higher education teaching and learning centers, the CTLS formulated its mission statement, customers, critical processes, values, goals, objectives, methods and resources. Past and current staff within the CTLS assisted in the process and the documents were subsequently shared with the school deans, associate provosts, provost and president. Need assessments and discussions with various faculty members further refined these elements.

Center Description

The CTLS is a multifaceted resource to assist faculty, staff, administrators, and students in their integration of innovative teaching and learning techniques, and the scholarship of teaching within the University's Christian environment. The CTLS supports the University's distinctive mission of "For God, for learning, forever" by providing general instructional and assessment design assistance, and promoting a climate for faculty, staff, administrators, and students in their pursuit of lifelong learning. 

 

The CTLS currently operates with one full-time staff member. An advisory board chaired by the CTLS director and composed of faculty and administrators provides overall sanctioning of the Center's operation. Periodic evaluations will be conducted to assess the value of the CTLS on: a) promoting communities of learning and the scholarship of teaching; and c) promoting and disseminating the teaching and learning efforts at Samford University.

 

Most faculty choose to teach because of a love of knowledge, a love of students, and an innate need to transfer their knowledge to students. Although their content knowledge may be extensive, many faculty have not been educated in the art and science of teaching. By encouraging and motivating faculty to examine their teaching methods and relationships, the CTLS would be cultivating faculty development and student learning. Mentoring, collaborative and active learning are a few of the strategies to enhance this process.

 

A positive consequence of nurturing faculty is to focus their attention on teaching the "whole person." While stressing academic rigor of teaching and learning at Samford, a major function of the Center is to encourage classrooms that promote all manners of learning. Rigor, nurturance and spirituality could be the shaping agents of training and development activities.

 

Mission

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship at Samford University supports the Samford community in facilitating persons throughout the teaching and learning process. By providing assistance and resources, the Center will promote optimal university teaching and learning, faculty and student engagement in scholarly, spiritual and creative activities, and assist Samford University in its' transformation to a learner-centered community.

  

Beliefs

The Center builds upon the several beliefs:

  • Learning is a life-long process.
  • Teaching involves facilitating individuals to realize their potential as a student of the university, of society, of the world, and of God.
  • The ever changing, complex environment requires faculty to use a variety of teaching strategies to enhance students' achievement of learning outcomes.
  • Holistic learning requires faculty, students, staff and administrators to collaborate with one another and to cultivate relationships.

Objectives

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship aims to:

  • provide instructional, curricular, evaluative and technological design assistance to individual faculty, faculty teams, and university-wide cross-functional teams attempting to improve student learning.
  • design and implement orientation for first-year faculty in optimal student learning practices and relational pedagogies.
  • design and support peer-reviewed documentation of the scholarship of teaching and learning for administrators, faculty and students.
  • assist faculty and academic administrators in the search for and securing of private foundation and government grants for optimizing student learning.
  • assist each school in the design and implementation of an ongoing system for assuring students are proficient for the degrees they receive.
  • provide seminars and workshops on pedagogies that reinforce teaching and learning in a Christian environment.

The CTLS serves a variety of individuals with the predominant group being Samford University faculty. The second group served includes students, staff and administrators of Samford who wish to pursue optimal learning and scholarly endeavors. A third, and no less important group, has included the faculty, staff, students and administrators from other institutions who wish to contribute or obtain more information on Samford's efforts in promoting lifelong learning and the scholarship of teaching.

Staff and Administration

The Center resides under the direct supervision of the associate provost, Dr. Mark Bateman. Currently, the Center employs one individual, the director. The current director of the CTLS is Mary Sue Baldwin. This position follows that of the directorship of the Center for Problem-Based Learning, and assistant professor of nursing in the Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing. During the latter, she was awarded the John C. Buchanan Teaching Award in 1997. Her educational background includes a bachelor's of science degree in nursing from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, a master's degree in cardiovascular nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Samford University's Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies.

 

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