I cannot believe that it is already August … it’s that point of the summer when I reflect on all of the things I’d intended to get done this summer yet haven’t found the opportunity to do, and the impending start of the Fall semester and the many things yet to come with a new academic year!
This month, this update comes from me (as Associate Provost, Academic Programs, Teaching and Learning) rather than from the CTL Academic Director. We are in a period of change in the CTL right now, and so you’re stuck with me!!
First, I wanted to take this moment to celebrate Ramon Lawrence, who served as CTL’s Academic Director for the past 18 months. The Academic Director role was a new position in the Centre starting January 1, 2023, and Ramon stepped in and had a tremendous impact on the work of the Centre and on the broader teaching and learning environment at UBC Okanagan. During his tenure, among many other accomplishments, we have seen the development and implementation of a new CTL Strategic Plan, the introduction of the new UBCO Outstanding Instructor Award, the renewal of the UBCO Provost’s Award for TAs and Tutors, and the introduction of UBCO SoTL Seed Grants. In July 2024, Ramon finished his term as Academic Director, and has moved into a new role as Department Head of the Department of Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics. I hope you will all join me in thanking Ramon for his leadership with the CTL over the past 18 months!
Second, we are really excited to welcome 10 Faculty Fellows to the CTL team for the 2024-25 academic year. This is the second year of our Faculty Teaching Fellows program. We have four returning fellows who will continue to provide leadership for the campus community this year (Peter Arthur, Tamara Ebl, Sally Stewart, and Robin Young), and are excited to welcome six new fellows to the team (Anita Chaudhuri, Jannik Eikenaar, Bowen Hui, Catherine Kyle, Stephen McNeil, and Zoe Soon)! They will all be involved in a variety of initiatives to support the ongoing development of our dynamic teaching and learning community here at UBCO!
Finally, I want to highlight the many exciting things to come for the CTL over the coming year. In addition to the announcement of the new CTL Academic Director, which will come in time for our September newsletter, there are so many other exciting things to come for the CTL. We already have a number of key programs planned for the Fall, some of which are highlighted in this newsletter. And there are a number of other projects in the works! For example, CTL is excited to be partnering with the College of Graduate Studies, with the involvement of faculty members from across campus, to develop a number of micro-credentials for graduate students and faculty related to teaching and learning, with the support of the ALT Fund at UBCO. We are also excited to partner with the Senior Advisor for Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous Programs and Services, and several other units on campus to develop Indigenous Learning Pathways for staff and faculty at UBCO, with the support of the UBC ISI Fund. Stay tuned to the CTL website, and this newsletter, in the coming months to learn more!
Hoping you all have a chance to rest and recharge over the rest of this summer, and I am excited to see what the new academic year brings!!
See you all soon!
Brad Wuetherick
Associate Provost, Academic Programs, Teaching and Learning
Subscribe