I may have said this before in this space, but I can’t help it: I love this time of year! The crisp, cool nights and warm sunny days, both against the backdrop of the changing landscape and leaves, somehow feel quintessentially “university” to me. Mid-October sees me in a teaching rhythm, and normally I would be entirely focused on optimizing my delivery and assessment, recognizing the work that my students have done to this point and looking ahead to our endpoints and outcomes. This is, though, an unusual fall, and for me the most recent factor for that is the launch of UBC’s refreshed Strategic Plan: Strategic Directions 2025-2030.
The refreshed Plan has bumped me slightly out of my teaching optimization zone (I’m now balancing optimization with reflection and innovation), and it is well worth reading, even in the hectic midst of the term: it re-affirms several prior plans and commitments, but it also articulates some new directions that will be priorities for at least the next five years. Among these, we at CTL are paying particular attention to:
- Create flexibility for learners,
- Enhance experiential education,
- Excel in the development and application of emerging technologies, and
- Nurture a strong and vibrant UBC community.
For our CTL team, these directions are informing our ongoing conversations about what constitutes good teaching, both generally at universities in Canada and specifically here at UBC Okanagan, and we’re excited for the possibilities that we see ahead. Flexible learning is broad, encompassing both program pathways and delivery modes, but it is also helpful in reminding us to ground teaching in the service of diverse learners. Enhancing experiential education emphasizes the need to work across the academic and service sides of house; excelling in areas of emerging technologies requires that we intentionally keep humans in the loop. And nurturing community is, perhaps unsurprisingly at UBC Okanagan, entirely consistent with CTL’s value-based approach to the mission of promoting, inspiring, and supporting teaching excellence.
Most of all, these directions have given us a framework for reflecting on the transactional, relational, and transformative elements of our work with all of you, and the impact you are having in all of your teaching and learning spaces. If you are already part of our conversations about good teaching, we are grateful. And if you are looking for a way to join, we look forward to welcoming you!
Jannik Haruo Eikenaar, Ph.D.
Academic Director, Centre for Teaching & Learning
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