why join a Communities of practice?
Communities of Practice (CoP) are cohort-based programs that meet regularly to build community, relationships, networks, and knowledge. Instructors who participate in CoPs can develop a greater sense of belonging and self-efficacy while supporting continuous improvement of teaching. At CITL we offer a variety of CoPs every semester with different modalities, durations, and themes. Explore our upcoming options below.
*When you register for a CoP you are committing to all events in the series – so please mark your calendars and plan accordingly!
ALTERNATIVE GRADING MINI-CoP
New this summer!
Explore the landscape of alternative grading approaches at the 2025 Grading Conference bookended by meetings with colleagues to discuss the conference and findings.
Dates:
Hybrid Meeting Dates: June 9th and June 16th from 1:00-3:00pm
Virtual Conference Dates: June 11-13th 2025
American Refuge: CITL & Office of International Programs Joint Book Discussion
Building off of our joint book discussion on the experiences of international students in the US, the Office of International Programs and CITL will co-host a book discussion on the experiences of refugees and refugee students in the US with the reading and discussion of American Refuge: True stories of the Refugee Experience* by Dr. Diya Abdo.
Refugee students bring with them a unique set of experiences and perspectives when they join our communities. The aim of this discussion will be to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of refugee students in order to better support them in the classroom and in community broadly.
TeACHING OBSERvation partnerships (TOP)
Instructors observing others teach is a rich and informative experience that leads to new ideas, approaches and connections. The goal of this partnership is to increase conversations about teaching and build a teaching-focused community.
Through respectful dialogue and reflective discussions, this community will refine their instructional practices, experiment with innovative teaching methods, and foster professional growth. This program is entirely formative, non-evaluative, and voluntary.
To keep the conversations and connections meaningful, space will be limited. Acceptance will be on a first come, first served basis.
For Graduate Students
Graduate students are welcome to participate in any or all of the programs offered at CITL, from Communities of Practice to Brightspace consultations.
In addition, we have two programs designed specifically for graduate students: the TA Success Coalition (TASC) and Graduate Teaching Academy (GTA) for those later in their degree.